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Who’d ever think:

Disco would make a comeback?

Nipple rings would be popular fashion accessories for men?

Full-size, luxury sport-utility vehicles would become major cash cows for automakers?

Range Rover kicked off trend No. 3, adding the element of snootiness to the realm of four-by-fours. Then Chrysler joined the fray with its Grand Cherokee; Toyota kicked its Land Cruiser up into the social stratosphere; Mercedes and Lexus hatched their own SUVs; and Ford piled Eddie Bauer accessories onto its Explorer.

Ford also raised the ante and demonstrated the force of the trend when it elevated its already big and expensive Expedition into Lincoln territory. The resulting Navigator, with the prow of a great yacht and a price tag to match, became a monster hit for Lincoln dealerships, boosting their sales receipts by 50 percent.

Wow. Who’d ever think? It’s as if all the Cadillac Eldorados, Chrysler Imperials and other pleasure barges of the ’50s and ’60s had been reincarnated. As trucks, no less.

Meanwhile, General Motors was getting the message. The General possessed the granddaddy of heavy cruisers, the Chevrolet/GMC Suburban, plus its shorter versions, Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. Lavishing these formerly utilitarian beasts with option packages that include many yards of leather, wood and stylish trim brought them up to snuff on Hollywood Boulevard.

Still, the lesson of the Navigator looms large, and GM knew it had to capitalize on the trend quickly to reap the profits. Its heavy artillery needed to have a stronger identity to satisfy the country-club crowd.

Thus, the Denali. This represents the first foray for GMC, formerly GM’s utility and work-truck division, into the big world of luxury trucks. GM has merged GMC with Pontiac, and is proceeding to change its image toward luxury and performance.

The luxo version of the Yukon, Denali is named after Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska and is the Native American name for the south peak of Mount McKinley, which is in the park, natch. The fact that the Denali looks as big as a mountain sitting among other cars and SUVs is coincidental.

As usual, GM is at war with itself as well as its competitors, with a dolled-up Cadillac SUV coming out sometime next year, seemingly in direct competition with Denali. For now, GMC owns the terrain and should sell plenty of these cushy trucks before Caddy rolls out theirs.

The Denali is best appreciated from the inside out. Soft, fragrant leather seats, attractive dashboard with exotic wood veneers, thick carpeting, fabulous stereo system, every power option known to man. You name it, it’s in here. All standard.

The six-way power seats are big and broad, with high backs and long bottoms for extra support, and are as comfortable as drawing-room chairs in an expensive men’s club. This is the E Ticket ride for a cross-country trip, especially if you’re hauling some gear or towing a trailer.

But be ready to pony up the gas money, because this big boy has a big appetite. That’s what happens when nearly 3 tons of heft are being pulled around by a powerful V-8 engine. The engine, basically a Chevy 350, is strong and smooth, though it roars with effort as it struggles to accelerate the heavy Denali.

Cornering is somewhat tippy, and the driveability is not quite up to the standard set by the Navigator, which steers better and feels more stable on the road.

All the Denalis are four-wheel-drive, operated by a set of buttons that allows you to choose, with just one finger: two-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive in high or low range, or fully automatic four-wheel-drive that does all the work for you. Simple and impressive.

The front-end styling is vaguely reminiscent of Chrysler’s big Ram pickup, which looks like a semi-tractor front. Denali’s hood is more contoured than the standard Yukon; the front has a distinctive grille and bumper treatment. The look is a sneak preview of next yea r’s Yukon/T ahoe/Suburban.

The bad news about the body styling is the tacky-looking plastic body cladding that swathes the Denali’s lower parts, wrapping around wheel wells and sheathing the quarter panels. Some GM designer must think this is classy, but to me, it looks like a cheap custom kit purchased through a mail-order catalog.

The Yukon is a good-looking truck and doesn’t need a bunch of plastic junk glued to its flanks to make it appear upscale.

One problem encountered in the interior is the placement of the flip switch for the heated seats. They are tucked out of sight with the rest of the seat adjustments and are far too easy to accidentally switch on, resulting in a toasted rear end on a summer day. Believe me, I know.

One aspect of the Denali that’s bigger and more impressive than its sheer scale is its sticker price. Sure, it includes everything standard, but it’s still shocking. This $40,000-$50,000 range seems to be where these popular luxury behemoths are landing. And people are buying them up as fast as Beanie Babies.

Hey, Beanie Babies. Now there’s another one. Who’d ever think?

1999 GMC Yukon Denali

Vehicle type: Five-passenger, four-door sport-utility vehicle, rear/four-wheel drive. Base price: $42,855. Price as tested: $43,495. Engine: 5.7-liter V-8, 255 horsepower at 4,600 rpm, 330 pounds-feet of torque at 2,800 rpm. Transmission: Four-speed automatic. Curb weight: 5,867 pounds. Length: 201.2 inches. EPA fuel economy: 12 city, 16 highway. Highs: Interior comfort. Engine power. Push-button 4WD. Lows: Ugly body cladding. Poor gas mileage. High price.