Automotive

Lincoln Navigator SUV concept opens wide in New York

Lincoln Navigator SUV concept opens wide in New York
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept with its dual gullwing doors debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept with its dual gullwing doors debuts in NY
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Lincoln has revealed the Navigator Concept at the New York International Auto Show
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Lincoln has revealed the Navigator Concept at the New York International Auto Show
From its color, to its wardrobe management system, to its backdrop, the new Navigator Concept was inspired by seafaring vessels
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From its color, to its wardrobe management system, to its backdrop, the new Navigator Concept was inspired by seafaring vessels
Lincoln Navigator Concept
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Lincoln Navigator Concept
Lincoln Navigator Concept
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Lincoln Navigator Concept
The gullwing doors provide a wide view of the concept's interior
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The gullwing doors provide a wide view of the concept's interior
Don't expect the gullwings to make it to production
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Don't expect the gullwings to make it to production
Inside the Lincoln Navigator Concept
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Inside the Lincoln Navigator Concept
Like the Continental before it, the Navigator Concept has 30-way adjustable seats
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Like the Continental before it, the Navigator Concept has 30-way adjustable seats
The Navigator gets a sleeker look
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The Navigator gets a sleeker look
We'll go out on a limb and say the wardrobe management system won't be an official option on the next-gen Navigator
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We'll go out on a limb and say the wardrobe management system won't be an official option on the next-gen Navigator
The Navigator Concept includes widescreen displays for rear passengers
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The Navigator Concept includes widescreen displays for rear passengers
Passengers access the interior via gullwings and deployable steps
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Passengers access the interior via gullwings and deployable steps
The Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts at the 2016 New York Auto Show
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The Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts at the 2016 New York Auto Show
Lincoln Navigator Concept in NY
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Lincoln Navigator Concept in NY
Lincoln Navigator Concept in NY
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Lincoln Navigator Concept in NY
Ford President and CEO Mark Fields in the Navigator Concept
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Ford President and CEO Mark Fields in the Navigator Concept
The Lincoln Navigator gains "quiet luxury"
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The Lincoln Navigator gains "quiet luxury"
The black-out rear pillars give the Navigator Concept a wraparound rear windshield look
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The black-out rear pillars give the Navigator Concept a wraparound rear windshield look
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
Third row seating
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Third row seating
Second row seating
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Second row seating
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept with its dual gullwing doors debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept with its dual gullwing doors debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
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The all-new Lincoln Navigator Concept debuts in NY
View gallery - 31 images

Lincoln is really out to get noticed. And that's a good thing for a once-prestigious luxury brand that's become all too easy to forget. At last year's New York Auto Show, it added some serious flash and panache to its booth with the Continental Concept, which paved the way for the all-new production Continental. Now Lincoln is putting that same type of effort into the Navigator, showing New York what a cooler, sleeker Navigator of the future could (and will, to some extent) look like.

The Navigator Concept follows the Continental in what Lincoln calls "quiet luxury."

"The all-new Navigator Concept reinforces our commitment to give every Lincoln client what we call quiet luxury – vehicles and experiences that are elegant, effortlessly powerful and serene," explains Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra. "We're showing fans of large SUVs how we can exceed their expectations, without being the loudest statement on the road."

We refuse to believe that anyone could put the Navigator Concept side by side with the 2016 Navigator for more than a half-second and not walk away with the impression that the the concept is a major stylistic improvement, bumper to bumper.

From its color, to its wardrobe management system, to its backdrop, the new Navigator Concept was inspired by seafaring vessels
From its color, to its wardrobe management system, to its backdrop, the new Navigator Concept was inspired by seafaring vessels

The Navigator Concept follows the Continental in dropping the split-wing grille, long a (weird) hallmark of Lincoln design. That move also frees the reshaped headlights from the grille surrounds, a positive step in itself. The grille drops the slats for a mesh-like design created from Lincoln emblem-shaped cutouts. A large 3D emblem stands strong and proud in the center of that grille, and we'd say it has something to be proud of.

A full-sized SUV like the Navigator won't ever have the sporty, swept-back profile of a coupe, but Lincoln does a good job of giving the Navigator Concept a slick, wind-sculpted look, starting with the lines running up the hood. The roofline picks the theme up, dropping ever so slightly and hovering at the rear thanks to blacked out C and D pillars. The strongly defined character lines along the sides remind us that this is still a big, rugged utility vehicle ready for open spaces and adventure.

While we find the design quite attractive, it also comes across a little too derivative of Range Rover styling. The gentle roofline decline, rear-end angle, blacked-out pillars and tinted glass leave us thinking "stretched Range Rover."

In crafting the new SUV concept, Lincoln designers looked to the seas for inspiration, particularly luxury sailboats and yachts. The Storm Blue paint is a testament to that inspiration, as is the light-blue leather and teak trim inside. The concept also houses a custom wardrobe management system designed to organize the clothing and gear needed for a day out on the water.

Lincoln Navigator Concept in NY
Lincoln Navigator Concept in NY

The most buzz-worthy parts of the Navigator Concept, if not the most substantive, are the dual gullwing doors that create large, powered entries for front and rear passengers, complete with retractable concertina steps and a special "welcome aboard" lighting sequence. While those wings are sure to grab attention on the auto show floor, you can expect them to fly far, far away when it comes time for production.

Beyond the aforementioned wardrobe management and materials, Lincoln's most spacious interior ever features other goodies, like a large driver display with touch controller, six 30-way adjustable seats, head restraint displays with integrated Wi-Fi for rear passengers, and a premium Revel audio system.

The Navigator Concept includes widescreen displays for rear passengers
The Navigator Concept includes widescreen displays for rear passengers

Like the current Navigator, the Navigator Concept is powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. This one has slightly more output at over 400 hp (298 kW), versus 380 hp (283 kW) in the current model. Driving features include multiple drive modes, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection and auto-braking, lane-keeping with vibration alert and mild steering correction, and enhanced park assist with 360-degree camera.

Lincoln is expected to launch the all-new production Navigator next year, and while the official model is sure to lose some of the flash and features of the concept, the show car does provide the promise of more good things to come at Ford's luxury brand.

Source: Lincoln

View gallery - 31 images
5 comments
5 comments
BeWalt
Wow - you are writing an article about a car maker presenting a door concept like this, without even mentioning the word "Tesla" once. Bold.
butkus
What's still with these huge antique grills on everything? From the top of my head the front-engined Corvette, Firebird and Aurora did perfectly fine without them decades ago already and looked better to boot. And one would think cooling systems have improved since too.
Fairly Reasoner
No gullwings. It rains and snows where I live. What a drippy mess.
dugnology
I love going to the car shows just for the concepts. I agree with butkus, get rid of grills, they are an outdated homage to radiators. Why are we still infatuated with huge SUV trucks to haul Long Island housewives and their travel soccer kids? The large wheels do nothing but intrude into interior space and appeal to the "attracted by shiny objects" crowds. Oh, and for creativity, let's just say the designers had a day to think this up and only had pictures of the Tesla model X and Landrovers. uuuugh.
Bob Flint
Three steps up, the ride height and handling similar to a tank, maybe just add some tracks, and armor...