ENVOY DENALI: ESCALADE JR.?

by Casey Williams - www.car-data.com --June 2005

Until the Cadillac SRX was knitted out of a silk-lined rear-drive sport sedan platform, American luxury SUVs had been solely derived from truck carcasses. Lincoln’s Aviator evolved from the Ford Explorer, the Lincoln Navigator was an Expedition with a big chrome grille, and even Cadillac’s own hip hoppin’ Escalade came from the Chevrolet Tahoe. But, for the SRX, Cadillac chose the world-beating STS/CTS architecture, leaving the truck-based GMC Envoy to itself. Perhaps suffering from “Caddy envy,” the Denali was born.Actually, it was the other way around. The first-generation Cadillac Escalade was nothing more than a GMC Yukon Denali with Cadillac badges and a wood steering wheel. The branding scheme never would have worked if the Denali hadn’t been so good in the first place. Since Cadillac skipped over the Envoy and launched the SRX instead, GMC was left to develop the General’s mid-size truck-based SUV for itself. What could have been the Escalade’s spiritual little brother is instead GMC’s mid-size flagship. Little brother or not, the Denali is good enough to stand on its own.Said Jim Bunnell, Pontiac-GMC general manager, “The Denali name has become synonymous with style, comfort and performance and the Envoy Denali and Envoy XL Denali bring those desirable attributes to the midsize utility segment. And they provide the capability you expect from a GMC.”GMC’s Denali trademark chrome honeycomb grille, 17” polished aluminum wheels, integrated body color running boards, and new facias visually lower the vehicle and flash with American luxury touches. Details like air deflector extensions around the trailer hitch area and a rubber mat on the rear bumper are as beautiful as they are functional.Exterior trim distinguishes the Denali models from regular Envoys, but interior upgrades are what put the Escalade in GMC. Sweet-smelling Nuance leather seats greet the senses as soon as doors are opened and continue to delight passengers with a soft surface that is comfortable on very long trips. Tight stitching adds a handcrafted look and keeps the seams from pulling apart over time. Woodgrain and nickel trim are both luxurious and sporting.Yet, the wood rimmed steering wheel is what convinces drivers they are in something much more elegant than the typical hard-working GMC truck. Other interior luxuries include in-dash navigation, XM Satellite Radio, a Bose 6-disc audio system with rear controls, dual zone automatic climate control, electric adjustable pedals, and a power glass sunroof. Typical in General Motors trucks, the air-conditioning will freeze you on 95-degree days and the wide seats will keep you comfortable even during 1,000-mile days.For those long days, I think I finally found my favorite Envoy powertrain/chassis combination. Our test vehicle arrived in short-wheelbase configuration with two rows of seats (three rows come standard on XL models), rear-wheel drive (all-wheel-drive is optional), and a 5.3-litre V8 engine. Rated at 290 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque, the engine packs plenty of punch to move the truck down the highway. Without the added weight of all-wheel-drive or an extended wheelbase, the Envoy feels lighter, more agile in corners, and simply accelerates with less effort. Electronic traction control keeps the rear wheels from spinning uncontrollably. Fuel economy ratings of 16/20 mpg city/highway are a penalty of full-framed luxury trucks.Having driven Escalades many times and loving them all, I was surprised at how much I liked the Envoy Denali. The suspension is luxuriously smooth, the exterior is upscale in appearance, and the interior is absolutely loaded with a wood steering wheel, Nuance leather, and a full load of electronics. Then, there’s the super smooth V8 engine. The GMC Envoy Denali is officially my favorite mid-size GM SUV and is so good that it could have been a Cadillac. With a price of $40,225, GMC Escalade, Jr. competes against the Volvo XC90, Lincoln Aviator, Mercedes ML500, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Acura MDX.