2024 GMC Yukon Denali Vs Denali Ultimate: What Does The Higher Price Get You?

The GMC Yukon is a large luxury SUV sold by GMC since 1991 (as a 1992 model). It is a body-on-frame SUV that's currently being built on the same GM T1 truck platform that underpins the Chevrolet Tahoe. Although it had been positioned as a luxury vehicle since its initial launch, the introduction of the more luxurious GMC Yukon Denali trim in 1999 took things up a notch, giving the Yukon a much-needed impetus to vie for market share against the likes of the then-new Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade. Since then, the Denali nameplate has come to represent not only the top-of-the-line Yukon model but also the absolute best of other GMC vehicles, such as the GMC Canyon and GMC Sierra trucks, as well as the GMC Acadia and Terrain SUVs.

For the 2023 model year, GMC gave the Yukon the uber-luxurious Denali Ultimate treatment, making an already premium SUV even more prestigious. With both models now available to order for 2024, you might be torn between the sumptuous offerings of the highly-bespoke 2024 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate trim and nostalgia for the enduring Yukon Denali model. Whichever grade you decide on, you'll also need to splash out to get one of these. The standard 2024 Yukon Denali starts at $77,300 (MSRP), while the 2024 Yukon Denali Ultimate version will set you back nearly $22,400 more than the regular Denali, given its starting MSRP of $99,695. But what exactly does the Denali Ultimate's higher price get you? Keep reading to find out.

The 2024 GMC Yukon Denali offers some of the very finest features and materials the world of automobiles has to offer. It is equipped as standard with perforated leather seating surfaces, heated and cooled power front bucket seats, heated second-row power bucket seats, memory settings for both the driver and passenger seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, and power windows. As well, you get 20-inch, six-spoke multi-dimensional polished aluminum wheels shod with all-season blackwall tires, a hands-free power liftgate, rain-sensing automatic windshield wipers, and power outside mirrors with heating functionality.

The 2024 GMC Yukon Denali is also tech-heavy. It packs a standard 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a 12-inch digital gauge cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, a wireless device charger, a Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation, USB ports for front and rear passengers, a 15-inch diagonal multicolor head-up display, and a 14-speaker Bose audio system. As for performance, the Yukon Denali comes standard with a 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 engine, which is widely considered one of the most reliable engines ever put in the Chevy Silverado. It pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission to send 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque to either the rear or all four wheels. Despite this being the standard engine, you'll have to pay slightly more than the above-quoted price for the V8, as pricing begins at $78,800. 

For those desiring an oil burner, the 2024 GMC Yukon Denali is available with the 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel engine, which can be had for as low as $77,300. That lower price comes at the expense of 143 ponies (the diesel makes 277 hp), but torque does hold constant at 460 lb-ft, although it arrives sooner (1500 vs 4100 rpm for the V8). A Magnetic Ride Control suspension system is standard here.

While the GMC Yukon Denali and Yukon Denali Ultimate both have a reputation for offering a fantastically supple ride, supremely cosseting interior that supports up to seven passengers, and a distinctively captivating look, the higher-end GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate reputedly does this to a greater degree, thanks in part to a standard adaptive air suspension system that provides superior comfort and compliance linearity. Beyond the suspension, the 2024 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate comes standard with features you won't find right out of the box on the regular Yukon Denali, such as unique exterior styling, 22-inch wheels wrapped in all-season blackwall tires, full-grain leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, power-retractable door steps with LED perimeter lighting, a Bose Performance Series 18-speaker sound system, a rear-seat entertainment system comprising dual 12.6-inch screens, two 2-channel wireless headphones, two HDMI ports, and Bluetooth connectivity.

The 2024 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate also offers a theft-deterrent system to help prevent a potential break-in or theft, enhanced automatic park assist, a rear camera mirror, reverse automatic braking, and GM's Super Cruise driver assistance technology, among a host of other standard safety technologies. If you're wondering, the standard engine here is the same naturally aspirated 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8 found on the standard Denali trim (but with an enhanced cooling radiator), meaning there's 420 hp and 460 lb-ft on tap here as well. However, instead of two, the Yukon Denali Ultimate comes standard with four-wheel drive, along with an electronic limited-slip differential (Yukon Denali has mechanical limited-slip rear differential) and Autotrac 2-speed transfer case. The 3.0-liter Duramax turbo-diesel inline-six engine is also available as an option. As with the regular Yukon Denali, a V8 2024 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate starts higher at $100,750, while models with a diesel engine begin at $99,695.