Large, Powerful and Unfortunately Unreliable While Yukon sales are currently flat, thanks to rising fuel costs and plenty of rivals vying for full-size SUV dollars, it was
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| There was a day, before soaring fuel prices, that the GMC Yukon was at the top of GM's sales charts. (Photo: General Motors) |
once at the top of GM's charts. With Ford's Expedition the only true threat, the sun was shining on the domestic division and it was time to make hay. Making matters even better for GM, the Yukon shared everything other than its front grille and a modicum of exterior and interior trim items with the Chevy Tahoe, optimizing economies of scale and therefore profits. Both combined low-budget pickup-truck roots to boost the automaker's bottom line substantially. When GMC launched the Yukon in 1992 it what was merely a shortened Suburban, a designation GM's truck brand shared with Chevy. Its more manageable size, yet tall, aggressive
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| When GMC launched the Yukon in 1992 it what was merely a shortened Suburban. (Photo: General Motors) |
persona made it popular with men and women alike, and its simple, straightforward good looks keep it selling well in the used market. In reality GMC had brought back its full-size K5 Jimmy (Chevy Blazer), a model that was a forerunner of the sport utility craze back in the '70s and ended production after much revising just a year prior in 1991. Paying tribute to this was a version of the new truck sold by Chevy, dubbed the K-Blazer. While the K-Blazer, Tahoe and Yukon didn't sport the Jimmy's removable fiberglass roof, they did offer the same truck-like stance and rugged off-road capability. They were also much more refined inside, the Yukon especially, while offering an extremely comfortable ride on- and off-pavement.