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
I love this buy come on Ford/Lincoln, make this a PHEV. It’s just begging for it. A Navigator that is a “Navigator” and can do 50-60 miles of daily tasks gas free? I’m sold.
Oof. The brown with the wheels looks great, but that grey and wheels do not scream luxury at all. They tell me the opposite.
I spend a fair amount time in China, and I gotta say this thing looks like it came right off the show room floor of BYD or Huawei. The gaudy styling, screens on every surface and “more is more” feature list of silly stuff like “digital scents” screams Nanjing Road not Madison Avenue. The big difference is that the Chinese competition are EV/EREV, come from the factory with more self driving tech, and cost about half as much.
I think that approach to luxury is the antithesis of what Lincoln should be. I want stately, subtle, comfortable and confident luxury with features in service of that experience, rather than a mishmash of gimmicks. I say, ditch the tacky illumination, pointless mega screen, spa mode and replace it with a powerful hybrid, simplified lines and a livery focused trim that starts under $70k.
Jeez, 14 USB and 28 speakers is more than my house has. Of course it costs about the same I suppose, and it also comes with 4 Cuisinart blades. Or are those wheels? Wait, does that thing actually roll? Wow.
My wife’s Volvo occasionally comes with a scent I like to call 3 Basset Hounds Farting in the Back…
Digital scents? Get a life…what’s next, digital tires? Is it actually blinker or horn fluid? I’m not even getting started on the million distracting screens since I’ve commented on these before.
“Espresso carpeting”
You don’t even have to spill your own coffee! It comes w/ the car!
Me: that seam in the center of the ribbon display would bug the crap out of me.
Also me: why is there a massive wrap around display?! Holy distracted driving Batman.
Reminds me of those cyberpunk car concepts, where the windshield is entirely opaque, and you drive staring at screens inside the car.
The wraparound display being basically in your driving sightline is a whole heck of a lot less distracting than anything lower down to be fair.
I’m really pleased to see two-spoke steering wheels starting to return in earnest. The Mercedes-Benz W222 S 550 sedan had one, as did the BMW i3 and the Alfa Romeo 4C. But now the newest non-M Sport BMWs have them, as do the new Cadillac Escalade iQ and 2025 Escalade. Land Rover installed one in the new L460 Range Rover. Genesis had one on the GV70 and GV80. Infiniti’s got one on the new QX80. For cars we can’t get in the US, the corporate Śkoda wheel is a two-spoke. And this particular Lincoln two-spoke is the same one the Nautilus has had since its recent redesign.
Like I said, I’m thrilled.
Four feet of screen and a center display and they still have to make a tiny driver display so they don’t interrupt the Aurora Borealis. That is some questionable use of digital real estate.
Looks nice I guess, but gimme a break with all that!
Gawd no, for the money they will undoubtedly want for the thing, I’d get a Lucid and strut my eco-cred.
God I hate those pillar to pillar screens so much
That split tailgate is great. Meh on the screen.
But will it play Uno???
Lincolns? College football? I think we know who is going to show up at the tailgate party in one of these…
At Texas, Matthew McConaughey has found the role he was born to play: ‘The M.O.C., baby!’ – The Athletic (nytimes.com)
So which manufacturer will be the first to just go ahead and replace the entire windshield with a giant screen? Seems like the next logical step to me. I bet Tesla is working on it already.
Does that cargo cover flip 180* to become that table!?? That’s really neat! How is no one noticing or discussing this!? A useful and innovative feature that’s not gratuitous technology.
They called it the “Cargo Management System”. The Lincoln rep demonstrated it could be used upright as a backrest, with the highly specific example of parents watching their kids play soccer in the rain and seeking shelter by sitting in the back of the Navigator. Pictured is it being folded down for use as a tailgate table. It has a 35-pound weight rating, so please, no Buffalo Bills fans folding table shenanigans.
I kind of hate that they just took the new Nautilus screens and put them into this. The wider cockpit seems way off from the screens width.
