Lincoln’s redesign of the Navigator three-row SUV showcases a technology-rich future for the brand, evolving the brand’s offerings in the smaller Nautilus into a true flagship package.
The Lincoln Navigator remains the flagship of the brand, and attracts its youngest and most affluent clients. It stunned the world as the first luxury SUV when it debuted in 1998. The Cadillac Escalade arrived shortly after, and the two have been locked in battle for domestic luxury SUV supremacy since then.
The fifth-generation three-row SUV debuts for the 2025 model year with a new exterior design, fresh interior options and more luxury for second- and third-row passengers.
Every body panel is new, except the doors, giving the model a new, upright shape. Lincoln brought in the signature light bar that’s on the Nautilus, but doubled up for the Navigator. The light bar sweeps up the headlights in front, like the wings of a bird, and the taillights go down in back, as if the vehicle is in flight.
The Navigator badge on the fender is bigger than the outgoing model, and Lincoln has taken away chrome and added more satin finishes.
Like many Ford vehicles, the number keypad is still on the door to unlock without keys.
Twenty-two-inch wheels are standard and a selection of new 24-inch wheels is available for those who want to upgrade.
The lower-priced Navigator Reserve model on display at an exclusive media preview in Detroit earlier this week featured an “atmospheric” style, in the company spokesperson’s words, with light paint, but dark and copper accents on the sides, front and rear, and the wheels, showcasing the luxe details buyers can get even on a tighter budget.
Navigator now has a split liftgate, which features a Large upper panel and a small lower panel. They operate separately to keep cargo in place, allowing users to reach in and grab things without having to open the full door. Owners simply need to be near the Navigator’s rear door with the key fob for it to open, hands free. No kicking action to trigger a sensor is necessary.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
The BMW X5 and Range Rover have similar style liftgates.
“It’s one thing if a soccer ball falls out, much different if you get an expensive bottle of wine that falls out on the driveway. We’ve made this really accessible, really very usable without the tailgate coming down, but we’ve really evolved it from that simple premise into digging the rear of the vehicle, really a destination for our customers, and really pulling the luxury all the way to the way to the back end of the vehicle,” Earl Lucas, exterior design chief told Newsweek.
“And you can see, we created a seat for after a long day of golf. We got a carpet to make that a little more comfortable. In that same thought process, we talked about changing those golf shoes after you get off the course so we put lighting that comes on with the lift gate.”
There are also two USB charging ports and a 120-volt outlet in the cargo area, making the Navigator more functional for families on the go.
Lincoln has improved the second- and third-row seats for this generation, and the rear seat entertainment system is also improved. Lincoln says the screens now work more like Apple iPads with pinch and zoom functionality. Users can share a movie or watch their own.
Heated third-row seats will now be an option. That third row also now splits 40/20/40 making for a bucket seat/armrest configuration for passengers.
Navigator’s second-row seats are nearly as luxurious as the front, with available heating, cooling and massage functionality along with a button to press for third row access.
Front passengers are greeted with a 48-inch wide-screen display on top of the dashboard that is paired with the standard touchscreen below it as a combination infotainment portal. That large display, like the one in the Nautilus, can show navigation, music, weather and other information in several customizable areas. It’s bordered by copper accented Revel speakers, which match the ones in the doors and rear area.
The uniquely shaped steering wheel from Nautilus also finds its home in the Navigator. On it, there is a selection of digital buttons and a few physical controls. The volume is adjusted through a crystal disc on the center console though there are also customizable controls on the steering wheel. With Google Assistant, many of the main functions can be used through voice control.
Lincoln interior designers explained that they wanted to clean up the look of the instrument panel (IP), getting rid of extraneous buttons and switches for an indoor spa feel. It moved the climate direction controls into the touchscreen like some of the newer EVs including Rivian and Tesla.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
“This whole thing is about anti clutter. We want simplicity. We want it to be modern. We lowered the IP a bit, and because of the new positioning, we’re able to have a two-tone IP. So that really enabled a lot. It wings up on a nice, soft, curved space, but then it rolls right into your door so it’s a continuous design look,” Marcia Salzberg, Lincoln color and materials told Newsweek.
A car spa-like Rejuvenate experience uses the climate control, perfume scents, calming images and massaging heated seats to relax the driver when parked, either after work and before the commute, or after the commute and before the evening.
Newsweek previewed this function in the Nautilus earlier this year. The automaker said then that the technology would be implemented in the 2025 model of that vehicle.
Blue Cruise, hands-free, eyes-up assisted driving is standard on all 2025 Lincoln Navigators for four years, without any subscription charge. The system is currently in its fourth version and features improved in lane centering, smoothness and miles of road available, Lincoln says.
Newsweek tested the latest version of BlueCruise in the Ford F-150 at the vehicle’s first drive review a few months ago and found it to be greatly improved and competitive with General Motors’ SuperCruise.
Lincoln’s Navigator Comes Out Fighting Against Cadillac’s Escalade
The redesigned, next-generation 2025 Lincoln Navigator leans into the expected in an effort to woo customers who now also have a bevy of options from Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet and Rivian to pick between. Most importantly, its technology upgrades bring it closer in line with the Cadillac Escalade, long thought of as the segment’s luxury leader.
Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and Pro Trailer Backup Assist, both features that help hook up a trailer, are available. Lincoln says 30 percent of its owners do some amount of towing and that the Navigator can pull 8,700 pounds.
One thing that does remain the same for this generation is the powertrain, which is still a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine that is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It makes 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. That’s more than the base Cadillac Escalade, and less than the supercharged Escalade V.
All-wheel drive and adaptive suspension are also standard with drive modes for more comfortable or more aggressive driving.
When asked about competitors like Cadillac and others, Lincoln representatives explained that there are differences in both personalities and catalogs.
“Cadillac does a great job at what they do, but they’re a little louder, a little more aggressive, if you will. We’re not about aggressive and showy. We’re about sophisticated, quality craftsmanship and wellbeing and sanctuary. There’s room for everybody,” said Salzberg.
Order banks for the new SUV open in October, and then it will be in dealerships next spring.
Lincoln hasn’t revealed pricing yet, but the current version starts at $85,260. The 2024 Cadillac Escalade is $81,895 and the new Infiniti QX80 is $82,450.