Review: Is this the LandCruiser’s worst nightmare?

The Toyota LandCruiser is the undisputed king of large SUVs in Australia (with apologies to the Nissan Patrol). But there could be a battle for the crown soon, with the arrival of an all-new and very different player in the upper end of the SUV market – the GMC Yukon Denali.

General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) is set to expand beyond its current core of Silverado pickup trucks and Corvette sports cars with this new, supersized SUV. We got our first experience in the Yukon recently, but we must stress this is not a definitive review but rather a brief taste of what’s to come. Our test drive was limited to the literal Sandown Raceway car park, but it was enough to get an idea of what GMC is offering with the Yukon – and it’s something totally new to the Australian market.

The Yukon makes no pretensions about challenging the LandCruiser or the Patrol for off-road prowess. For those looking for an SUV to take on the next big camping adventure across the outback, the LandCruiser is still the obvious choice.

But as the SUV market continues to grow many buyers are looking for something new, different and, frankly, bigger that what they previously had. And the Yukon is definitely bigger than anything else around, measuring 5338mm long, 2058mm wide and 1941mm tall, which is longer and wider than the LandCruiser 300 Series.

Size matters, no matter what people might tell you, and the Yukon will appeal to people who want something with loads of room inside and don’t mind cutting an imposing figure on the road. The high-grade Denali that GMSV will offer here comes with three rows of leather-trimmed seats (with seating for eight), so it’s the ultimate family hauler. It will also have appeal to hire car drivers looking for something spacious and unique to help them stand out in a sea of Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Audi Q7.

So, does it feel like a behemoth to drive? Well, like I say, our test drive was limited to the paddock parking behind the pits at Sandown Raceway, with GMSV setting up a course of cones for us to wind our way through. Obviously there’s a stark difference between cones in a wide open space and navigating narrow suburban streets, but the Yukon felt smaller than you’d expect when you stand outside it (and it makes you feel tiny).

I’m not suggesting it’s agile or nimble, but it manages to somehow feel smaller than the closely related Silverado 1500 – however we’ll reserve final judgement until we get it onto an actual road first.

The other element of the Yukon that will appeal to would-be LandCruiser and Patrol buyers is, unlike those now-V6-powered models, the GMC is powered by a V8 engine. The 6.2-litre unit is the same one found in the Silverado and makes 313kW and 620Nm.

Our little test drive around the car park didn’t provide much engine insight, but based on our previous experience with the Silverado 1500, it should have enough grunt to move such a sizable SUV with ease.

Final specifications and the crucial price are yet to be confirmed by GMSV, but anyone thinking about buying a LandCruiser, Patrol or similar large SUV (even those with a luxury badge) might want to have some patience to see what GMC can offer in the near future.