Ride & Drive: 2015 Lincoln Navigator
By Neal White
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Thanks to my very good friends at Ford Motor Company, I happened to be one of the first auto writers to receive the new 2015 Lincoln Navigator for an evaluation.
The Navigator is the flagship SUV in Lincoln's luxury lineup.
I need to stress the word luxury because this baby is absolutely decked out with every creature comfort you could ever think of to include in a vehicle.
It also seats eight (in spacious comfort, I might add), is available in rear- or four-wheel-drive configurations — and, drum roll please, it even tows up to 9,000 pounds.
For the record, 9,000 pounds is equivalent to a very big boat or camper. I suppose you could use it to tow other stuff, but for the life of me I just can't figure out why.
But I digress.
There is lots of big news to report for the 2015 Navigator.
The interior has been redesigned and is absolutely stunning. The first time I took the test vehicle for a spin I thought my delivery driver had made a mistake and had given me the presidential limo instead. But no, the new Navigator really is that decked out.
The really big news can be found under the hood as a new, 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 engine powers the new Navigator.
My initial reaction was, "You have to be kidding me, a V-6 in a Navigator?"
Then I drove it. This is an absolutely remarkable engine. Generating 380 horsepower and 460 lbs.-ft. torque, I was blown away by the power of this engine. I was amazed at how quickly the Navigator gets the 6,000-pound Navigator up to cruising speed (and beyond if you're not watching the speedometer). Lincoln wasn't kidding when it touts the EcoBoost provides the power of a V-8, but with the fuel economy of a V-6.
Available in regular and extended wheelbase models, the new Navigator has an EPA fuel economy of 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway for rear-wheel drive, regular wheelbase models (15 mpg, 20 mpg respectively for the four-wheel drive version). Extended wheelbase models (which provides 42.6 cubic feet of cargo area behind the third row seat) has a fuel economy rating of 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway for rear-wheel drive (15 mpg, 19 mpg respectively for the four-wheel drive version).
Lincoln engineers have also improved the vehicle's ride and handling capabilities (which weren't bad to begin with) through the addition of standard electric power-assisted steering and Lincoln Drive Control, which offers continuously controlled damping that adjusts the suspension every two milliseconds based on road conditions.
The Navigator is also available with the Reserve Package, which includes leather-wrapped instrument panel, armrests and gear shift; premium Ziricote wood trim, upgraded premium leather on all three rows of seats and 22-inch polished aluminum wheels.
I would love to get into the Navigator's features, but there are just too many to list.
Let me put it this way, for those in the market for a full-size luxury SUV, the 2015 Lincoln Navigator is absolutely the first vehicle you should put on the test drive list.
Neal White has been covering the automotive industry for more than 20 years and is affiliated with the Texas Auto Writers Association. Contact Neal at neal.white@wninews.com or 469-517-1470.
The nuts and bolts
MODEL:
2015 Lincoln Navigator
8-seat luxury SUV
Rear- or four-wheel drive
Trim packages:
Navigator, Navigator L
PRICE RANGE:
$63,000-$76,000
ENGINE:
3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 (380 hp/460 torque)
TRANSMISSION:
6-speed SelectShift automatic
EPA: 16/15 mpg city, 22/20 mpg highway (2WD/4WD regular wheelbase)
FUEL: Premium unleaded, regular capable
STABILITY CONTROL:
Traction control and AdvanceTrac with roll stability control
BRAKES: ABS
LENGTH: 207.4/222.3 in.*
WHEELBASE: 119/131 in.*
WIDTH: 91.8 inches
HEIGHT: 78.1/78.8 in.*
WEIGHT: 5830-6297 lbs.
TRACK: 67/67.2
(front/rear)
FUEL TANK: 28/33.5 gallons*
TIRES: 20-, or 22-inch
CARGO: REGULAR WHEELBASE: 18.1/54.4/103.3 cubic feet (behind 1st/2nd/3rd row) LONG WHEELBASE: 42.6/86.3/128.2 cubic feet respectively.
• Regular/long wheelbase