A brief overview of the Lincoln Navigator

Full-size luxury SUVs have been some of the most sought-after class of passenger vehicles, and there are quite a few options for buyers to pick and choose from. The Lincoln Navigator was first introduced in the late 1990s and was built upon Ford’s U platform which was shared with the earlier generation Ford Expedition. Lincoln updated the Navigator in 2003 as it entered its second phase and then again in 2006 with its third-generation avatar. However, with competition becoming stronger and more advanced with each passing year, the American luxury automaker was starting to notice drop in sales of their flagship SUV. So at the New York Auto Show in 2017, Lincoln unveiled the all-new, fourth-generation Navigator.

The fourth-gen Lincoln Navigator employs parent company Ford’s modern T3 architecture and is now available in Standard Wheelbase (SWB) and Long Wheelbase (LWB) forms to better cater to its deep-pocketed audience. In markets such as the UAE, the new Lincoln Navigator competes against other well-established players like the Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX80 and Lexus LX.

Exterior

Sold only in its Long Wheelbase version in the UAE, the Lincoln Navigator projects its massive size with exterior measurements of 5.636 meters X 2.123 meters X 1.933 meters in length, width and height, respectively. Meanwhile, it has an incredibly large wheelbase of 3.343 meters and boot capacity is 538 liters. On the design front, the Lincoln Navigator doesn’t believe in soft curves or gentle body lines. Instead, its styling mostly comprises of upright and almost completely flat surfaces with a hint or two of strong character lines and creases. The massive front end of the Navigator houses the marque’s new grille design with an absurdly large and backlit Lincoln logo in the middle.

Then there are the huge LED headlamps, muscular hood, and a beefy yet well-carved bumper with integrated LED turn lights, fog lights, multiple air intakes and a skid plate. The boxy side profile of the new Navigator features roof rails, fender-mounted vents, flared wheel arches, and enormous 22-inch alloy wheels. The near to flat rear fascia of the Navigator gets large LED taillights with a central LED element, thick chrome bar on the tailgate, pronounced roof spoiler and blacked-out D-pillars. The new Lincoln Navigator sure does attract attention, mainly because of its size, but also because of the ‘true-blue’ but luxurious 4x4 image that it projects as you drive along.

Interior

Once you climb into the new Navigator, you’d soon realize the benefits of buying such a huge SUV. There is acres of room for all occupants and across all three rows and the large windows along with the expansive panoramic sunroof gives an airy feel. The seats are expected to be extremely comfortable and the front ones come with so many adjustments, that you’d give up after just 2 minutes of tinkering with their various buttons. The build quality of this new Navigator is likely to be pretty great, while the levels of fit-and-finish and noise isolation can be fathomed to be on par with its rivals.

In terms of equipment, the new Navigator can be had with adaptive cruise control, adaptive dampers, adaptive headlights, powered side steps, remote engine start, ambient lighting, heads-up display, hands-free tailgate, active noise cancellation, wireless charging pad, power-adjustable pedals, 30-way adjustable front seats, 20-speaker Revel audio system, tri-zone climate control, 12-inch digital instrument panel and a 10-inch touch-infotainment head unit with navigation among others.

Engine and performance

Power for this behemoth comes from Ford sourced EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 engine that churns out 450hp and 691Nm of shove. It’s mated to a 10-speed slush-o-matic transmission with the engine’s grunt being directed to all four wheels. This means a naught to 100 km/h time of 5.9 seconds and a top speed of 185 km/h.

Verdict

The entry-level 8-seater variant of the new Lincoln Navigator costs AED 320,000, while the range-topping 7-seater variant starts at AED 370,000. This new Navigator is notches above its progenitor that mimicked to be an upscale Ford Expedition. This iteration comes loaded with several tricks up its sleeves. There are plethora of features, oodles of space, even in the third row and colossal grunt from the 3.5 liter V6 motor. And that should make for a good all-rounder too.