Lincoln took the wraps off a classy Navigator Concept at the New York auto show, replete with gullwing doors. The concept gives a strong clue as to what an all-new Navigator will look like when it goes on sale in the second half of 2017 as a 2018 model.
To update the current Navigator's dated interior, Lincoln's design team took inspiration from luxury sailboats and yachts. These vessels influenced the teak interior bits and a wardrobe management system, which for a boat holds gear for a day spent out on the water. The cabin features six of Lincoln's new, highly contoured, 30-way adjustable seats. The concept's shifter buttons were inspired by the keys on a piano.
Power comes from the same 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 found in the current Navigator, but with power bumped to over 400 horsepower (from 380 hp). The driver can swap between several drive modes to adjust steering, suspension settings, and even noise levels.
The concept has pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, a lane-keeping assist system, and a 360-degree display, which integrates views from four cameras to create an overhead image of the entire vehicle.
See our complete New York auto show coverage.
While we were told the gullwing doors will definitely not make it into production, some aspects of the Navigator Concept will. For instance, the front and rear styling is said to be quite similar to the truck's final design. And although we won't see the concept's deployable three-step "concertina" entry system, a two-step version is likely. Lincoln has a strong history of production vehicles staying fairly true to concepts, with the most recent example being the new Continental sedan.
Lincoln's claim that the new Navigator will bring "quiet luxury" to buyers of full-size luxury SUVs could bode well, as our testing has shown the current Navigator is neither as quiet nor as plush as its GM competitors.
Read our current Lincoln Navigator road test.
