Do the “nearly two dozen upgrades” on the 2015 Lincoln Navigator—a refresh that didn’t even merit so much as a company speech at its Chicago debut—constitute an extra $5315 for this seven-year-old SUV? If you’re diametrically opposed to better, brand-new competitors such as the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport and 2015 Cadillac Escalade, then the answer is a halfhearted “Yes.”
The rear-wheel-drive 2015 Navigator starts at $62,475, with the stretched Navigator L starting at $64,640 (both models demand $5315 more than comparable 2014 models). Four-wheel-drive models, which include newly standard adaptive dampers, hill descent control and hill start assist, begin at $66,050 and $68,215 for the L’s 12-inch longer wheelbase.
A slightly revised interior with standard push-button start, Sync with MyLincoln Touch infotainment and blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alerts—both previously unavailable—join electric power-assisted steering, revised full-width taillamps, a new hood and grille, and Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6 good for 380 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. That engine alone—up 70 hp and 95 lb-ft from the dismissed 5.4-liter V-8—is at least worth half the additional cost, by our own estimation. When equipped with a tow package, the 2015 Navigator carries the same 9000-pound tow rating and is expected to deliver greater fuel economy than the 14-mpg city, 20-mpg highway rating that current 4×2 models muster. The six-speed automatic, and virtually everything else, carries over unchanged.
- Lincoln Navigator Research: Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More!
- 2015 Lincoln Navigator Photos and Info: Staying the Course
- 2007 Lincoln Ultimate Tested: Rants and Raves
Two trims are available on both wheelbases: The Select comes with all the aforementioned goodies, while a new $7500 Reserve package adds 22-inch polished-aluminum wheels, Ziricote wood trim, upgraded leather and additional hand-stitched leather trim on the console, armrests and instrument panel. Lincoln Drive Control, which adjusts suspension and throttle settings, and adaptive dampers also come aboard.
Expect the 2015 Navigator this fall. But as pleasant as the improvements sound, we don’t expect this long-toothed ’Gator to carry forward Lincoln’s promised revival without a real overhaul.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/SsInJR
via IFTTT