I wonder if Lincoln is expecting to replace wing mirrors with cameras? The extra space looks perfect for those monitors.
Absolutely, on the meantime it seems that they put some speakers with a fantastic position.
If someone stands outside their (rented) Navigator and tells you “this is where the magic happens,” run.
So honestly I really think Lincoln did a great job here. The new design makes the truck look less upright and narrow overall while not chasing the aggression of the Cadillac. I like the 4ft screen, though a byproduct of it’s use means that the rest of the dash is a little bit generic, losing some of that mid-century modern highlight that it used to have. I think the split tailgate is a great idea because it means that there’s a less chance of hitting ceilings in low roof areas and the power train is going to have plenty of power. Another commenter mentioned it already, but the lack of the hybrid option, when we know the f-150 has one is a mistake but ford has been weird on its hybrid strategy lately. The spa feature is cool but if it’s widely used I’d be surprised. Lastly, I think Lincoln needs to revamp it’s black label branding. It is and always has been too quiet, though there is something to be said for a type of IFYKYK type of feature. I’d like to see them go the Maybach style branding that Mercedes does and instead bring back the Continental name. Think of it as the “Navigator Contintental” I’m no advertising guy, but I’d buy that.
I know this makes no attempt to be a “driver’s car”, it is a 6000 lb modern land yacht so it shouldn’t bother, but the “gear up/down” buttons on the center console is just a “why?” design choice. Also making those buttons piano black just seems to ensure they’ll look like shit in 3 years.
Just like the BMW yesterday with its gaming system that only works when parked, I’m not sure who sits in their car to be “rejuvenated” by a scent pumped into the cabin and a light show on the giant dashboard screen. If I want to get “rejuvenated” on a road trip, I get out and walk around a bit. Is “look what our car can do when parked” the next frontier for the OEMs? Oh boy. How about a PHEV where I can run the HVAC for a few hours off battery to keep my dog from dying in the car? That would move the needle for me.
I’d have to see that screen in person. In the photos, it seems like I’d hate looking at it for driving information. The Escalade dash is a much better application of “giant curved screen”.
Personally I know of someone who recently bought a Navigator only to have to turn it back into the shop for a stay right away. So Ford’s quality doesn’t seem to be improving.
Manual gear control for engine braking while towing?
No one is going to run it through the gears. It’s for selecting gear 1 when in slippery situations since the truck doesn’t have a low range transfer case. At best the driver would use it to drop a gear or two on a hill but the ford 10 speed is pretty good at that on its own.
“How about a PHEV where I can run the HVAC for a few hours off battery to keep my dog from dying in the car? That would move the needle for me.”
You leave your dog in a hot car for hours at a time?
I don’t, but I wish more cars offered Tesla’s Dog Mode. It would be greatly appreciated by those of us camping with dogs who need to run into the store for groceries or other errands.
What’s wrong with cracking a window?
Our dogs do sports. You often have to sit outside in a parking lot for hours waiting your turn. When it is 95 degrees, it’d be great if you could run a/c without the motor on. As it is now, people buy battery powered fans, reflective covers for the car, bring a cooler full of ice water, “cooling jackets” for the dogs.
Think about it this way: there haven’t been too many important quality-of-life improvements in luxury cars for, I’d say, at least a couple of product cycles. Chances are, the average person who owns a 2017-2020 luxury car is probably quite happy with it, and reluctant to upgrade. Especially given the increased transaction prices and interest rates. So FoMoCo has that working against them.
On top of that, the latest Expedition is already a pretty swank affair, and that’s good enough for a lot of people…especially with transaction prices capable of cresting $80K.
So how do you get a prospective buyer to a) upgrade their SUV in the first place, and b) not just stop at a well-equipped Expedition for a 30% cost savings? Hopefully, from FoMoCo’s perspective, you do it with gimmicks like big(ger) screens, scent spray-ups and other gimmicks. And FoMoCo isn’t alone; lots of today’s six-figure luxury cars are leaning heavily on these gee-whiz features in order to justify their astronomical asking prices.