We know as much as you do that the amazing gullwing doors on Lincoln’s new Navigator Concept are as likely to make it onto s production model as a Mr. Fusion generating 1.21 gigawatts, but that doesn’t make this latest concept any less impressive.
Aside from the doors and really trick, self-deploying running boards, Lincoln calls them “concertina steps,” much of this concept is representative of what will be found on the new Navigator when it takes its bow next year.
Up front Lincoln has dropped the controversial split-wing grille and replaced it with a massive new one-piece grille garnished with an equally large light-up Lincoln emblem. It mirrors the design found on the new Continental, and the result is that Lincoln has given their new truck an elegance not seen before in the Navigator, with clean lines and a gently sloped roofline that looks like it’s hovering above the glass.
Dare we say it’s Range Rover-like?
If the exterior is elegance, the interior is The Jetsons. Horizontally ribbed seats with separate cushions, 30-way adjustable Perfect Position Seats for all six passengers, a huge dash-mounted touchscreen and a wide, cantilevered console look like something out of a Kubrick film. All we need is storage for the bubble helmets, which may very well be possible given the wardrobe management system Lincoln engineers installed in the back.
Liftoff is achieved courtesy of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 instead of the Mr. Fusion, but 400 hp is a pretty nice consolation prize. You can choose your own launch sequence with several drive modes that change steering, noise levels and suspension according to how you feel, relaying all this info back to the pilot through matching digital animations on the dash.
These looks and performance have to be backed up by some space-age tech, and it’s all here. Pedestrian Detection, parking assistance, 360-degree cameras, Wi-Fi-enabled headrest monitors, lane departure warnings that vibrate the steering wheel if you stray outside your shipping lane and Pre-Collision Assist make sure your spaceship stays Earthbound.
Put it all together and the Navigator Concept is a step for Lincoln into a future that looks brighter every day. Let’s just hope that when the production car debuts, it hasn’t been too dulled. The Continental Concept was equally stunning, but it was softened enough on its way to production that it lost some of its charm. Not a fate I want to see for this gorgeous truck.
