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2022 Lincoln Navigator First Drive Review | It's greener now. Literally.

Lincoln’s latest renaissance began with the Navigator, specifically the full redesign introduced four years ago. Offering far more power than the competition established a new, common concept of effortless performance throughout the Lincoln lineup, but it was the NavigatorÂ’s striking new interior design that really moved the needle and made people, including car reviewers like us, take notice. Subsequent Lincoln interiors evolved from that design and enjoyed similar praise, so it should come as no surprise that the updated 2022 Lincoln Navigator builds upon its trademark element. Frankly, itÂ’s unusual for interior design to so strongly embody a brandÂ’s identity, yet a senior Lincoln official confirmed thatÂ’s exactly what the company sought to do with the Navigator and others. The exterior would be tidy and handsome, but to really stand out in a crowded luxury field, the brand chose to instead focus on creating a bold, unique interior. Clearly inspired by LincolnÂ’s midcentury glory years, but not attempting to copy it in chintzy plastic as Lincolns of the 2000s did, the Navigator cabin continues to look nothing like those of its competitors. ItÂ’s classy, itÂ’s special and when done up in Black Label “themes,” it can be uniquely colorful as well. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. For 2022, the most colorful of themes — “Destination” and its stem-to-stern coating of oxblood red — is discontinued. Boo. Apparently, it was popular in LincolnÂ’s top market of China. Less so in the United States, so it gets ousted in favor of the new “Central Park” theme shown here. The primary element is the “Urban Green” hue with leather perforations that form the outlines of a New Yorkesque skyline. ItÂ’s exclusively paired with stunning open-pore wood embossed, in gold no less, with a map of ManhattanÂ’s grid and the titular Central Park. ItÂ’s a fitting alternative to the carryover themes of “Yacht Club” (the blue one) and “Chalet” (shades of brown and beige), plus the new “Invitation” theme that features black accented in a different gold-embossed wood for those who are less adventurous. The interiorÂ’s only noteworthy aesthetic change for 2022 is also a functional one: the 10-inch touchscreen has been replaced by a 13.2-inch widescreen unit.

Junkyard Gem: 2004 Lincoln Navigator Ultimate 4x4

Things in the American SUV world got a lot more interesting during the late 1990s, when Ford and GM realized that the best way to print bales of money did not involve bringing over their European-market sedans for sale here. Instead, they would take their big sport utility vehicles, pry off the badges of their proletariat-grade marques, and slather them in luxury materials and the latest gadgetry. Ford was first with the Ford Expedition-based Lincoln Navigator in the 1998 model year, with The General transforming the GMC Yukon Denali into the Cadillac Escalade a year later. Today's Junkyard Gem is an early second-generation Navigator, found in a Denver-area car graveyard. The second-generation Navigator was built for the 2003 through 2006 model years. It didn't look much different from its predecessor, but it (and its Expedition sibling) had a brand-new independent rear suspension that gave it a lower rear floor and a somewhat less truck-ish ride. This generation of Navigator was the first luxury SUV to offer powered retractable running boards. This truck, being a top-trim-level Ultimate, has them. With an MSRP of $56,140 (about $93,069 in 2023 dollars), the Navigator Ultimate 4x4 was the most expensive new production car or light truck offered by the Ford Motor company in the United States as a 2004 model. The introduction of the $149,995 Ford GT the following year stole that crown from the Navigator, of course. That's genuine walnut trim, not the phony wood that went into Malaise Era Lincolns. The dash layout was inspired by that of the 1961 Continental, according to Lincoln PR. Power came from a 5.4-liter DOHC V8 rated at 300 horsepower and 355 pound-feet. Curb weight approached three tons. This one looks to have been in good cosmetic condition when it got here. A quick VIN check shows that it was for sale at a Denver used-car joint a few months back, with just under 140,000 miles on the odometer and a price tag of $4,900 (which is about $3,104 in 2004 dollars, or a depreciation of nearly 95% in 19 years). Perhaps the engine or transmission failed soon after that, leading to this grim fate. That wood-and-leather steering wheel felt … just like a football? You could operate its power features in time to music, if you so chose. The 2004 Navigator was forced to share this commercial with the smaller Explorer-based Aviator.

Lincoln to resurrect old nameplates for China?

Judging by the success that many luxury automakers are currently experiencing in China, it's no surprise that Lincoln plans to take advantage of the situation by peddling its wares across the Pacific. Lincoln will open its first Chinese dealership next year, but potential buyers there won't be mucking through the same alphabet soup of car names found in American showrooms. USA Today reports that Ford's luxury car division could revert back to legacy names (like Continental and Zephyr) in China while keeping the MK_ names here in North America.
In speaking to Ford exec Jim Farley during the LA Auto Show, USA Today says that Lincoln could switch its naming structure as models are refreshed. Farley didn't confirm that the naming revamp would be a China-only decision, but article leaves little hope that American buyers will get to see the return of classic names anytime soon.
Why would Ford rehash old Lincoln names for China only? Buyers there seem to have a better historical associations with the nameplates than in the US. Chinese also still hold Lincoln in high regard, associating the marque with use by prominent government officials.