2009 GMC Yukon Review

The one-piece front end presents a friendly, welcoming face but without forfeiting the Yukon's presence. Large headlight housings are vertically oriented rather than the Tahoe's horizontal layout. The trademark grille with ruby-red logo and lower air intake ensure plenty of engine cooling.

Door handles bridging deep recesses make for easy gripping in all seasons. Squared-off wheelwells carry forward a Yukon signature styling cue. They suggest trimming up with the available 20-inch wheels and tires, though that's not our choice from a driving and towing perspective.

At the rear, a broad, mostly flat, almost vertical tailgate resides between tall, narrow taillights. The independently hinged rear window is a nice touch, permitting easy loading of grocery bags and such.

The Yukon Hybrid has several styling cues that distinguish it from the other models. To counter added weight (the Hybrid is roughly 250 pounds heavier than standard) and drag, the front end features an aluminum hood and bumper beam, and a more prominent air dam you might scrape on steep driveways, never mind off-road travel. The upper grille is expanded while the lower is smaller and openings that would house fog lights and tow hooks are blocked off. Along the sides, the running boards are reshaped for improved aerodynamics and the wheel flares are slightly reshaped. At the back, the rear pillars, spoiler and center high-mounted stoplight have a unique shape, the tailgate is made of aluminum and has fixed glass, and LED taillights replace the standard bulbs. The wheels are more aero efficient and the tires have a lower rolling resistance. The spare tire and jack have been replaced by a tire inflation kit. The result is a slightly better coefficient of drag to help improve fuel economy, if only by small amounts.