No need to shout inside all-new SUV family
DETROIT – It’s only natural that when we speak, we want to be heard and when the volume around us goes up, so do our voices. Just ask those on road trips or parents of young children how tiresome this can become over time.
The interior quietness of all-new 2015 GMC Yukon can provide some relief. A calming and tranquil environment result from premium materials used to craft the smooth and confident ride in the new Yukon and Yukon XL full-size SUVs.
Media and customer feedback highlights the SUV’s serene interior. Obtaining this result was a pillar from the inception of the new Yukon and the effect of countless hours spent tuning by engineers like Michell Shippy, performance engineer for noise, vibration and wind noise.
“Having two young kids that never sleep through the night, I have a strong desire to enjoy peace and quiet on my commute,” said Shippy. “That also helps give me a sharp ear to hone in on the fine details. We’ve made extensive improvements on the new Yukon and the interior quietness is a feature noticeable enough to grab your attention. The Yukon is truly a pleasure to drive.”
More than two dozen enhancements advance quietness in the all-new 2015 Yukon. There is no quieter SUV in its class.
Beginning at its core, a fully boxed frame comprised of more than 75 percent high-strength steel lays the solid foundation for its quiet ride. Connecting the body – also made with high and ultra-high strength steel – to the frame are new shear-style mounts act like a shock absorber while significantly improving stiffness.
New inlaid doors now fit into the body side openings, rather than over the top of the body, which significantly reduces wind noise and variation. This construction also allows for triple-sealed doors and a tighter fit, minimizing gaps that result in more consistent wind noise performance.
“We paid a lot of attention to the doors,” Shippy said. “It’s an area that is highly sensitive to varying tolerances and so close to the driver and passengers. Sealing them correctly and consistently is a tough yet critical task.”
The triple seals include an acoustic water deflector and a full seal around the latch and outside door handle. Acoustic baffles in the door headers and acoustic laminated front door glass and an acoustic laminated windshield also enhance quietness.
Shaping and sealing of the exterior mirrors improved noise performance and made the most of aerodynamic performance.
Shippy and the noise and vibration team left no detail untouched. The list of improvements includes a special acoustic headliner, acoustic wheel house liners, acoustic hood blanket, dash mats on both sides of the front of dash and fender-to-body baffles. Even the way existing body sealers applied to keep out water and dust were analyzed to further isolate noise.
“The GMC customer is looking for a vehicle that’s a notch above the rest in all aspects, but especially in refinement,” said Duncan Aldred, U.S. vice president of Buick and GMC. “Interior quietness is an essential element to refinement and we keep hearing how impressively silent our new Yukons are. It’s really something to experience.”
The all-new Yukon family is built at GM’s Arlington, Texas assembly plant and arriving at GMC dealerships now.
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