GMC Denali

The GMC Denali nameplate is used by General Motors' light truck division, GMC, on its top-of-the-line luxury models. The name applies to the luxury version of all SUVs as well as pick-up trucks in the GMC line-up. Vehicles with the Denali trim option carry MSRPs (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) up to 43% higher than those of the regular models. Prices range from $37,145 for GMC Envoy Denali to $58,785 for a top-of-the-line GMC Yukon XL Denali.

History
The Denali nameplate started as the luxury version of the GMC Yukon for the 1998 model year. It was also GMC's first attempt to steal sales from the new-for-1998 Lincoln Navigator. At the time of its introduction General Motors decided to give Cadillac its own luxury SUV so the Denali's exterior was later shared with the 1999 Cadillac Escalade, with only the front fascia and lower side body panels differing from the standard Yukon. Even though the Yukon was redesigned alongside the Chevrolet Suburban and Chevrolet Tahoe in 2000, the Denali and Escalade retained their 1990s base design.

The "Denali" moniker is derived from the native name for Mount McKinley in Alaska, and is also the name of the national park that surrounds the mountain, as well as a state park.

1998 - 2000
In 1998 at the time of its introduction the Yukon Denali's exterior, which it later shared with the 1999 Cadillac Escalade, only differed from the standard Yukon in the front fascia and lower side body panels. In the interior, however, the Denali featured many luxury options not available in the mainstream Yukon. These included an upgraded leather interior, power seats, and some woodgrain on the dashboard.

A 5.7-litre V8 was the only engine offered.

2001 - 2006
Even though the GMC Yukon was redesigned alongside the Chevrolet Suburban and Chevrolet Tahoe in 2000, the Denali and Escalade retained their 1990s base design. It was not until 2001 that the Denali and Escalade were redesigned. The Escalade departed from its Yukon-based exterior design scheme in an attempt to hide its humble roots and was also introduced as a 2002 model, which is why there is no 2001 Escalade. The Yukon Denali's exterior is almost the same as that of a post-2000 model year Yukon. GMC also introduced the extended-length (Suburban-based) Yukon XL Denali. Embossed side body panels and chrome surrounding the headlights differentiate the Yukon Denali from the regular Yukon. 2001 also saw the introduction of the bullet pattern grille which now has become the hallmark of the Denali nameplate. Also in 2001 it saw the introduction of the 6.0L V8 application in the standard-size Yukon in the Denali trim, which it also shared with the Cadillac Escalade. The engine produced 320hp upon its introduction, then was upgraded to 325hp in 2003. The same year it also introduced a new upgraded interior and new options such as 20-inch wheels. In 2006 the 6.0L V8 in the Denali was uprated to 330HP.

The previous (for 2001 only) C3 model of the GMC Sierra pickup truck was also renamed Denali in late 2001 as a 2002 model.

In 2005 the Denali nameplate was expanded with the introduction of the mid-size Envoy Denali SUV and new Crew cab Sierra Denali pick-up truck.

2007
In 2007 the GMC Yukon and Sierra lines were completely revamped with the Denali included, now with a 380-403 Vortec 6200 6.2L V8, six-speed automatic transmissions, and many new features and options such as power folding second row seats and rear backup camera. The MSRP of the 2007 models have not changed