2014 Lincoln Navigator 3.5L EcoBoost 4×2 6AT (370 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lincoln refreshed the Navigator lineup for the 2015 model year, trying to boost sales of the oldest full-size luxury SUV on the market and offering significant upgrades in all areas.

After seven years on the market, the Navigator was no longer a spring chicken. Furthermore, its main competitor, the Cadillac Escalade, had already reached its fourth generation in 2013 and threatened sales for the full-size SUV from Lincoln. The car was unveiled in January 2014 for the 2015 model year, and despite showing some wrinkles here and there, it still looked significantly improved over its non-facelifted sibling. Besides the exterior upgrades, the interior went through a complete makeover that included trims, materials, and technology. Last but not least, the automaker dared to offer the vehicle without an eight-cylinder engine, which was unique in a segment where the V8 was the norm.

Lincoln returned to its roots when it introduced the twin-wing design language on its vehicles. The styling resembled the 1936 Zephyr, which made the American brand among the best-selling vehicles of that decade. Unlike the sedans and crossovers, the grille on the Navigator was not only broader and taller, but it also sported horizontal chromed slats instead of angled-up ones like its stablemates. The headlights that flanked the grille featured HID lamps placed between the inner-mounted turn signal lamps and the daytime running lights.

It was challenging for Ford’s luxury brand to refresh the 2015 Lincoln Navigator and make it look like a new vehicle despite sharing the same body panels as its predecessor, but somehow, it did it. The big, brawny SUV boasted a set of standard 22-inch alloy wheels. In addition, the retractable running boards were so much appreciated by customers because they eased ingress and egress to the vehicle. Even though the automaker didn’t install LED headlights, it used no less than 222 LEDs on the car, the most noticeable ones being placed on the taillights. The automaker said that it wanted to use this technology in areas where they could shine like jewels to make the luxurious SUV look even more expensive than it was.

Drivers were greeted by a new steering wheel hand-wrapped in leather and with handmade stitches. The comfortable seats at the front were clearly separated by a broad center console that housed the gear selector, two cup holders, and a large armrest with cubby storage underneath. The car was available with seating for seven or eight. Behind the front row, the 2015 Lincoln Navigator could be optioned with two seats in the middle row separated by either a console, a pass-through passage to the rearmost seats, or a bench seat. Those seated in the back enjoyed enough legroom and headroom on the split-folding (50/50) bench seat.

Under the hood, gone were the V8 powerplants. Lincoln installed Ford’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter engines that promised the fuel efficiency of a six-cylinder with the power of a V8. The EcoBoost unit was married to a six-speed automatic transmission that sent the power to the rear in all corners. Another significant update was for the suspension, which received a continuous adaptive damping control (CDC) that greatly improved comfort for anyone onboard.