GMC Yukon for Australia

[Sprintey]

It begins. The success of the US pick up conversions here has led to their wagon body cousins getting the same treatment. Ready for some moar Americana on our roads?

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-new...stralian-roads

We already have the smaller size Grand Cherokee imported in RHD by Jeep, but the Yukon is that size bigger. It's based on the same GMT T1XX platform as the Silverado.

I know some of you hanker for those old Suburbans...

What could this lead to? Imagine Ford imports the Explorer to compete with the Grand Cherokee (would be very interested in this!) and then similarly brings the Expedition to convert alongside the F150... imagine!

Those inner city Melbourne councils will be going ape at this news.

[fatgas]

Walkinshaw doing the conversions... HARD PASS

[Franco Cozzo]

GM Australia and New Zealand managing director Jess Bala.

Imagine being the 'managing director' of a company which doesn't exist in the country anymore, they probably work from their lounge room in their pajamas and have no staff

[kypez]

I love the idea of this car. I want a good size 4x4 (I wouldn't be buying one with 24 inch wheels). Patrol size is much more comfortable in the second and third row compared to the 300 series.

I just don't think I can bring myself to buy a GM product.

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

[janddbone]

Great decision, although I am surprised its a GMC and not a Chevrolet version.

[.:4:.]

Does anybody remember 1998? The rhd converted 'holden' suburban? Pretty much the same thing. I think the yukon will sell a few more then the suburbans sold back then only due to the current market.

[MITCHAY]

Its the next step bringing in the massive SUVs on top of the trucks that have been very successful.

Fair play to taking a punt and winning. I thought no chance but RAMs and to much lesser extent Silverados everywhere here. Aussie jobs too.

[Sprintey]

Yep, it's now the Aussie auto industry. Perhaps one day I can have an Expedition.

So all you dual cab guys, please go out and buy an F-150 so Ford goes 'well the F-150 is selling well, lets bring in the Expedition.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNvPvbFDZFY

[Ben73]

Reddit won’t be happy about this.

It’s great Australia has the option for this. It’s the type of thing I would have bought when I was 24 for no reason.

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Does anybody remember 1998? The rhd converted 'holden' suburban? Pretty much the same thing. I think the yukon will sell a few more then the suburbans sold back then only due to the current market.

Yep, my best mates dad bought one brand new from Holden. 16 year old me thought it was the coolest thing ever, id never seen a vehicle so big, and was a heap of fun the next year when said mate got his P's and we would take it out to get up to no good... I remember getting a laugh from the fact that if you unbolted the Holden badge on the grill, the Chev bow tie was there. Not a new grill, just a chrome cover... I really need to find the old photo's of 17 year old me and some of the crazy shit we did in that thing.. Ahh, memories...

But anyway, Yukon could be interesting, but 2 problems for mine:

1. GM have burned bridges in AU
2. If they have to have it converted to RHD, will it not then be too expensive in comparison to competitors. Look at Camaro as a prime example. $20k+ more than Mustang (its main competitor) here because Mustang was made RHD, Camaro had to be converted...

[Citroënbender]

Is it going to be the Yukon or Yukon XL?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Big_Daz

Yep, my best mates dad bought one brand new from Holden. 16 year old me thought it was the coolest thing ever, id never seen a vehicle so big, and was a heap of fun the next year when said mate got his P's and we would take it out to get up to no good... I remember getting a laugh from the fact that if you unbolted the Holden badge on the grill, the Chev bow tie was there. Not a new grill, just a chrome cover... I really need to find the old photo's of 17 year old me and some of the crazy shit we did in that thing.. Ahh, memories...

But anyway, Yukon could be interesting, but 2 problems for mine:

1. GM have burned bridges in AU
2. If they have to have it converted to RHD, will it not then be too expensive in comparison to competitors. Look at Camaro as a prime example. $20k+ more than Mustang (its main competitor) here because Mustang was made RHD, Camaro had to be converted...

Keep in mind the GMC Yukon is going to have no competitors in Australia as we sit currently,

What SUVs do we have in our market that are:

- Based on American ute platforms (large vehicle)
- V8 powered

Their closest competitors are the 300 series Landcruiser (No V8 anymore) and the Y62 Patrol, but they're not road going SUVs they're designed to be off road focused 4x4s.

American SUVs are the SUVs to end all SUVs - big engines, big vehicles, designed to eat up long drives in comfort.

