Lincoln was a marque once known for exquisite luxury sedans, but today it’s all about the SUV. The company just announced the 2025 Lincoln Navigator at Monterey Car Week, and while it says the vehicle invented the premium full-size SUV category, Lincoln is hoping it will reinvent it once more.
It’s an important launch for Lincoln, with the Navigator serving as the flagship of Ford’s luxury brand. It comes at a time when everyone is vying for a slice of the luxury SUV market, with some having more success than others.
As you might expect, the new model is all about tech and style first and foremost, but still with strong fundamentals. Let’s examine what the new Navigator has in store.
A Literal Four-Foot Screen
As a full-size SUV, the Navigator — which now comes standard with illuminated badges — promises to be as roomy and comfortable as ever. It can seat as many as eight depending on configuration. Lincoln has made sure to attend to luxuries beyond the first row, too. Second-row passengers can enjoy power-adjustable seats with heating, ventilation, and massage settings. Even the third row can get heated seats, sure to make those group trips to ski country more comfortable than ever.
Still, it’s not enough these days to throw some heated seats and a sunroof in a vehicle and call it a premium luxury experience. No, you need to give people massive screens, and lots of them. Oh, and throw in a few strange wellness features that might seem more at home at an expensive health retreat than an automobile. I’m happy to say Lincoln has succeeded on both counts.
Following the lead of the Lincoln Nautilus, the Navigator gets a huge curved screen at the base of the windshield, too (our publisher Matt Hardigree wrote “Why The Lincoln Nautilus’ Absurd 4-Foot Long Curved Display Is The Best Screen In Car”). It’s a 48-inch wide panoramic unit (which is two curved screens joined with a thin line in the middle) that follows the curve from A-pillar to A-pillar. The idea is to deliver visual information to the driver in such a way that they can better keep their eyes on the road. Plus, it’s stunning. Lincoln relies on Google Assistant to run the voice interface for climate control, navigation, and music; the car features an 11.1-inch infotainment touchscreen mounted in the more typical center dash location.
The Lincoln Digital Experience infotainment system is Android based, and supports running apps and playing games on the upper left, upper right, or mid-center screens. You can even use an Xbox or Bluetooth controller to play games.
A ‘Spa On Wheels’
The Navigator is branded as a “spa on wheels” thanks to the new Lincoln Rejuvenate features. The vehicle combines “sight, sound, touch, and scent” in an effort to refresh and replenish the driver after a long work day or on an extended road trip.
The idea is that you can park and dial up a 5- to 10-minute “Rejuvenate experience” to soothe the body and mind. The vehicle will provide calming visuals and ambient lighting, along with a “subtle fragrance” and a relaxing soundscape to boot. Various experiences will be provided, from “Waterfall Meditation” to “Aurora Borealis.”
Scent cartridges started with the 2024 Lincoln Natilus, which comes with three included (Ozonic Azure, Violet Cashmere, Mystic Forest). The cartridges are $30 each through the Lincoln’s website, and each — per Autopian contributor John Gustin, who saw the vehicle in the flesh at a preview event in Detroit — is fit for up to 120 hours of use. You can actually have three loaded into the vehicle at once, and you choose which one (or you can blend them) is used and how much in vehicle settings
Aurora Borealis In Your Car
ED Note: The following paragraph is a carefully crafted reference to one of the greatest pieces of modern American fiction.
Yes, you read that last section correctly. Ford has found a way to recreate Aurora Borealis, at any time of day, in any part of the country, localized entirely within a Lincoln Navigator. You wish to see it? You’ll have to place an order.
14 USB Ports And 28 Speakers
Naturally, Lincoln has thrown everything and the kitchen sink at the interior experience. The vehicle has up to 14 USB ports, making sure everyone has one. Premium audio is courtesy of Revel, which has equipped the SUV with a full 28-speaker sound system. Lincoln will also offer a variety of “Black Label” themes. These feature premium materials like Khaya wood trim, Espresso carpeting, and Radiant Copper wheels, depending on whether you select the Invitation, Enlighten, or Atmospheric themes.
What About The Hardware?
What of the automotive fundamentals? The Navigator will drop with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 good for 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. Four-wheel drive is standard, as is adaptive suspension. It also features useful tools for towing, like Pro Trailer Backup Assist, and Trailer Hitch Assist. You can also upgrade with a heavy-duty tow package allowing you to haul up to 8,700 pounds if so desired.
A Split-Tailgate
Lincoln has also equipped the Navigator with the “class-exclusive” Lincoln Split Gate at the rear. The top three-quarters of the Split Gate open upwards, while the bottom quarter opens downwards like a tailgate for easier loading. The power-operated liftgate is configured to open automatically as you approach a designated rear area with keyfob or Phone as a Key in hand.
