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2020 Lincoln Navigator gets a price bump as sales stay strong

The Lincoln Navigator is still doing the business on dealer lots, and as sales climb, so do the prices. CarsDirect reports the flagship SUV's MSRP has gone up again as of February, a letter to dealers explaining that the bump "continues to keep the Lincoln brand competitive and aggressively positioned verses [sic] our key competitors." The entry-level Navigator Standard will start at $76,185 before the $1,295 destination charge, for a total of $77,480. That's $360 more than the luxury flagship cost in January. At the high end, the Navigator L Black Series goes up to $101,630 after destination, a $365 bump. This revised pricing makes the two-wheel drive Navigator Standard $1,000 more expensive than the current, outgoing Escalade, and the Navigator L Black Series $2,040 more than the Escalade ESV Platinum 4WD. It's likely the price jumps coming with the next-generation Escalade should restore the balance.   That won't change the fact that, on the face of it, the Navigator's entry-level price has risen by roughly $3,500 since it launched for the 2018 model year, and that's after an $8,500 increase introduced with the current generation. Last year, the product planners added features and a trim reorganization along with the price increases for 2020. Buyers get convenience items such as power running boards, heated and cooled front seats, wireless phone charging, and Lincoln's Phone as Key system standard throughout the range, and every 2020 Navigator includes the CoPilot360 driver safety suite. The safety kit wasn't available on the 2019 Navigator Standard, and was a $2,640 option on the Select trim. On top of that, the Reserve trim dropped in price thanks to the addition of a two-wheel-drive version. The Navigator improved sales in 2019 by 817 units over 2018. If sales remain robust this year — and depending on where the Escalade lands on the MSRP chart — we won't be surprised at another increase before the year is out. Related Video:  

Ford to launch at least 5 Lincoln electric SUVs by 2026

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co is stepping up plans to extensively electrify its Lincoln brand in North America, as it prepares to introduce at least five new battery-powered Lincoln sport utility vehicles through 2026, three people familiar with the plans told Reuters. Included are battery-electric models that will replace or supplement the Lincoln Corsair, Nautilus, Aviator and Navigator, said the sources, who asked not to be identified. The strategy to electrify Lincoln is a key element of Ford's planned $30 billion investment in EVs and batteries through 2030. Ford announced the $30 billion initiative in May 2021. Lincoln had previously planned to have EVs across its lineup by 2030. Ford has said it will have the annual capacity to build at least 600,000 electric vehicles globally within 24 months, when it aims to become "the clear No. 2 electric vehicle maker in North America" behind Tesla Inc. On Thursday, Lincoln spokeswoman Anika Salceda-Wycoco said it was "too early to talk about specific details around future vehicle or production plans." The first of the new Lincoln EVs, a large crossover about the size of the Aviator, is slated to begin production in late 2024 or early 2025 at Ford's Oakville, Ontario, plant, as part of a $1.5 billion changeover there from combustion-engine to battery electric vehicles, two of the sources said, citing the automaker's plans shared with suppliers. Several more Lincoln EV crossovers, including potential replacements for the compact Corsair and the midsize Nautilus, could be built in Oakville in 2025-2026, said the two sources, who cited internal planning documents. Production plans for those models have not been finalized. Several of the smaller Lincoln EVs will share an improved version of the EV platform that underpins the Ford Mustang Mach E, the sources said. A larger Lincoln SUV, a battery-powered companion to the big Navigator, is scheduled to go into production in 2026, the sources said. It will share a new dedicated EV truck platform with the next-generation Ford F-150 Lightning, the sources said. Ford's plans to transform the Lincoln brand in North America into a mostly electric family of premium utility vehicles parallels an effort at General Motors, where the Cadillac brand has embarked on a similar makeover, starting this year with the midsize Lyriq electric crossover.

Autoblog Podcast #327

New York Auto Show, Jim Farley interview, 2014 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy, Ford fuel economy app challenge
Episode #327 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about this year's New York Auto Show, Chevrolet's latest assault in the pickup truck fuel economy battle, and Ford's reward for developing a better fuel economy app. Dan also has an interview with Ford's Jim Farley about the future of Lincoln. We wrap with your questions and emails, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #327: