Autoblog's James Riswick checks out the new Lincoln flagship, and tells us if a luxury SUV with the Ford Raptor engine is just as cool as it sounds.
TranscriptJAMES RISWICK: This is the all-new Lincoln Navigator. And it stands out for three main reasons. The first is that it has the same 450-horsepower engine as the Ford Raptor. That's as cool as it sounds.
The other two reasons have to do with the interior. The first is just this is beautiful. It looks fantastic. From a design perspective, just really love how this tiered dash here really removes some of the visual bulk that you get when you're driving a great big truck, which is really what this is.
Yes, some people complained that this great big screen here looks like it's just an iPad stacked to the dash. But really, it does remove just how big this would be if it just all came out at you, while still allowing you to very easily reach and see all the controls on here. Again, big simple controls that you get here with the SYNC 3 system.
Now, this is the Black Label. Now, what that includes is a choice of three special environments. This one is called Yacht Club. It has this very cool blue color. It's very '60s, but in a very good way.
And besides the special blue color, you do have leather on the dash as opposed to vinyl. And the seats have a higher quality leather as well. It has this beautiful soft leather to it. And each of the different environments, the different colors have actually a different stitching pattern on the seats.
And then there's just some great details in here. All of the Black Labels have a very tasteful Lincoln logo in the corner and its distinctive wood trim. This has this beautiful white would trim in it. And as I pull back here, you can see that that stitching goes all the way around here onto the side. This is an all-digital screen right here.
And then you have these fantastic 30-way power seats. Now, you can get these in a Continental. But frankly, I think they match this car far better. You can really see the adjustability here, where you can actually alter the height of your left or right leg if you want to. The butt bolsters can also be adjusted, as can the lower bolsters.
And this section of the seat right here actually moves independently of the aft portion, and it moves up forward. These are seriously comfortable. And to top it all off, they're heated, they're cooled, and they have massage for both your back and your bottom.
The other nice thing about all of the Navigators, not just the Black Label, is that there's just not a lot of Ford parts bin stuff. I mean, yes that is the trailer brake controller from an F-150. But that's pretty much it. Turn signals, these seat controllers, this great electronic shifter-- other Lincolns just have them as kind of plasticy buttons, roughly about there. But these look nice. They're not contrived. They're easy to reach, easy to use. No problem whatsoever with those.
Also, you'll note with the center console, not connected to the dash. Again, this is to kind of break up the visual bulk of the cabin. And also, it does hide that you do have this nice great big bin down here. You can put a purse if you'd like, while still keeping lots of space open for-- that's a wireless charging area there.
It's also where two USB ports-- there are USB ports in every single row of this car, including the third row. You have great big cup holders there and a nice place to put your smartphone. And then underneath here, great big bin, as well as the CD player.
So sure, this is the Black Label. It costs nearly $100,000. But you don't have to spend that much. Lesser trim levels-- sure, you don't get the fun colors. You don't have real leather on the dash. But it's still a special interior.
The other way the navigator stands out is just how much room is here in the third row seat. Now, that might seem obvious in such a large vehicle. But really, most truck-based SUVs, not so much. I'm 6'3". I'm perfectly comfortable back here.
And the other thing is you have nice power reclining third row seats. I would not be anywhere near as comfortable in a Cadillac Escalade. Heck, I don't think I'd fit back there at all. That makes a huge difference. and it's a big reason why this, for most people, is really a better choice.
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