Powering up the Navigator
4WD standard for buyers in Canada
If nothing else, the freshened 2015 Lincoln Navigator is proof positive that dinosaurs can receive heart transplants.
The full-sized sport ute segment was delivered a near-fatal blow during the economic recession a few years ago, but not quite enough (unfortunately, some environmentalists will say) to bury the gas-sucking behemoths once and for all.
General Motors has the largest stake in the segment and has refreshed all of its big rigs (Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, Escalade, et al) for the 2015 model year. Ford is not nearly so committed, its Lincoln-branded luxury ute just passing time in the shadows of the more familiar and better known Escalade.
But, for the new model year, Ford has done something rather extraordinary. It has dumped the aged 5.4-litre Triton V-8 in favour of a twin-turbo 3.5-L EcoBoost V-6, mated to a six-speed automatic. The transplant sees a huge uptick in power and torque figures for the eight-seat Navigator — the Triton was good for 310 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque; the twin-boosted V-6 pumps out a more impressive 380 hp and 460 lb.-ft.
Not that this turns the three-ton Lincoln into a tarmac terror, but it sure can get out of its own way. A 4.10:1 rear axle is standard on the longer-wheelbase Navigator L (optional on the base model) and helps multiply the torque for maximum acceleration, making towing easier (9,000-pound maximum when properly equipped).
I can’t speak for what the big Lincoln would be like to drive loaded to the gunwales with passengers and luggage and towing an Airstream, but for day-to-day moseying around town and on the highway, the loss of two cylinders is no hardship. The EcoBoost is smooth, powerful and efficient in operation.
As for fuel economy, well, anybody seriously concerned about the depletion of this country’s natural resources wouldn’t be buying one of these beasts in the first place. Still, I would have thought the Navi would be a perfect candidate for a diesel option to lessen its impact. As it is, the 2,753-kilogram Lincoln was probably as swine-ish as if it was still powered by a big V-8: I averaged 18 litres per 100 kilometres for a week of mostly suburban usage with some highway thrown in.
Ford says the 2015 model is the best-handling Navigator ever, in part from the addition of electric power-assisted steering. If best ever means being able to manoeuvre the almost 5.3 metre-long SUV into parking spots without an upper-body workout, then kudos. If it means any sort of association with the road, the company needs a better descriptor — something like heavy or disconnected.
The same applies to the ride. The tester was equipped with the Lincoln Drive Control option, which offers continuously controlled damping, a technology applied to the suspension that monitors multiple vehicle sensors and road conditions every two milliseconds and adjusts suspension accordingly.
Again, kudos for the system’s ability to tune out any road imperfection thrown at it. However, galumphing over sharper imperfections, such as railway tracks, sends the Navigator into a bouncy upand-down motion that feels more like a pickup truck than a $75,000 luxury sport ute.
Available only with a four- wheel drivetrain for the Canadian market, the Navigator comes with hill-descent control, along with standard hill-start assist. With hillstart assist, if the Lincoln is parked on a slope with a grade of five degrees or more, it will remain stationary for up to two seconds after the brake pedal is released, stopping forward or backward roll. With hill-descent control, once the desired speed is set, the system applies brake pressure as needed to descend steep grades at a controlled speed.
In addition to the engine transplant, the Navigator sees its first real cosmetic change since 2007, including a new hood and new corporate-look split-wing grille, while the back end gets a power liftgate. Other touches include 20-inch wheels, jewel-like daytime running lights, highintensity-discharge adaptive headlamps with LED accents and power running boards — this last item a particularly welcome touch as it’s a hike up into the cabin.
The results, though, are a half-hearted effort at best. Compared with the bolder Escalade — also refreshed for 2015 — the slab-sided Navigator looks dowdy.
The cabin is a far cheerier environment — quiet, comfortable and luxurious in a traditional way, with a redesigned dash, dark leather and polished wood.
Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of full-sized, threeton luxury SUVs; I find them excessive, especially at the pumps. This Lincoln doesn’t really move the bar. As an overt symbol of financial success, Cadillac’s Escalade is still the standard bearer.
Overview : Full-sized upscale dinosaur gets a makeover
Pros : Powerful EcoBoost V-6 engine, commodious
Cons : Big and heavy, drab styling, dynamically numb, gas pig Value for money : Fair What I would change: Reduce
its weight
HowI would spec it : As is