[prktkljokr]

They will be overpriced for our market, sure they will have buyers, but I don't think they will have enough sales to make it worthwhile, then we have the problem of getting parts for anything manufactured in the states because of the crap Aussie dollar, they don't stock enough parts here, and the ones they do are expensive enough to write it off because of a minor accident.

I would like to see more US vehicles here in Aus, but our dollar puts them into the luxo barge range in pricing when they cant really compete price wise.

[smoo]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Keep in mind the GMC Yukon is going to have no competitors in Australia as we sit currently,

What SUVs do we have in our market that are:

- Based on American ute platforms (large vehicle)
- V8 powered

Their closest competitors are the 300 series Landcruiser (No V8 anymore) and the Y62 Patrol, but they're not road going SUVs they're designed to be off road focused 4x4s.

American SUVs are the SUVs to end all SUVs - big engines, big vehicles, designed to eat up long drives in comfort.

There’s the MB GLS, BMW X7 and Lexus LX600. These are all pushing $200k.
Just checked price of GMC with the 6.2 starts from $71k usd, 110k AUD. Probably not going to get much change from $200k for these after conversion and GM will prob import the ones with all the fruit as opposed to base model.

But the big risk will be American build quality coupled with the conversion.
Apparently these 6.2s are grenading themselves. Yanks been building all alloy small block for nearly 30 years and they still can’t get it right.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by smoo

There’s the MB GLS, BMW X7 and Lexus LX600. These are all pushing $200k.

Price, yes. Size, not quite. The Yukon is bigger than all of those cars by some margin (more than 30 CMS different to the Lexus!). If we get the XL, that's huge!

[smoo]

Originally Posted by kypez

Price, yes. Size, not quite. The Yukon is bigger than all of those cars by some margin (more than 30 CMS different to the Lexus!). If we get the XL, that's huge!

Yeah but realistically how many buyers are going to have that as the deciding factor?
There will be buyers who a dead set keen on one of these but there’d be some cross shopping going on for those on the fence.

[prktkljokr]

I remember my neighbor when he first moved into his newly built house, his Mazda wagon would not fit length wise in his garage and he couldn't close the roller door, so one of these things is definitely not going to fit in the little houses they build today, some of the people who will buy these cars will not even have the space to park them

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

I remember my neighbor when he first moved into his newly built house, his Mazda wagon would not fit length wise in his garage and he couldn't close the roller door, so one of these things is definitely not going to fit in the little houses they build today, some of the people who will buy these cars will not even have the space to park them

Same deal in Melbourne, people still have them though

Just park it in the street - if its registered you can legally park cars on the street,

The best part about it that I love is that don't you dare park on the nature strip, or you'll get fined.

But the very narrow residential streets in new housing estates? No drama bro block it by parking cars on both sides of it.

Just don't you dare try make space by putting some wheels on the nature strip

[Citroënbender]

I often park one of my cars out front with two wheels on the kerb top. To me, it’s courteous for other motorists passing at a narrow enough spot.

With the ongoing desire of so many Australians to mimic what they perceive as Americana, this proposal of the Yuckon is a great fit. Look how well the Mustang has gone - I’m sure if similar level offerings were around in the seventies onwards, they would have been enthusiastically taken up.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by smoo

Yeah but realistically how many buyers are going to have that as the deciding factor?

There will be buyers who a dead set keen on one of these but there’d be some cross shopping going on for those on the fence.

Not sure. It's a definite factor for me being tall. I want to be able to sit in my usual driving position and not have the rear passengers complain about space. Only been able to do that in the Patrol and more recently, the EV9. 300 is too small now.

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

Keep in mind the GMC Yukon is going to have no competitors in Australia as we sit currently,

What SUVs do we have in our market that are:

- Based on American ute platforms (large vehicle)
- V8 powered

Their closest competitors are the 300 series Landcruiser (No V8 anymore) and the Y62 Patrol, but they're not road going SUVs they're designed to be off road focused 4x4s.

American SUVs are the SUVs to end all SUVs - big engines, big vehicles, designed to eat up long drives in comfort.

Having now had a look, I was mistaken... I thought the Yukon was the smaller SUV in GMC's lineup (confused it with the Acadia) so agreed on your point in regards to competitors. If we can get it with the 3.0 Duramax Diesel/10 Speed combo (206kw/625nm) and somewhere near 300 Series $$ it could be worth a look...

