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2018 Lincoln Navigator Review | 900 miles in mid-century opulence

PORTLAND, Ore. — Driving the 2019 Lincoln Navigator on my usual 80-mile evaluation route just wouldn't be sufficient. The quick jaunt through downtown Portland and out into wooded mountain roads couldn't possibly do justice to a vehicle intended for the literal long haul. All those seats; all that cargo space; all that comfort and opulence. What the Navigator needed was a road trip, so I took two of them — within five days, over 900 miles and a grand total of 20 hours and 17 minutes in the 24-way power-adjustable, massaging, ventilated saddle. The first journey would be from Portland down to Bend, Ore., and then working my way gradually back through central Oregon backroads. This included winding two-lane highways where the Navigator's excellent adaptive cruise control system maintained its distance (and my sanity) when stuck behind parades of Outbacks, before the 450-horsepower EcoBoost V6 of Raptor fame could dispatch them from across the dotted yellow line. Enough really can't be said about how masterful this engine is — so smooth, so powerful and so quiet. It's perfect for a Lincoln. It also got 20 mpg over the course of the full 900 miles, which compares to the EPA's 21 mpg highway rating. Pretty good given the mountainous terrain and the liberal throttle applied to keep up with a pair of substantially sportier cars I was trailing as part of a photo shoot. Not that the Navigator was really able to keep up with anything once the road got tighter and twistier through the lava fields of the Willamette National Forest. Though I still concur with my initial praise of the Navigator's independent rear suspension and steering that "provides consistent, appropriate and reassuring weighting," there's no getting around the laws of physics. This is a gigantic land craft pushing three tons that's best kept at a relaxed pace – also perfect for a Lincoln. As for the ride, which disappointed during my Navigator first drive in Southern California, the "omnipresent nervousness" I reported didn't really materialize on better pavement in Oregon and later in Washington. True, it's not quite as supple as a unibody Range Rover or Mercedes GLS would be, but it doesn't suffer from the near constant vibration over even the smallest bumps you get in a Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon XL. On the subject of comfort, though, those 24-way front seats can't be ignored.

Monochromatic Package spreads to Lincoln's Corsair, Nautilus, and Aviator

Lincoln is catering to buyers seeking a mostly chrome-free SUV by making the optional Monochromatic Package available on the Corsair, the Nautilus, and the Aviator. It was inaugurated by the Navigator in 2019. Inspired by current trends in fashion and interior design, the Monochromatic Package bundles a darker grille, tinted emblems, body-colored mirrors, and darkened trim pieces all around. It also includes black 20- or 22-inch alloy wheels, depending on the model. Lincoln made no mention of modifications in the cabin. 2021 Corsair and 2021 Aviator buyers who tick the Monochromatic Package box will be asked to choose from three colors named Pristine White, Infinite Black, and Asher Gray, respectively. The Monochromatic-equipped 2020 Nautilus will exclusively be offered in Infinite Black, while the 2020 Navigator carries on with Pristine White, Ceramic Pearl, and Infinite Black as its color options when buyers add the package. Lincoln hopes expanding the Monochromatic Package's availability will allow its SUVs to keep building momentum, but pricing information hasn't been announced yet. For context, the chrome-free look costs $3,495 on the 2020 Navigator, and it's exclusively offered on the mid-range Reserve model priced at $83,665. Like parent company Ford, Lincoln is increasingly reliant on its crossovers and SUVs. It confirmed its last two sedans, the MKZ and the Continental, will retire without a replacement in sight after the 2020 model year.

Ford rethinking vehicle launch strategy

With a new boss at the helm, Ford is looking at new ways to improve its vehicle launches in North America to prevent recent issues that have popped up with models like the Lincoln MKZ, Ford Escape and Ford Fusion. Speaking with Automotive News, Ford's new president of the Americas, Joe Hinrichs, revealed a few ways the automaker plans to avoid early build issues such as the engine fires on certain 2013 Escape and Fusion models and months-long delays for customers to receive their MKZs.
It sounds like the root of the problems may have been Ford's relationship with suppliers compounded by the fact that the product surge came on the heels of the recent industry-crippling recession, and in the AN article, Hinrichs says improvements are being made to reduce problems during the launch of new or redesigned models. Three such improvements that were implemented during the first quarter of this year including more rigorous quality comparisons, better use of computer technology to catch major problems sooner and hiring engineers to work closer with suppliers.