FIRST DRIVE
Lincoln steps up with new Navigator
Driving from Vancouver to this four-season resort doesn’t really require a navigator. Get on the Trans Canada Highway, head west until it veers north into the Sea to Sky Highway, and in 90 minutes you’ll be here. No turns required.
However, it sure is a pleasant trip if you’re behind the wheel of a Navigator, particularly the all-new version of Lincoln’s fullsized luxury utility vehicle.
I found that out firsthand earlier this week driving up the scenic route in a 2018 Navigator Reserve edition, the upper tier trim of the two models available in Canada (the base trim is the Select, and both are available in stretched, or L, versions).
Hard to believe it’s been two decades since the first Lincoln Navigator came to market.
Back then, it was seen as a bulky behemoth, a seemingly over-the-top reinvention of the land yachts Ford’s luxury division had become infamous for in the ’70s. Surely an abomination that would go the way of the Pontiac Aztek. But as we all know, big utility vehicles have since become the darlings of the automotive world — particularly in North America — and most every luxury manufacturer has a hulking SUV in its lineup.
For the 2018 model year, Lincoln has completely redesigned its Navigator inside and out, taking many of the styling cues from recent Lincoln additions — most notably the 2017 MKZ and Continental — and added some of its own new twists for its fourth generation iteration.
Industry observers obviously approve, as the new Navigator took Truck of the Year honours at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Seems consumers are impressed too, as a Lincoln Canada rep reports dealership waiting lists for the vehicle, which has been in showrooms for a few weeks now. Pricing ranges from $87,650 for the Select up to $93,650 for the Reserve L.
So, what makes the new Navigator so much better than the outgoing model?
Well, first and foremost, it gets better gas mileage, which is particularly important to drivers in B.C. where regular can go for $1.40/ litre in Metro Vancouver.
The new model gets a reported 13.3 L/100 km combined (14.9 city; 11.3 hwy.) compared to the 2017 model’s 14.1 combined (15.9/12.0). That fuel saving comes primarily thanks to a smooth 10-speed transmission replacing an oh-so-out-of-date six-speed, and the liberal use of aluminum alloy in the new model’s body.
Better still, power output has increased substantially, despite the fact the new model has the same size and type engine as last year’s model (a 3.5-litre V-6 twin-turbo). The 2018 Navigator posts a best-in-class rating of 450 horsepower and 510 lbs. ft of torque (2017 numbers are 380 and 460 respectively).
That’s not the only best-inclass boast the new Navi can make. Add cargo room behind the second and third rows; 30-way adjustable seats; largest moonroof; and most quiet interior to that best-in-class laundry list. In terms of class-exclusive features, check off the only big luxury SUV to offer these items: 100 per cent LED lighting; a ‘parent partition’ middle seat in the second row; a pro trailer backup assist; and an enhanced active park assist with park-out assist.
Lincoln engineers also borrowed a tried-and-true system that makes its debut on a Navigator but has been in the high-tech tool box of competitors for some years now: selectable drive modes. Seemingly to make up for lost time, the Navi’s offers no less than six settings, each of them fairly self-explanatory: Excite, Conserve, Normal, Slippery, Deep Conditions and Slow Climb. Clever and unique names to be sure, but no reinvention of the wheel here. Turn the centre console dial to a selected mode and things like engine throttle responses, gearshift points, steering feel, suspension setting and electronic stability control are tweaked to reflect the drive mode.
Clearly great improvements over the outgoing model, and stiffer competition for the competition, most notably the Cadillac Escalade, the Lexus LX and the Infiniti QX80.
Where the new Navigator further seeks to separate itself from that big pack (big as in girth, not number of course), is its styling inside and out. Unlike those three very capable and wellappointed luxury sport-utes, the Navigator’s exterior lines are smooth and simple; not jagged and aggressive. Likewise, the cabin is a study in minimalism, from a very uncluttered dash/ switchgear layout to nice clean lines on the inside of the doors and in the seats themselves. All of these vehicles feel big inside, but the new Navigator has a big and airy feel about it. And for an even bigger cabin feel, both trims are available in stretch versions.
And there is all the necessary tech features families can’t live without when on the road. Things like wireless charging, standard Wi-Fi, six USB ports, four 12-volt power outlets and a 110-volt plug.
What impressed me the most about the Navigator on the drive from Vancouver to Whistler was its smooth ride. I mean really smooth. And quiet, even when gunning the engine up that steep stretch just north of Furry Creek golf course.
Power never seemed an issue, though we did drive mostly in Excite mode, and handling was sure-footed even once we made it into Whistler and some slushy streets.
Ergonomics both in the driver’s seat and the passenger seat are first-rate, and designer’s stated goals of making the controls easy to use and easily within reach — not always the case in this segment — have been met.
What I really didn’t like was the push-button transmission, despite the fact designers made an effort of making it interesting by using a piano-key style system mounted horizontally on the dash, not vertically on the centre console. Give me a shifter or even a dial over this gear selection method any day.
But all in all, the new Navigator finds its way to the top of the segment heap, and for a price point less than the competition.