2012 GMC Yukon Hybrid Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 GMC Yukon Hybrid overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Yukon Hybrid, and includes GMC Yukon Hybrid safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Designed to dramatically improve city fuel economy in a full-size SUV, the 2012 GMC Yukon Hybrid is rated to get 20 mpg around town, five extra miles for every gallon of gas. The Yukon Hybrid has no direct competitors, most commonly vying for the expendable income of people who are also shopping for SUVs with turbo-diesel engines.

GMC makes a handful of modifications to the 2012 GMC Yukon Hybrid, starting with a new standard navigation radio that comes with a 30-gig hard disc drive, voice recognition control, a touchscreen display, and multiple ways to access and listen to music. The Yukon Hybrid’s traction and stability control system is also upgraded, adding Hill Start Assist and Trailer Sway Control features, and new side-impact airbags arrive ready to protect both the pelvic and thoracic regions. New colors for 2012 include Steel Grey, Quicksilver, and Crystal Red Tintcoat.

For 2012, the GMC Yukon Hybrid is available in standard and Denali trim levels. The standard model receives aerodynamic modifications that result in a different appearance from regular Yukons, while the Yukon Denali Hybrid employs the same styling themes as the standard Yukon Denali, including its chrome billet-style grille and chrome 22-inch aluminum wheels.

To improve fuel economy for the standard Yukon Hybrid, GMC modifies the styling so that the SUV can slip through the atmosphere with less wind resistance. The company also attempts to pare unnecessary weight by shaving off the roof rack, installing an aluminum hood and a tailgate with a fixed-glass rear window, and removing the full-size spare tire, jack and associated tire-changing equipment. Lightweight, aerodynamic 18-inch aluminum wheels wear low rolling-resistance tires, and GMC includes a tire inflator kit in case one of them starts to lose its air pressure. Hybrid-related gauges and displays are installed in the Yukon Hybrid’s cabin, and GMC also revises this model’s engine and exhaust tuning to produce a more enjoyable sound.

Though the luxury-oriented Yukon Denali Hybrid represents a step up in terms of equipment, the standard Yukon Hybrid coddles occupants with leather seats (heated and power adjustable in front), triple-zone automatic climate control, and a touchscreen navigation radio is connected to a Bose sound system. Bluetooth hands-free connectivity is standard, and the Yukon Hybrid features an auxiliary audio input jack, a USB port, satellite radio, and real-time traffic and weather reporting. OnStar telematics includes six free months of Automatic Crash Notification, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, and Turn-by-Turn Navigation service, and the Yukon Hybrid is equipped with a reversing camera, rear parking assist sensors, remote vehicle starting, and a HomeLink universal programmable remote. Power adjustable pedals help the driver get more comfortable, and the power folding side mirrors are heated with ground illumination, auto-dimming glass, and side turn signal indicators. Additional standard items include automatic headlights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, dark tinted rear privacy glass, side assist steps, and heavy-duty trailering equipment.

The Yukon Hybrid comes with two-wheel drive, but four-wheel-drive is available and includes GMC’s Autotrac active two-speed transfer case. Additional options include a power sunroof, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, and a variety of dealer-installed add-ons.

As we mentioned, the 2012 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid sticks with standard Yukon Denali styling, which means it comes with a chrome billet-style grille, 22-inch chrome wheels, fog lights, a luggage rack, and front recovery hooks. Additionally, the Denali Hybrid is equipped with 12-way power front seats, a power tilt steering wheel, heated second-row seats, a power sunroof, a power rear liftgate, and a premium acoustical insulation package designed to make the cabin quieter. Occupants enjoy a standard Bose Centerpoint surround sound audio system, and a Magnetic Ride Control suspension with automatic leveling. A side blind zone alert system is also standard on the Yukon Denali Hybrid, and if you choose to get the optional rear-seat entertainment system we’re certain you’ll find a use for the standard 115-volt three-prong power outlet. Autotrac 4WD is optional on the GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid.

