The original Yukon Denali had a design inspired by luxury sedans
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- An early design sketch shows a naming debate that nearly changed GMC’s luxury identity.
- Roughly a year after the Yukon Denali was introduced, Toyota unveiled the Tundra pickup.
- The Sierra EV Denali represents GMC’s next-generation design and styling language.
Denali is nearly synonymous with GMC as over 30% of customers opt for the range-topping trim. However, things could have taken a Toyota-like turn. As you can see in an early sketch created by designer Carl Zipfel, Denali could have been called Tundra. The moniker is located beneath the GMC logo and hints at the naming debate that was raging behind the scenes.
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While GMC eventually went with the Denali name, this was right around the same time Toyota was working on the first-generation Tundra. The T100 successor debuted in 1999 as a 2000 model, whereas the Yukon Denali was introduced in 1998 for the 1999 model year.
Besides revealing the alternative name, Zipfel talked about the design inspiration behind the original Yukon Denali. As he explained, “The Yukon was a pure derivative of the GMC [Sierra] pickup truck” as “it had the same front end.” He added that things “were not very integrated,” so the Denali was the “first opportunity for us to explore what a more luxury SUV design could entail.”
Zipfel approached the Yukon Denali from a luxury sedan perspective and traded traditional chrome bumpers for sleeker replacements. He also added body-color components, integrated exhaust tips, and unique headlights. The resulting design gave the Yukon Denali a distinct and more elegant appearance than its mainstream counterpart.
Fast forward to today and Denali has been transformed from a single model into a luxury sub-brand. The latest offering is the Sierra EV Denali and it hints at the future.
According to GMC exterior design director Holt Ware, “Sierra EV is where we’re springboarding into the next generation of surface language in volume and form.” This follows an interior revamp, which has seen the brand adopt horizontal lines as well as infotainment systems with a portrait orientation.