[fatgas]

the US can keep the Duramax 3.0, woeful engine. If however we get their big displacement diesels...

[lamborghinifan]

This would be great. I tried an ‘11 Escalade (same platform as Tahoe/Yukon) but refinement and build quality was 10yrs behind a similar age Holden. A shame. THe new ones are better, but have an extraordinary price tag. Second row seats are only comparable, to a Mercedes gls/x7, third row is better, and much better than LC, Nissan etc. the big winner with the XL/ESV long wheelbase models is the boot. It’s actually useful with all the seats up. And also captains chairs in second row for van like access. I’d love a late model Escalade or Yukon, but realistically by the time they’re in a second hand price range that I can stomach spending, the kids will probably have got their own wheels!

[Sprintey]

Perhaps I live a bit out of the way, but I saw my first F-150 today, in black and Platinum trim, in a local parking spot. No trouble parking for the driver.

It fit in, didn't look that huge on approach (it looks thinner through the middle/sills area than the RAM) and in fact everything worked with it. The size of tray was real, too.

Given that, an Expedition would be great if it kept the same overall dimensions. These would work well in the regions.

[kypez]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Perhaps I live a bit out of the way, but I saw my first F-150 today, in black and Platinum trim, in a local parking spot. No trouble parking for the driver.



It fit in, didn't look that huge on approach (it looks thinner through the middle/sills area than the RAM) and in fact everything worked with it. The size of tray was real, too.



Given that, an Expedition would be great if it kept the same overall dimensions. These would work well in the regions.

Platinum is one of the private imports. Would've cost a bomb!

[MITCHAY]

I haven't looked it up and CBF but does the Yukon have similar towing capacity to a pickup?

If so then if nothing else perhaps some cross over to the Yukon instead of a pickup depending on price point.

[janddbone]

About 3.8 in USA. So I image 3500 here to keep it simple.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Big_Daz

Having now had a look, I was mistaken... I thought the Yukon was the smaller SUV in GMC's lineup (confused it with the Acadia) so agreed on your point in regards to competitors. If we can get it with the 3.0 Duramax Diesel/10 Speed combo (206kw/625nm) and somewhere near 300 Series $$ it could be worth a look...

We're predominantly a diesel SUV market but one wonders if it's because the unleaded options sans Ford Ecoboost in SUVs have always been trash naturally aspirated 4 cylinder junk vs turbo diesel.

Wonder if they'll gamble with the 6.2L V8 and offer it to us as well as the diesel.

**** I hate naturally aspirated 4 cylinder junk, should have died 15+ years ago. Especially in heavy vehicles like SUVs or 'sports cars' like the MX5 and BRZ/86 - right joke those things are naturally aspirated, 'sports' car my Equus africanus asinus.

[Big_Daz]

Originally Posted by Franco Cozzo

We're predominantly a diesel SUV market but one wonders if it's because the unleaded options sans Ford Ecoboost in SUVs have always been trash naturally aspirated 4 cylinder junk vs turbo diesel.

Wonder if they'll gamble with the 6.2L V8 and offer it to us as well as the diesel.

**** I hate naturally aspirated 4 cylinder junk, should have died 15+ years ago. Especially in heavy vehicles like SUVs or 'sports cars' like the MX5 and BRZ/86 - right joke those things are naturally aspirated, 'sports' car my Equus africanus asinus.

If we had decent petrol options with SUV's they'd probably sell better. With my wives MQ4 (Current model) Sorento we went diesel because the other option was FWD and 3.5 V6 which is crap, no low end torque and needs a rev to get anywhere. In the USA they get the same car with a turbo 2.5 petrol and AWD (210kw/422nm) which is what we really need and I would of bought that version over the diesel easily. The only decent Petrol SUV's where the Escape with the Ecoboost which no one bought because Ford has been forgotten by most SUV buyers and the (still available) CX5 with the Turbo 2.5.

When it comes to utes, when I drove an ecoboost Amarok (for fun while a mate ordered a V6 one) it was great but for the Adventura, which is the only spec for that motor, if you want the V6D its 8-10 months. You want the turbo petrol? They had 5 in stock so choose your colour and take it right away, with a discount....

For the Yukon though, being the size it and the market its in the 6.2 would probably be worth offering at least.