2015 Lincoln Navigator

Typically, when I approach a new vehicle launch, it's with a degree of optimism. Nowadays, we just expect that every new vehicle will pose a legitimate challenge to segment leaders. Mid-cycle refreshes, meanwhile, have taken on a greater degree of importance, as customers' preferences for the freshest vehicles remains strong and automakers rush to keep the latest tech in their offerings. Conversely, I admit to not being terribly optimistic hopping into the 2015 Lincoln Navigator. I was the first person from Autoblog to see the new model in the metal, way back in January ahead of its Chicago Auto Show debut, and my initial reaction was far from positive. But, as I'd been the one that initially tested the new Cadillac Escalade and had just finished a week in the long-wheelbase version of General Motors' most premium SUV, I was a natural candidate to head down to Louisville, KY – home of Navigator production – to sample the brand's latest. Lincoln's attempt at freshening the old Navigator's bling-bling face is pretty typical of today's more thorough mid-cycle refreshes, with dramatically new front and rear clips. The addition of standard 20-inch wheels or optional 22s – in place of standard 18s and optional 20s – goes a long way towards modernizing the Navigator's staid exterior. The cabin, meanwhile, is home to finer leather, which covers most of the dash as well as the steering wheel and seats. Warm Ziricote wood would prove to be a particular highlight on the top-flight Reserve model that I drove (the only trim available for us to test). None of this is enough, though. To my eyes, those larger wheels can't hide the inelegant application of the angular and severe split-wing grille, which looks much better in the smoother, more organic applications of the MKZ sedan and MKC crossover. The taillights appear to borrow too heavily from the Dodge Durango, and as a fellow media member pointed out, the individually identifiable LEDs of the vehicle-spanning taillights already look aged on such a premium vehicle – the Navigator would have benefited from a more sophisticated light tube treatment, as seen on the MKC. Simply put, if sheer interior volume is Priority One, you'd best visit your local Lincoln dealer. The cheap plastics on the doors and center stack, meanwhile, overshadow the cabin additions. Functionally, however, the interior has its pluses. The leather-and-wood steering wheel is a truly pleasurable item to work, although I couldn't help but think that a thinner rim would feel more appropriate for such a large vehicle. The seats remain wide and comfortable, with a reasonable level of support for a full-sizer, although it would be nice if Lincoln offered something beyond the 10-way adjustability of its power front-row seats. Quibbles aside, there's no getting over the fact that this cabin is huge. While the Navigator's prime rival, the Cadillac Escalade, gets by with, at most, 122.4 cubic feet of interior volume in its ESV model, the Navigator offers up a whopping 159.5 cubes. …
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