As for driving tech, the Navigator will ship with BlueCruise as standard. It features a hands-free mode and automated lane-changes, and owners will gain access to the driving assist for four years from purchase.
What It Needs To Do
The Navigator has a big job ahead. The model hasn’t broken 20,000 sales since 2007. Indeed, seldom few luxury SUVs have. Premium full-size models will always manager fewer sales than those priced for the average consumer, but they’re still expected to shift a certain volume. Lincoln will be eager to do just that.
It’s coming to market with a sharp, well-designed luxury SUV with some genuinely unique features. The power and torque will be there in spades, and the automaker knows how to deliver a comfortable, stately ride. Whether the fragrances and relaxation models win people over is yet to be seen. But that giant panoramic screen is a humdinger, and not a lot of automakers have something that special waiting in the wings.
Meanwhile, a lot of its rivals have been resting on their laurels to a degree. Many feature all the usual fixings like comfy seats, plush leathers, and connectivity features. But few are bringing genuinely new ideas to bear, inside or out. You might scoff at Lincoln going so hard on big displays and relaxation features, but it’s offering a point of difference. Without touching and feeling it, it’s hard to say, but one suspects the Lincoln Navigator might look and feel the newest and techiest in this segment. That’s a big deal.
Assuming Lincoln is getting customers into showrooms, the Navigator — which comes in two trim levels, Reserve and Black Label — should have a good chance of winning them over. The new generation model is handsome on the outside, and a step above the status quo on the inside. With its diamond-stitch upholstery and premium materials, Lincoln also has a good sense of how to elevate an interior to a higher level. It could be a real winner.
Some images of the new Navigator, via Lincoln:
Some Notes From Someone Who Saw It In The Flesh
With any luxury vehicle, fine details and finishes are of paramount importance, and no photo or video can tell you as much as the real in-person experience. To that end, The Autopian sent expert auto scribe John Gustin to the reveal event to get the low-down on what the new Navigator is really like, up close. What follows are his insights:
On Tuesday, I had the chance again to head back to Corktown in Detroit for the unveiling of the 2025 Navigator. Lincoln describes it as “all-new” and specifically highlights the “bold, new exterior design, a reimagined interior,” and “thoughtful signature features.”
My fellow Autopians, I have to admit that this is a fish-out-of-water experience for me. I come from a single-parent household, where my mother was a teacher. The nicest car any of us has owned is my 2023 Ford Maverick, which makes strong use of a cute but Fisher Price-like dash material in its quest to be affordable. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what this Lincoln has going on.
It’s worth noting, too, that only the Black Label featured the diamond stitching. The diamond pattern has three holes of different sizes for the ventilated seats. The holes start smaller at the top and then get bigger near the bottom to mimic falling rain, per the designer.
I got to experience the waterfall meditation theme in the Rejuvenate experience. It’s an app that only works with the vehicle parked and switched on, so only do it outside to prevent issues with fumes. There are five- and ten-minute experiences for the Waterfall Meditation and Aurora Borealis. The Elements experience only lasts for 5 minutes.
Also, don’t do it with a passenger behind the driver because the driver’s seat will recline significantly. We almost squeezed a poor writer who was sitting behind me. When the experience is activated, the heated seats come on, and massage both the bottom cushion (a surprise) and the back. However, the massage is only for the driver during the experience. You can also select your own audio for the meditation. The program ends with an “invigorate phase” where the temperature drops and the ventilated seats flick on to wake you up.
My biggest reoccurring thought was that I have almost no frame of reference while seeing this car in person for how nice it is. At least, compared to the Maverick being the nicest vehicle that’s been in my family. Everything was thoughtfully done and the amount of adjustments for the seat and headrest were very impressive. But this made the shiny piano black plastic stick out a bit like a sore thumb. It’s a fingerprint magnet, as is the way. Same for just the normal carpet in the tailgate.
So, what can one make of a total summation of such a vehicle? Does someone like me deserve to sit in it, am I even worthy of such an experience? In the end, an SUV is an SUV. Like all vehicles, it’s a tool for getting you from point A to point B. In this case, either kids or executives are in tow, and maybe you’re towing a camper or boat. From what I can tell, though, having been up close with it, the refreshed Navigator seems to handle all your wants and need in stride. It will just come down to how competitive it really is amidst a crowded market—currently full to bursting with luxury SUVs of all stripes.
Image credits: John Gustin, Lincoln
a “subtle fragrance” and a relaxing soundscape to boot. Various experiences will be provided, from “Waterfall Meditation” to “Aurora Borealis.”
All my cars have similar “experiences” varying from KFC to Taco Bell. The fragrance is less than subtle but the sound is quite relaxing…for me anyway.
count me in on Taco Tuesdays, this will only enhance the experience.
I dislike that dash so much. But the split tailgate is fantastic.
