Lincoln Town Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2025 Lincoln Navigator revealed with dramatic look, massive screen in Monterey

Say a big hello to the 2025 Lincoln Navigator, now more grand-looking and chock full of tech than ever before. This marks the fifth generation of Lincoln’s three-row luxury SUV, and while its bones are largely carryover, its appearance and interior experience are totally fresh. As for those hard points, the Navigator is still rolling with a body-on-frame construction, independent rear suspension and the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive standard. Said engine produces 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, the same output as the 2024 model. Both the standard length and the L model return, with the latter pictured in white just below. While this Navigator may end up driving much the same as the current one, it sure does look largely new from the outside. A fresh grille design gives it a mighty loud and proud aesthetic from the front and is complemented by a big light bar for even more visual presence. Like other new Lincolns, this one features the “Lincoln Embrace” for approach that plays an animation via the lights to welcome your return to the car. The full-width taillights do the same with new light-up “3D” badging. Chrome is thrown out the window in favor of satin aluminum trim accents (a Jet Black Appearance package will apply glossy black trim instead), and just like the refreshed Escalade, 24-inch wheels are newly added to the party – 22-inch wheels are the new standard. One particularly new big-deal feature youÂ’ll notice on the exterior is the “Lincoln Split Gate” that is essentially a split tailgate the likes of which you find on BMWs and Range Rovers. Similar to others, the tailgate is split so three-quarters of the gate opens up, while the remainder folds down. It allows for easier loading and unloading, but can also be used as a seat (600-pound capacity) when parked. Lincoln even offers a “Cargo Tailgate Manager” option that can function as a seatback for the tailgate, a table for tailgating events or to split the cargo area into a multi-level storage shape. Things really start to look totally new when you hop into the front seats and take in the new 48-inch panoramic display that spans the whole width of the dash. YouÂ’ll recognize the Lincoln Digital Experience setup from the 2024 Nautilus where it debuted, and it operates in a similar manner here.

Ford workers vote to ratify new four-year UAW contract

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union said on Friday that rank-and-file members at Ford have voted in favor of a new four-year labor contract with the No. 2 U.S. automaker. The UAW will now focus on Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the sole remaining Detroit automaker without a new labor contract. Talks with FCA are expected to begin on Monday, a UAW spokesman said. The union said 56.3% of Ford's hourly workers voted to approve the deal, which allowed the company to avoid a strike like the one that cost its larger rival General Motors about $3 billion (GBP2.3 billion). UAW leaders said earlier this month that Ford under the deal agreed to invest more than $6 billion in its U.S. plants, and to create or retain more than 8,500 UAW jobs. The deal also includes pay raises and lump-sum payments over the life of the contract, a pathway to full-time employment for temporary employees and unchanged healthcare coverage. Workers at GM approved a deal in late October that ended a contentious 40-day U.S. strike, the longest automotive labor stoppage since 1970. Detailed terms of the Ford deal — released just a week after GM workers approved their new contract — echoed those agreed to with GM, as the union typically uses the first deal as a template for those that follow. UAW leaders managed contract negotiations with Ford and GM, including the lengthy strike, while struggling with an ongoing federal corruption probe. To date, 10 people have pleaded guilty in connection with the criminal investigation into illegal payoffs. Just last week former UAW vice president and former GM board member Joseph Ashton was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud. Earlier this month the UAW said that its president, Gary Jones, who had been linked to the ongoing corruption probe, was taking a leave of absence. Rory Gamble, the union's acting head, said last week he will examine every department of the union in response to the spreading federal corruption probe to prevent future misuse of members' dues.

2024 Lincoln Nautilus First Drive Review: Lincoln's moonshot (with nits to pick)

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – It was only a decade ago when Lincoln seemed destined to go the way of Oldsmobile and Mercury. Odd styling, cheap retro interiors and blatant parts sharing with supporting Ford vehicles had this storied American luxury brand trailing the competition by a significant margin. Then things started turning around with the reborn Continental sedan in 2017, followed by the massive and massively improved Navigator the following year. In hindsight, I equate those to the Mercury and Gemini space programs that led to Apollo and the game-changing moonshot. After driving the all-new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus throughout the Palm Springs area, it could very well deserve the accolades and ticker tape parades bestowed upon NASA in 1969. Starting with the new styling, this second-generation Nautilus manages to stand out from the crowd without shouting. There's a quiet resolve in the rounded-over corners and subtle sculpting. The appropriately sized grille has suggestions of woven Bentley rods while a distinctive horizontal bar connects the Lincoln emblem to the narrow LED headlights. Below, two brushed metal accents anchor the fascia with a classy foundation. Down the sides, a distinctive flourish spans almost the entire length of the front doors, and the absence of traditional door handles gives the profile an unusually clean look. Those door handles are integrated into the window frame in the same manner as the Continental, further emphasizing the way reflections and shadows dance across the gentle curves of the bodywork. Around back, there are echoes of Audi or Porsche, but not in a derivative way since it integrates well with the rest of the Nautilus. To my hyper-critical styling eye, I can only find the slightest of nitpicks in a series of horizontal stripes present in the rearmost side window that are repeated in the edges of the headlights and taillights. My nitpicking is typically a good omen, as it means there isn't anything significant to fault it for, and that could very well be the theme of this review. While the exterior is suitably attractive, the interior is downright stunning. The biggest attention-getter is the 48-inch curved panoramic display that spans the entire length of the dashboard. It's the type of design element expected of a concept or prohibitively expensive luxury vehicle, not a production SUV starting in the low $50,000 range. Even better, it works.