Spied: 2007 Lincoln Navigator
Smile, here's the new Navigator; Lincoln's full-size SUV gets bold new look
By Editors of Motor Trend
Photography by The Manufacturer
It may be little more than a trim level on upscale Fords these days, but one Lincoln still attempts to maintain the marque's past glory--the Navigator sport/utility vehicle.
With the GM having just unveiled its all-new Escalade, Lincoln ups the ante with a freshened version of the Navigator range that includes a new extended-wheelbase L version designed to compete with the Cadillac Escalade ESV.
The 2007 Navigator grille, including an upper-lip strip at the leading edge of the power-bulge hood, appears to have more chrome than the entire Zephyr sedan. The beltline's chrome strip is thick, too.
There also are changes under the skin. The IRS remains, but with new five-link design. Ford's familiar 5.4-liter Triton V-8 makes 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet and is bolted to a new six-speed automatic transmission. The fully boxed frame has 10-percent-better torsional rigidity than the 2006 Navigator.
The new L version's wheelbase is 12 inches longer (131 inches) than the standard Nav's, and overall length is up nearly 15 inches (to 223.3 inches) for an extra 24 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat. The L's sheetmetal is unique aft of the B-pillar, and the taillamps are designed to tie in with the Zephyr/MKZ.
Inside is a redesigned interior with a new "flow-through" or flying-bridge center console and bookmatched wood trim. Fashion eyewear-inspired gauges on the dash look vaguely 1960s retro.