Best of NYIAS – 2018 Lincoln NAVIGATOR – 450HP, 10-Speed

There have been three or four times in my lifetime when Lincoln Motor Company seemed like it was really on to something.  It had a lot to prove: we only knew it as the Town Car company.  Certainly not a credible luxury contender.

The Jag-look Continental of the late 1990s had us doing double takes, even if it was a total boat and deeply FWD from behind the wheel.  Or when the first Nav arrived.

Then when the LS sedans came out.  A luxed-up, 4-door Mustang for Lincoln sounded great!

But these moments for Lincoln were one-offs. Flukes, almost, in a sea of bizarre designs, lackluster product/quality/image and poor performance.

THRILLED then to watch Lincoln on its ascent to greatness over the last five years.  MKC and MKZ missed… but MKX and new Continental are BULLSEYE machines.  Each better than the last.

This new Nav takes all Lincoln learned about NVH, materials and design from Continental’s exotic cabin.  And all Ford has learned about turbos on their EcoBoost mission.  In a way, this new V6TT in the 2018 Navigator is the closest relative of the Ford GT supercar’s powerplant.

All the learnings about aluminum from the F-150.  And all the optimism in the world via the Black Label program, culture marketing and redone retail experience.  (AKA, new showrooms:)

So exciting.  The end result is this new Nav.  Shocked barely covers it.  Shock and Awwwwww Snap!

If Nav drives and rides as good as it looks, it will be able to leapfrog its Escalade nemesis in performance, luxury and — shock — style.

 

2018 Lincoln NAVIGATOR

 

New Navigator: Spacious Interior, Personalized Technology
Elevate Family Travel to First Class

 

NEW YORK, April 12, 2017 – Lincoln today introduces the 2018 Navigator, an all-new full-size SUV that combines modern luxury with advanced technology – elevating family travel to first class.

Wireless charging and standard Wi-Fi keep everyone connected. Advanced technology allows the driver to effortlessly adjust the vehicle to make driving easier or more enjoyable – in any weather or terrain. With more space for your belongings than any other large SUV*, the all-new Navigator assures almost nothing is left behind.

“Quiet luxury is both a look and a feeling,” says Kumar Galhotra, president, The Lincoln Motor Company. “The all-new Navigator embodies both. The sleek styling, spacious interior and technology are all designed to make each trip effortless.”

 

Navigator information summary | Navigator connectivity summary | Navigator Perfect Position Seats
Lincoln Black Label | Lincoln sound information summary

 
Modern elegance

Navigator’s elegance is on display before the doors even open. Upon approach, the chrome Lincoln star logo on the grille softly illuminates**. Then, LED lighting in the lower front body and taillamps subtly engages, and a luminous Lincoln welcome mat appears beneath the front doors.

At night, interior ambient lights sequentially illuminate each of the SUV’s three rows. During the day, a panoramic roof fills the cabin with natural light.

A twin-turbo V6 engine projected to produce 450 horsepower provides smooth power whenever you need it, delivered through a 10-speed transmission. Navigator’s lighter, high-strength aluminum-alloy body removes nearly 200 pounds, helping create a more refined ride.

Additional weight savings have been reinvested in features such as towing capability and quietness. For example, laminated front and side glass contributes to the quietest Navigator cabin ever.

The all-new Navigator offers speed-dependent adaptive lighting, a new Lincoln technology that provides a wider spread of light at lower speeds for increased visibility – helpful when driving through residential areas. As the vehicle accelerates, the beam of light narrows to help eliminate the glare off signs or other distractions.

Beneath the sleek interior are inclination and intrusion sensors, which trigger an alarm if someone attempts to move or enter the vehicle.

 
Spacious, luxurious interior

Inside, spaciousness comes in all three rows, including storage in each to keep the cabin clean and organized. The all-new Navigator’s advanced cargo management system offers an adjustable shelf behind the rear seats that allows clients to create storage customized to their needs. Even with the vehicle parked on an incline, the feature ensures groceries won’t roll out when the liftgate is opened.

The interior layout is clean and uncluttered, with a simple, soothing ambience.

“When designing the Navigator, we put an emphasis on ultra-luxury touch points,” says David Woodhouse, Lincoln design director. “We took everything the client would see and touch, and made sure it would look and feel a little more exuberant, a little more indulgent and incredibly beautiful.”

Staying connected is easy in the all-new Navigator with six USB ports, four 12-volt power outlets and a 110-volt plug. An available wireless phone charger in the first-row center console media bin eliminates tangled cords.

The client experience is further elevated through Lincoln’s new Personal Profile. It uses the key fob to recall individual driver preferences for adapting seat, mirror and pedal positions, as well as climate control and entertainment settings.

For owners desiring a more personalized look, Navigator comes with three Lincoln Black Label options – an exclusive collection of interior design themes and materials, plus a host of membership privileges.

 
 

First-class seating for all

Even when the all-new Navigator is fully packed, each occupant can sit in comfort. The driver and front-seat passenger enjoy Perfect Position Seats, which offer massage, heating and cooling functionality, and can be adjusted up to 30 different ways.

Standard SYNC® 3 with both Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ compatibility enables clients to manage audio, phone, navigation and more from the vehicle touch screen or steering wheel-mounted controls. Second-row passengers have their own audio and climate control, while third-row seats feature power recline capability.

An available rear-seat entertainment system allows passengers to stream content wirelessly with an Android device to one of the 10-inch adjustable screens mounted on the rear of the front seats. Content also can be accessed through more traditional devices like an SD card, an HDMI cord or a USB, as well as through SYNC AppLink™, which permits the front-seat passenger to monitor and select viewing content.

Each screen can display different content, allowing a personalized entertainment experience for every passenger. Through Lincoln’s agreement with Sling Media, those who own a Slingbox can access their TV channels on the go. The standard Wi-Fi allows for up to 10 mobile devices at a time to be connected.
Clients can enjoy available Revel® Ultima audio with 20 speakers that work in concert with Navigator’s interior design and acoustics. This transforms the cabin into a personal theater with three distinct listening modes – stereo, audience and on-stage.