That seems very long ago, and Lincoln is now playing catch-up to many others in the class, notably Cadillac's Escalade.
But just ahead of the North American Auto Show last month, it released it's fourth generation concept, hoping that "going big" (literally) would have an impact. Visually: it's "mission accomplished."
Featuring massive, gull-wing doors, gargantuan 20+ inch pinwheel-style wheels, and a grand-staircase step ladder entrance to both front and back seats simultaneously, the Navigator looks more like a small house - or a subway car, or a yacht - than a vehicle meant for the road.But that's all part of the calculation. One can see a CEO as well as a rapper entering and exiting this thing with style and panache, with paparazzi all the while snapping away.
Is all of this practical? Of course not. It's extremely easy to discount the enormous gull-wing doors and the three-step entrance as the stuff of car show concept fantasy-land. The doors, which expose both front and back occupants to the elements - not to mention the aforementioned paparazzi - every time they're opened for exit or entrance, are flawed as as a design element.
That said, in the era of the Tesla X, which successfully integrated them into a PRODUCTION vehicle (and solved the problem of scuffing up the neighboring car each time they're opened) one cannot discount the idea that they'll see actual daylight. One designer, in fact, noted that the doors alone could cause Chinese millionaires (a target audience for this vehicle) to throw heaps of cash at Lincoln. So there's that. In fact, the entire "over-the-topness" of the design may be attributable to the Chinese market, which goes wild for such extravagant-looking beasts.
Other than these striking design elements, one sees a Range Rover pedigree in the long, sleek horizontal design language of the side panels - unsurprising given the past connection between the companies until Rover's sale to Tata in 2008.I'd note the more than passing resemblance also to the Ford Flex in its side architecture - that is, if anyone knew what I was talking about, since the Flex is a non-advertised red-headed stepchild over at Ford, apparently.
The front grille and lamps deserve notice here, as well, since they're vastly improved and far more elegant than in previous generations. The grille features a massive, but gently rounded, trapezoid with mesh and a lighted ornament in its center that is elegant, impressive and would be unmistakable for any other vehicle on the road. The headlamps are huge - befitting the entire concept, and don't offend, though one could say they somewhat resemble styles one could see on any other model. Hyundai comes to mind. Still, they are deserving of respect, straddling this grille and pointing to non-functioning air intakes that contribute mightily to the horizontal-ness of the design.
Despite this blog's obsession with exterior styling, one must take a moment to note that the rear door panel (which sadly resembles too much a Toyota) opens up to a built-in closet of sorts, where the driver can put his suits, shoes and brief case in a rather elaborate set-up.All rear seats feature wide-screen TVs and the blond wood and leather are amazingly attractive and are clearly a step up from any other American SUV - or they will be, if they make it past the bean-counters.
All-in-all, this is a grand and notable concept that deserves some respect for "going big."
Staving off the fears of bankruptcy and oblivion that haunted it just a few years back, A Detroit News article notes that Ford has committed funds to the Ford Kentucky truck plant that will build the next Navigator, has signed a four-year contract there with unions.
Not that recessions can't change everything, but the Navigator and other Lincoln models are clearly stepping up their game and are making an effort to keep Lincoln Motor Company in business for the short-term, anyway. They're betting the farm on the Chinese buying enough of these land yachts to keep the Lincoln brand afloat. And they just might.
More photos, from the Lincoln Motors site: http://www.lincoln.com/navigator-concept/
