Lincoln Shows The Way Forward With Navigator Concept

This is the Lincoln Navigator concept on the floor of the LA Auto Show. It’s not the first time we’re seeing it. In fact Lincoln didn’t even put a fresh coat of paint on the thing. But we’re bringing it to your attention again, and we’ll tell you why.

Lincoln, you see, used to sell a good 30-40,000 Navigators every year, but these days it moves only around 10,000 per annum. Cadillac, by comparison, still sells a solid 30,000 Escalades each year, down from a high of 60,000.

Today, the Navigator is only the fourth biggest seller in Lincoln’s six-model lineup. Rivals like the Range Rover, Mercedes GLS, and Infiniti QX80 all outsell the Navigator by significant margins. To catch up, Ford’s last remaining luxury brand is going to need to take a big step forward. And that’s what the Navigator concept represents.

Instead of slapping some lipstick on an Expedition and charging 50 percent more, the Navigator concept first revealed in New York takes a fresh approach. It’s designed from the ground up for luxury, with six lounge seats each adjustable 30 ways for the “perfect position,” screens abound, a wardrobe in the trunk, and big pillarless gullwing doors to enable ingress and egress.

It’s just the thing that Lincoln needs, in short, to get on top of the large SUV market, and the fresh take on luxury that America needs – from New York to LA. Now if they’ll only build it.