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Typically, when I approach a new vehicle launch, it's with a degree of optimism. Nowadays, we just expect that every new vehicle will pose a legitimate challenge to segment leaders. Mid-cycle refreshes, meanwhile, have taken on a greater degree of importance, as customers' preferences for the freshest vehicles remains strong and automakers rush to keep the latest tech in their offerings.
Conversely, I admit to not being terribly optimistic hopping into the 2015 Lincoln Navigator. I was the first person from Autoblog to see the new model in the metal, way back in January ahead of its Chicago Auto Show debut, and my initial reaction was far from positive. But, as I'd been the one that initially tested the new Cadillac Escalade and had just finished a week in the long-wheelbase version of General Motors' most premium SUV, I was a natural candidate to head down to Louisville, KY - home of Navigator production - to sample the brand's latest.
Lincoln's attempt at freshening the old Navigator's bling-bling face is pretty typical of today's more thorough mid-cycle refreshes, with dramatically new front and rear clips. The addition of standard 20-inch wheels or optional 22s - in place of standard 18s and optional 20s - goes a long way towards modernizing the Navigator's staid exterior. The cabin, meanwhile, is home to finer leather, which covers most of the dash as well as the steering wheel and seats. Warm Ziricote wood would prove to be a particular highlight on the top-flight Reserve model that I drove (the only trim available for us to test).
None of this is enough, though. To my eyes, those larger wheels can't hide the inelegant application of the angular and severe split-wing grille, which looks much better in the smoother, more organic applications of the MKZ sedan and MKC crossover. The taillights appear to borrow too heavily from the Dodge Durango, and as a fellow media member pointed out, the individually identifiable LEDs of the vehicle-spanning taillights already look aged on such a premium vehicle - the Navigator would have benefited from a more sophisticated light tube treatment, as seen on the MKC.Continue reading 2015 Lincoln Navigator
2015 Lincoln Navigator originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Typically, when I approach a new vehicle launch, it's with a degree of optimism. Nowadays, we just expect that every new vehicle will pose a legitimate challenge to segment leaders. Mid-cycle refreshes, meanwhile, have taken on a greater degree of importance, as customers' preferences for the freshest vehicles remains strong and automakers rush to keep the latest tech in their offerings.
Conversely, I admit to not being terribly optimistic hopping into the 2015 Lincoln Navigator. I was the first person from Autoblog to see the new model in the metal, way back in January ahead of its Chicago Auto Show debut, and my initial reaction was far from positive. But, as I'd been the one that initially tested the new Cadillac Escalade and had just finished a week in the long-wheelbase version of General Motors' most premium SUV, I was a natural candidate to head down to Louisville, KY - home of Navigator production - to sample the brand's latest.
Lincoln's attempt at freshening the old Navigator's bling-bling face is pretty typical of today's more thorough mid-cycle refreshes, with dramatically new front and rear clips. The addition of standard 20-inch wheels or optional 22s - in place of standard 18s and optional 20s - goes a long way towards modernizing the Navigator's staid exterior. The cabin, meanwhile, is home to finer leather, which covers most of the dash as well as the steering wheel and seats. Warm Ziricote wood would prove to be a particular highlight on the top-flight Reserve model that I drove (the only trim available for us to test).
None of this is enough, though. To my eyes, those larger wheels can't hide the inelegant application of the angular and severe split-wing grille, which looks much better in the smoother, more organic applications of the MKZ sedan and MKC crossover. The taillights appear to borrow too heavily from the Dodge Durango, and as a fellow media member pointed out, the individually identifiable LEDs of the vehicle-spanning taillights already look aged on such a premium vehicle - the Navigator would have benefited from a more sophisticated light tube treatment, as seen on the MKC.Continue reading 2015 Lincoln Navigator
2015 Lincoln Navigator originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2014 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
[h=6][/h]Permalink | Email this | Comments
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