Navigator Shows the Way to Luxury Perfection

The opulent cabin of the Lincoln Navigator feels comfortable and familiar, much like a proper, leather-lined and oak-paneled parlor where all that’s missing is a tumbler of Scotch and a fine cigar.

The liquor and combustibles aside, settling into the all-new Navigator produces a general sense of serenity and security above and beyond most roadgoing craft. As a follow-up to the Continental sedan, a 2017 Wards 10 Best Interiors winner, the Navigator noticeably ups Lincoln’s bona fides in the luxury segment.

From its crisp and detailed center screen to the glossy khaya mahogany wood trim accenting the center console between each occupant’s individual leather armrests in the front and second rows, the Navigator wows us with the kind of attention to detail sometimes overlooked in the rush to plushness.

“Massaging seats, thigh support, running boards for hoisting oneself inside,” remarks one judge. “A country club on wheels.”

Front buckets feature 30-way Perfect Position power adjustability and massage settings along with heat and ventilation as needed. Third-row seating offers surprising head room and comfort, along with power reclining seat backs.

Yes, our Destination-theme Black Label edition (other interior choices include Yacht Club and Chalet) borders on six figures, but $96,570 doesn’t seem out of line when one considers how pricey luxury pickups and SUVs are these days. For that money, Mahogany Red diamond-weave Venetian leather covers the seats in all three rows, with second and third rows readily accessible and easily stowed when huge cargo space is needed. Dinamica suede cloth covers every inch of the headliner, surrounding an expansive panoramic sunroof.

Lest we forget – and that’s entirely possible in an environment suited for the C-suite – this is still a driving machine, with controls laid out in a simple array on the upswept center console or managed via the impressive 10.0-in. (25.4-cm) center touchscreen, backed by voice commands and steering-wheel buttons. The simple dash-mounted PRND push-button shift layout is clean, functional and eliminates the need for a space-hogging console or steering-column shifter.

Finally, what would a spacious, cushy room be without superb audio? In the Navigator, we found the sound breathtaking, piped in through the 20-speaker Revel Ultima system tuned to place the listener in the audience or on stage with their favorite artist.

“Better trappings than the Four Seasons,” concludes one of our editors.

@bobgritzinger