The GMC Yukon Hybrid is equipped with a 6.0-liter V8 engine and a 300-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack, connected by an electronically variable transmission with dual electric motors. Regenerative brakes serve to recharge the battery pack, electric steering is designed to reduce demands on the powertrain, and the gasoline-burning V8 engine features Atkinson-cycle design as well as Active Fuel Management and Auto Stop technologies to maximize fuel economy. Combined power output is 332 horsepower and 367 pound-feet of torque, and the Yukon Hybrid can accelerate up to 30 mph on electricity alone.

According to the EPA, the GMC Yukon Hybrid is rated to get 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. Those ratings are valid for both the standard and Denali models, regardless of whether it is equipped with 4WD. We find this suspect, given that the Denali model does not employ the standard Yukon Hybrid’s aerodynamic modifications and that the Denali weighs substantially more than the regular model.

All 2012 GMC Yukon Hybrids come standard with six airbags, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, and StabiliTrak traction and stability control with Hill Start Assist and Trailer Sway Control. OnStar telematics service includes Automatic Crash Notification, which allows a live operator to speed assistance to the Yukon Hybrid’s occupants whenever an airbag deploys as a result of a collision, and this SUV comes standard with rear parking assist sensors and a reversing camera. A Side Blind Zone Alert system is standard on the Denali model, and unavailable on the regular Yukon Hybrid.

In addition to its three-ton curb weight, give or take a couple of hundred pounds depending on model and equipment, the 2012 GMC Yukon Hybrid is a safe SUV. When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) performed crash tests on this model, it received the highest possible rating of 5 Stars for frontal- and side-impact protection. The Yukon Hybrid’s rollover resistance rating is not as impressive, at just 3 Stars.

When it comes to reliability, both Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates expect the GMC Yukon Hybrid to prove average over time. Buyers can rest easier knowing that the powertrain warranty spans five years or 100,000 miles and that free roadside assistance is provided during that time and mileage period. Additionally, certain hybrid components are warrantied for eight years or 100,000 miles. As far as bumper-to-bumper coverage goes, the GMC Yukon Hybrid is covered for the first three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first.

The GMC Yukon Hybrid is equipped with special front seats that are lighter than those found in standard Yukons. Because of their thin profile design, second-row legroom is improved by 1.5 inches over a standard Yukon.

Legroom measures 25.6 inches in the third-row seat, and foot space is minimal. While GMC likes to claim eight-passenger capacity for this SUV, it works much better as a five-passenger conveyance.

Cargo space behind the Yukon Hybrid’s third-row seat measures just 16.9 cubic-feet, most of it vertically oriented. Take our advice and remove the third-row seats, and this SUV offers a generous 60.3 cu-ft of space behind the second-row seat. Fold the second-row seat down and there are 108.9 cubes of cargo room.

If the Yukon Hybrid gives consumers a strong reason to go with the regular V8-powered model, it’s with regard to towing and hauling weight. A Yukon Hybrid with 2WD can tug a maximum of 6,200 pounds of trailer. Get the Denali Hybrid with 4WD and you’re looking at towing no more than 5,700 lbs. Payload ratings are affected too, and the Yukon Hybrid tops out at 1,476 with 2WD and 1,393 with 4WD.

Speaking of weight, the lightest Tahoe Hybrid weighs 5,598 pounds and features a perfect 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution. Business owners will want to take note of the GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid 4WD’s curb weight, which at 6,110 pounds is a tax break waiting to happen.

Because of its modest approach, breakover and departure angles, the Yukon Hybrid is not designed for serious off-road travel. But thanks to nine inches of ground clearance, it can tackle deep snow or well-worn forest trails.

The 2012 GMC Yukon Hybrid is built in Arlington, Texas.

Of the General Motors trifecta of hybrid-powered full-size SUVs, our favorite is the GMC Yukon Denali variant. It looks terrific, undercuts the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid by more than $10,000, and provides more luxury and safety equipment than a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. In the luxury SUV category, the GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid deserves strong consideration.

By Christian Wardlaw