I’ll just say it out loud, right now. Lincoln lost the magnanimous cachet that it once held. While the new Navvie is swinging for the fences, most people shopping for a big luxobarge these days go right for the Lexus LX/GX twins and the Mercedes GLS. Heck, even the GMC Denali line of full-size SUV’s really punch upwards in its weight class (and I am no GM apologist).
After the 2008 recession, it really did feel that Lincoln was an afterthought… this might start to turn those tides, but they already lost so much luxury business to the brands listed above that this new Navvie might just be too little, too late.
Cadillac seems to have no trouble moving Escalades.
Cadillac has done a far better job defining what it is beyond A Vehicle for Older People of Means.
Just seems that Ford buying LR/Jaguar undercut that image of Lincoln being luxurious, top-end, finely crafted cars. That, and less attention paid to making them look different from lower line Ford and Mercury siblings, has hurt that brand.
Aside from the Escalade, Cadillac vehicles do have a very distinct style and look that sets them apart from lesser GM siblings. Lincoln seems to finally be moving in that direction with this model.
I love what Lincoln has done here. The hard thing to do is to overcome the damage done to the brand’s perceived panache. Harder now, since they have Genesis to contend with for price, performance, and content, along with the usual suspects (BMW/Lexus/Cadillac/Mercedes).
[it will not turn those tides]
The European mind cannot comprehend this.
this is definitely not the vehicle for me but those wheels are pretty baller I have to admit.
Oh look – they made the upper grille and the lower grille larger.
No bumper for you.
You know, it was a big deal when color film came out nearly 100 years ago – Couldn’t you use color film for your pix?
Grand Highlander rear end
If you could get the Black Label interior in the Escalade (alternatively Ford’s 7.3L V8 in the Gator), that would be perfection.
I’m not gonna lie, as someone who typically takes a few minutes in the driveway before I engage “stage two” of the day after work, that spa experience would be DOPE.
However, trying to afford the payments on this beast would undo all that relaxation.
It’s just too much.
Ugh those droopy taillights.
Doesn’t everyone want their top-tier luxury vehicle to emulate..checks notes…Kia?
The back end is so bad. The split tailgate can’t even redeem it.
Should have come up with an upturned light graphic like the front for visual consistency between the two.
The taillights are to signify Lincoln’s market share.
Now, now. Cynical sarcasm is my job.
The back end is just so bad, it’s droopy and nothing lines up properly. Why the big black void?
I was holding out hope for the f150s hybrid system. Most of the cool features are just copies of things others have done. And the 4 foot screen being the same size as the nautilus, makes it seem small by comparison in this behemoth. Seems like a compromise machine that won’t be able to take it to escalade yet again.
That may be the case but all the wealthy “business moms” where we live switched from Escalades to Navigators so they’re doing something right.
I probably see at least 10 Denali’s or Escalades for every Navigator in my area.
interesting…i’m in the southeast (more specifically rural)…what area are you in?
Kansas City, and spend a lot of time in rural KS.
These all just seem like pointless gimmicks, but I guess that is kind of the MO of most MTV shows, too. That rear table thing is a half-assed attempt at taking on the iconic CR-V folding table of yore.
Seymour! The Navigator is on fire!
No, mother! It’s just the northern lights!
The Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your luxury SUV?
“Yes!”
“may I see it?”
*Looks at your credit score*
“No.”
This thing is impressive on the inside, which I suppose is worth it for those who can afford it. But damn if the exterior isn’t veering into caricature. It’s so enormous and brutal. The image of it with the kid walking in front of it makes me cringe because of how bolt upright the whole front end is. The Joe Louis fist sculpture in Detroit needs to be purged from truck and large SUV image boards EVERYWHERE.
I wish this interior was in a car, but I realize I’m a weirdo for even wanting that.
We seriously need pedestrian crash standards in the USA. People are driving walls down the street and deaths are going up accordingly.
Yes, Harvard has a football team. The Ivy League is a sports conference, so all eight of them do, and that’s why Penn is technically an Ivy. I don’t know what the tailgating scene is like there – I remember going to one or two games, didn’t drive, and it was back in the twilight of an era when old money preferred elderly Volvos in town and a well-maintained but even older domestic wagon at the country house – but I suspect the parking lot (if there even is a parking lot anymore what with densification in Allston) would tilt further toward Lexuses and the Europeans than would those at Sewanee, Vanderbilt or Duke.
Not sure if you’re referring to Harvard or Penn on the tailgate comment, but as a Penn grad, Franklin Field is part of an urban campus. No tailgating scene really, unless you want to set up in the hospital parking garage. I don’t know if I would be comfortable trying to even get one of these parked in a structure.
