Elegant linebacker has all the right moves
The biggest and fanciest Lincoln is perfect for carrying up to an octet’s worth of passengers while towing your powerboat … or the equivalent in weight of a two-stall horse trailer, horses included.
The Lincoln Navigator and size-large Navigator L are up to the task, while coddling everyone in stress-free comfort and providing more-than-sufficient power.
For 2018, the skins of the Navigator, as well as the less-grandiose Ford Expedition, are aluminum instead of steel. Lincoln claims a savings of about 90 kilograms, but with a base weight of nearly 2,600 kilograms, that represents a drop in the proverbial ocean.
The “Nav’s” new bodywork is pretty darned attractive, starting with a mesh grille that’s borrowed from the Lincoln Continental’s playbook (some would say cribbed from Bentley’s, also), only on a larger scale. A front-to-back upper body crease accentuates the vehicle’s length, but acts to minimize overall bulk. Of course it’s an illusion, but it works.
In back, the combination of a horizontal chrome strip and matching light bar running the width of the liftgate dress up otherwise barren space.
If the exterior is food for the eyes, the wood-trimmed interior is even more so. A row of tab-style switches along the lower dashboard shifts the transmission, freeing up room on the extra-wide centre console for the climate controls and honest-to-goodness volume and tuning knobs for the 14-speaker audio system.
A standard 30-centimetre touchscreen is a bit overwhelming, but at least the occupants will be able to more easily view the navigation map and other essential info that it displays.
The lap of Lincoln luxury also includes 10-way poweradjustable front seats (30-way adjustable buckets are optional) and power-folding second-row captain’s chairs, all heated and leather covered. A second-row bench seat is also available.
Wi-Fi is standard in the Navigator, while six USB ports, four 12-volt outlets and a 110-volt plug should help keep all the electronics energized.
The Navigator’s one and only engine is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V-6 with an output of 450 horsepower and 510 poundfeet of torque, a gain of 70 horses and 50 pound-feet over the previous Nav. By comparison, the Cadillac Escalade’s 6.2-litre V-8 makes 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet.
Both the Lincoln and Cadillac have 10-speed automatic transmissions.
Best-case fuel economy is 14.9 l/100 km in the city and 11.3 on the highway.
Navigator pricing in Canada begins at $90,250. The Navigator L, which is longer by close to 30 centimetres, baselines at $93,250. This is likely your best choice if maximum cargo space behind the third row is an important consideration.
Budget permitting, you could probably drop several thousand dollars more before driving off the lot. All-wheel drive is standard, but optional are power-operated running boards and trailer-backup assist that helps align your mobile home or similar recreational toy into the correct spot. There’s also an optional panoramic sunroof, 20-speaker sound system, rear-seat entertainment screens and illuminated safety belt buckles.
A Technology Package adds active-safety content that really should be standard in all vehicles of the Navigator’s stature and pricepoint.
There’s a razor-thin market for the handful of vehicles in the full-size sport-utility orbit. But for a comfortable room with a view and power to spare, the Lincoln Navigator is primed to make travel on a grand scale an effortless experience.
THE SPEC SHEET
Type: Four-door, all-wheel-drive, fullsize sport-utility vehicle Engine (h.p.): 3.5-litre DOHC V-6, turbocharged (450) Transmission: 10-speed automatic Points: Redesign adds elegance, despite the brute size of the vehicle. • Interior appointments rich and supple.
• Powerful twin-turbo V-6 is another nail in the coffin for the future of the V-8 engine.
• Unless you really need the space, paying thousands extra for the extended-length model isn’t really necessary.
Active safety: Blind-spot warning with cross-traffic backup alert (std.); active cruise control (opt.); emergency braking (opt.); lane departure alert (opt.). Fuel economy, L/100 km (city/hwy): 14.9/11.3 Base price (incl. destination): $90,250