Lincoln Navigator: the full-size luxury SUV that started it

The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV sold by Lincoln since the 1998 model year. Based on the Ford Expedition, it became the heaviest and most spacious Lincoln and the first non-limousine Lincoln with seating for more than six people.

Lincoln Navigator at a glance

History of the Lincoln Navigator

At the end of the 1980s American sport-utility vehicles were turning from off-road tools into family cars. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer ended its 28-year run in 1991, the smaller Grand Cherokee arrived in 1992 and luxury equipment became normal in the class, with the Oldsmobile Bravada in 1990 and the Mercury Mountaineer in 1996. Since full-size SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition were highly profitable, Ford positioned the Navigator as a full-size luxury SUV rather than a trimmed workhorse.

The Navigator was launched on 1 July 1997 for the 1998 model year, the first car having rolled off the line on 14 May 1997. Based directly on the Ford Expedition introduced a year earlier, it gave Lincoln-Mercury its first full-size SUV. In its first calendar year it helped Lincoln overtake Cadillac in annual sales, an event first reported as a Cadillac win by 222 cars after a December surge in Escalade sales, then corrected by audit with an apology in May 1999.

Underneath was a body-on-frame chassis related to the 1997 Ford F-Series, with independent short-long arm front suspension, a live rear axle and load-levelling air suspension that lowered the car when parked. The only engine at first was the 230 hp 5.4-litre Triton V8 with a four-speed automatic and 3,493 kg of towing capacity. During 1999 it was upgraded to 260 hp and then replaced mid-year by a 300 hp DOHC 5.4-litre InTech V8 borrowed from the Mark VIII, lifting towing capacity past 3,900 kg.

The body shell was shared with the Expedition, but forward of the windscreen no panels were common: the Navigator had its own grille, shared with the 1998 Town Car and 2000 LS, along with its own wheels, roof rack, trim and lamps. Inside it kept the Expedition dashboard with more wood, added its own seats and used more sound insulation and better carpet. Power-adjustable pedals, a first for a luxury SUV, arrived in 1999, with power adjustable pedals and 17-inch alloys becoming standard. The second generation of 2003 brought a more distinct look and a dashboard modelled on the 1961 Continental’s dual-cockpit layout; the 2005 update added a 305 hp three-valve Triton V8 with a six-speed ZF automatic, replaced the InTech and made AdvanceTrac standard.

Design and features

• Air suspension: load-levelling springs that lowered the car when parked.
• InTech V8: the 300 hp DOHC engine from the Mark VIII, added during 1999.
• Distinct bodywork: its own grille, lamps, wheels and trim despite the Expedition shell.
• Room for eight: the first non-limousine Lincoln seating more than six.

Lincoln Navigator versions

• First generation (1998–2002): Triton and later InTech V8, rear-wheel or ControlTrac four-wheel drive.
• Second generation (2003–2006): new interior and chassis changes, 2005 facelift with the three-valve V8.
• Third generation (2007–2017): Ford T1 chassis with a much larger chrome grille.
• Fourth generation (2018–): the current model.

The Navigator shared its V8 and interior with the Lincoln Blackwood and is the largest model in the Lincoln collection.

Sources

• Lincoln Navigator, English Wikipedia: background, first generation, engines
• Lincoln Navigator, German Wikipedia: equipment, 1999 and 2005 changes