Also, not to be a dick, but the Penn comment is a little odd. Penn can technically make the claim of being the oldest university in the US.. I think we became University of Pennsylvania a year before Harvard pulled the various colleges together as “Harvard University”. It’s quibbling on which is older, but the football team isn’t what makes an Ivy.
Anyway, on the Linc. Yes it’s a cool car. Hard to justify the cost, plus too dang big for me. I’ll take three of Lewin’s Mavericks instead, but there’s an audience for these. I have a friend who has been anticipating this as a replacement for his wife’s Range Rover. They’ve got a granddaughter on the way and in his opinion, large equals safe. Personally, I would find it a chore to drive a car the size of a yard locomotive.
Sadly the Ivy League doesn’t participate in the FCS playoffs. They’d put up a decent showing.
Twilight Embers digital scent experience probably not the best named option for buyers here in wildfire active So Cal.
I read ‘MTV Ribs‘ on the small TV and thought… Hmmm I am hungry actually!
The world would save considerable amounts of gasoline if these barges came with a PHEV powertrain that got about 40 miles of range
This was my thought as well. There’s no reason to not partially electrify these types of cars. Electric propulsion fits their character and with a PHEV there won’t be a need for a wasteful 200kwh battery like on the Escalade IQ.
In principle I agree, but Lincoln’s PHEV system on the Aviator is nauseatingly bad. Even the saleslady agreed it was uncomfortable. For some reason they run the electric power through a 10 speed (or whatever) transmission resulting in constant jerking around.
sounds like they could just not imitate the Aviator design then
It’s hard to really tell from the pictures, but – the problem with subtle luxury is it’s a little too easy to slip into anonymous. I’m not sure if this has more presence in person, but it’s kind of bland in the pictures. Also the front’s… not quite there. Something about how the lower grill and upper grill meets throws it for me.
*steps on soapbox* Some of that could be they’re still trying to pass off a truck as a luxury vehicle *steps off soapbox*
I would not have picked the grey color myself for the exterior. I think the interior is pretty stand out though.
The best part of this rig is this article’s headline.
Well, I wish it had physical HVAC controls (and possibly others…not 100% what else has been moved to the screen)…but looks good inside and out.
The relaxation thing sounds like something I’d do in an EV or a hybrid in EV mode–but these days I feel slightly uncomfortable just sitting endlessly in an idling vehicle if I can help it.
Still, overall looks like a good effort if they’re trying to keep the marque relevant.
I was just thinking about that this afternoon when I pulled into a lot to take a call; b/c summer, I did it with the car running and the a/c on. It felt really weird, and I was struck how back in even the ’90s, sitting around in an idling car was quite common and nobody gave it a second thought.
That’s definitely one thing I appreciate about my Maverick and other hybrids that can run the A/C off just electricity, there are significantly less fumes when you’re parked waiting for something or someone.
I lived in North Dakota for a few years. In winter months almost everyone would leave their cars idling when they were parked at the bank, grocery store, etc. I could not bring myself to do it (for the wasted gas AND for the risk of theft). Until one day, it was about -25 Farenheit and my car wouldn’t start.
Then a couple of years later, I moved back to the real world and it had become a habit that people (rightfully) thought was insane.
Isn’t the answer to “you wish to see it?” just an upbeat yet straightfaced “yes”?
And you know those wheels will be the ones that autopians 30 years from now will be salivating over.
I was going to say. Those wheels look damn fine to me.
I’m just very impressed they re-engineered the entire rear structure to handle a split tailgate for what is, essentially, a mid-life update.
They chose “Wet Cement” as the color to show it off. It’s not doing it any favors.
Honestly. Honestly! I think the Aviator is damn handsome, and the .. Corsair, I think? Unusually good looking SUVs.
This is considerably blander, and looks like the footer of a new Amazon distribution center in progress.
Esp. with that interior that’s close but not quite the same color. Why not use the bronze one in the action shots? I bet that color looks even better under direct interior lighting that washed out a little in the sun.
And I too really like Lincoln’s stuff these days. Though shouldn’t a proper luxury brand offer at least ONE makes-no-sense, idiosyncratic model? As in yes, I wanna know why we just can’t have the Continental sedan back.
I’m not usually one to deride unfussy styling, but this comes across as boring inside and out. I think a lot of it has to do with that shitty grey everyone is slapping on their cars now.
Also, “Lincoln Digital Scent” made me cringe.
You can only make an SUV so hulking before it turns into a minibus, and this one is most of the way there.
At least Lincoln isn’t pretending it’s “bespoke” the way they did when the midwestern C suite introduced the facelifted MKS and MK MinivanThing (in their off-the rack Mens Warehouse suits with pants that hadn’t even been hemmed properly) at press days in NYC a few years back.
Should’ve gone with dry
Yellow would have been rad. They’d have sold three, but I’d have been a fan.
C’mon let’s do a Funkmaster Flex edition Navi