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2007 Lincoln Navigator Preview

Significant upgrades keep Lincoln’s luxury-ute competitive

Christian Wardlaw
by Christian Wardlaw
February 23, 2006
4 min. Reading Time
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The 2007 Lincoln Navigator’s new grille, which resembles an overpriced cheese grater from Sur La Table, cannot be a good idea. Look at the size of that thing, the ornate detailing, the huge garnish that wraps over the leading edge of the hood like a giant bug deflector – heck, we half expected shreds of cheddar to dangle from the Navigator’s toothy new face. OK, so we don’t like the new front end. But that’s not the whole story when it comes to the upgrades made to the 2007 Lincoln Navigator. Chief among them is an all-new frame that provides improved handling and ride quality, a redesigned interior with new seats for added comfort, specific design and tuning to produce a “whisper quiet” interior, and a new extended-length Navigator L model that adds 25 cubic feet of additional cargo space. The new Navigator also gets cleaned up flanks which look quite nice, the taillights are redesigned to look like the Zephyr sedan (called MKZ for 2007), and 20-inch chrome wheels are available as a factory option.

What it is

The 2007 Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury suv that shares its underpinnings with the Ford Expedition. With room for eight passengers or up to 128.2 cubic feet of cargo, the new Navigator is a significant update of the previous model, equipped with a new frame, a new interior, and new styling.

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Why it matters

This truck is a cash cow for Ford Motor Company, and if it’s a success, the 2007 Lincoln Navigator will generate plenty of profit for its maker. But with a high sticker price, low fuel economy, slowing home appreciation, and rising consumer debt, Lincoln might have a hard time moving the metal when the Navigator arrives this fall.

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What’s under the hood

Powering the 2007 Lincoln Navigator is a 5.4-liter V8 good for 300 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 365 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,750 rpm, delivered to the rear or all four wheels through a new six-speed automatic transmission. Maximum tow capacity is 9,100 pounds when properly equipped. The Navigator also gets a new independent rear suspension design for improved handling and stability.

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What’s inside

The 2007 Lincoln Navigator’s interior is restyled, benefiting from added front- and third-row leg room, and the dashboard, though familiar, receives new instrument bezels styled after trendy rectangular eyewear. Buyers can choose to decorate the 2007 Navigator’s interior with Dark Ebony or light-colored Anigre wood trim, and the Navigator comes standard with what Lincoln calls “butter soft” leather. Accents are done in satin nickel and chrome for an appropriately upscale look. Designed for added long distance support, the new front seats are 10-way power adjustable and can be equipped with heaters and cooling fans for four-season comfort. Even the seat frames were re-engineered to reduce vibration coming up from the Navigator’s floor. Power adjustable pedals help the driver to find a proper driving position, regardless of her size, and a memory function helps different drivers in the same household recall their fine-tuned seat and pedal settings. To make it easier to climb in and out of the 2007 Lincoln Navigator, power running boards that automatically deploy when the doors are opened are integrated into the lower rocker panels. The Navigator’s second- and third-row seats tumble and fold to create a wide variety of cargo carrying options. When serving as an eight-passenger conveyance, the new extended-length Navigator L can carry 42.7 cubic feet of cargo behind the third-row seat; fold ‘em all flat and it swallows 128.2 cubic feet of stuff. An optional PowerFold third-row seat makes maximizing cargo space even easier, if pulling levers and pushing seatbacks just isn’t your style. People riding in the 2007 Lincoln Navigator’s rear seats will love the optional DVD entertainment center connected to a 600-watt THX-II Certified premium audio system – and Hollywood executives can’t figure out why theaters are empty these days. Combined with thicker glass and added sound insulation for a “whisper quiet” interior, watching your favorite movies inside the new Navigator is just like seeing them on the big screen – almost. The new Navi also features a DVD-based navigation system with a touch screen and voice command control, available Sirius satellite radio, and an integrated auxiliary jack for your iPod or other MP3 player.

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What it looks like

Indeed, that new schnoz is difficult to miss, but the rest of the Navigator’s re-skin is a success. The truck looks clean, with greatly improved flanks free of the overdone cladding on the previous model. We also like the new rear taillights and better-integrated rear bumper, which give the Navigator a more cohesive look.

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What Lincoln says

The 2007 Navigator’s design seems to fly in the face of Lincoln’s new “unpretentious luxury” mantra. Even Peter Horbury, FoMoCo’s chief designer, seems confused about what a Lincoln is supposed to be. Last month in Detroit, Lincolns were going to appeal to people who don’t wish to flaunt their success. But when introducing the 2007 Lincoln Navigator to the press at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Horbury used phrases like “attitude” and “dramatic design” to describe the hulking SUV. The press kit calls the new Navigator “imposing.”

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What we think

All in all, the significant updates and revisions to the 2007 Lincoln Navigator are welcome improvement, enough to keep the big SUV in the ring to duke it out with a completely redesigned Cadillac Escalade. Just remember to bring a block of tasty to scrape across the new grillework.

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When you can buy it

On sale this fall, the 2007 Lincoln Navigator has not yet been priced.

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Key Specifications

Engine Size and Type: 5.4-liter V8 Engine Horsepower: 300 at 5,000 rpm Engine Torque: 365 lb.-ft. at 3,750 rpm Transmission: Six-speed automatic Curb weight, lbs.: 5,872 (base 2WD); 6,221 (Navigator L 4WD) Length: 208.4 inches (base);223.3 inches (Navigator L) Width: 78.8 inches Wheelbase: 119 inches (base);131 inches (Navigator L) Height: 78.3 inches (base); 78.1 inches (Navigator L) Leg room (front/2nd row/3rd row): 41.2/39.1/37.7 inches Head room (front/2nd row/3rd row): 39.6/39.7/37.6 inches (base); 39.5/39.7/38 inches (Navigator L) Max. Seating Capacity: Eight Max. Cargo Volume: 103.5 cubic feet (base); 128.2 cubic feet (Navigator L) Max. Payload: 1,650 pounds Max. Towing Capacity: 8,950 pounds Competitors: Cadillac Escalade, Chrysler Aspen, Infiniti QX56, Land Rover LR3, Lexus GX 470, Lexus LX 470, Toyota Land Cruiser

Photos courtesy of Lincoln

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