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Redesigned Lincoln Navigator unveiled
Smoother riding Lincoln SUV gets a new look and smoother ride, will face the redone Cadillac Escalade.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Ford Motor Co. is unveiling a redesigned Lincoln Navigator at the Chicago Auto Show today. Until the introduction last fall of the new Lincoln Zephyr sedan, the Navigator SUV had been the lone success story in the Lincoln line-up. Essentially a luxury version of the Ford Expedition SUV, the Navigator has been adopted by celebrities as a high-profile status symbol.
Its main competitor in that realm, the Cadillac Escalade SUV, has also been redesigned this year. The new Escalade was introduced late last year and is expected to go on sale in the spring. See the new cars from the Chicago Auto Show: Gallery The new Navigator again shares its engineering and much of its design with a new version of the Ford Expedition full-sized SUV. The Navigator's redesign is less complete than the Cadillac Escalade's, though. The Cadillac's redesign was part of a redesign and reengineering of all of General Motors' large SUVs. The most significant engineering changes in the new Navigator are a new independent rear suspension, which promises a more supple ride, and a strengthened frame. The stiffer frame allowed for the creation of longer-bodied versions of both the Expedition and Navigator. The new Navigator L version adds a 14.7 inches in length to the standard Navigator and an additional 25 cubic of cargo space, according to Ford. The biggest design change is seen in the front grill and headlights. The vertical-slat design from the old Navigator, now used only on Lincoln cars, has been replaced with the chrome crosshatch design that is the new look for Lincoln SUVs. The grill is topped by a heavy chrome brow. "We wanted to integrate every aspect of the front-end design," said Chelsia Lau, chief designer for the Navigator, in a Ford announcement. "By continuing the grille into the optics, they are no longer just headlights, but industrial jewelry that completes the overall design." The standard engine for the new Navigator will be the 5.4-liter 300-horsepower V-8 engine first introduced on the 2004 Ford F-150. Zephyr not Zephyr for long
The Lincoln Zephyr, a mid-sized sedan, has only been on sale since the fall, but it's already getting a new name. In keeping with Lincoln's shift toward letters, rather than actual words, for its vehicles the Zephyr will now be known as the MKZ. Along with the new name, the MKZ also gets a new, more powerful engine. The new 3.5-liter V-6 delivers 250 horsepower, a boost of 29 over the current Zephyr engine. The MKZ also gets a slightly revised front end design featuring a grill with a more angular look and strong vertical slats.
The engine will be a coupled with the same 6-speed automatic transmission currently used on the Zephyr. The Zephyr, as well as the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, which are similar, is based on the same engineering platform as the Mazda6 sedan. |
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