You knew it was coming and even had a sneak peek of the 2015 Lincoln Navigator, and now, here it is, in all its official glory. The first thing you need to know is that it’s not an all-new model, but an all-encompassing facelift that extends to the powertrain compartment where the current Navigator’s 5.4-liter V8 gives way to a contemporary 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 EcoBoost engine.

Now let’s dive into more details beginning with the revised exterior of a vehicle that has been on the market in its current boxy form since 2007. The front of the full-size SUV garnered the most attention from Lincoln’s designers gaining a more in-your-face, protruding version of the brand’s split-wing grille, flanked by a new set of headlamps with LED accents.

The front and rear bumpers are redesigned for 2015, with new, full-width LED tail lamps, profile trims and 20- or 22-inch alloy wheel designs wrapping up the exterior nip and tuck.

Moving on inside, Lincoln tried to modernize certain elements of the big body-on-frame SUV with an all-new instrument cluster encompassing two 4.2-inch LCD displays, an 8-inch touch screen for the latest SYNC with MyLincoln Touch driver connectivity system in the center stack, and a push button start.

There’s also an available Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) that signals when another vehicle is detected in an adjacent lane behind either rear wheel and a new rearview camera that displays a color image on the touch screen.

The steering wheel design has been renewed for 2015, while if you choose the optional Reserve Package, most interior surfaces of the SUV, including all three rows of seats, armrests, center console, transmission shifter and the dashboard are covered in leather. Fittingly…or amusingly – take your pick, the package adds Ziricote wood trim, which Lincoln describes as “a luxurious natural-grain wood new to the automotive industry, most commonly used as an accent in yachts”.

Like the current-generation model, the 2015 Navigator will be available in standard-length (207.4 inches) and extended-length (222.3 inches) versions seating up to eight passengers.

“From a design standpoint, the new Navigator is more of what Lincoln customers want in a full-size luxury SUV,” said Jim Grake, Lincoln exterior designer. “Our customers will appreciate that, in addition to the substantial design changes, the new vehicle preserves the qualities that made Navigator great.”

I think that, if Lincoln offered an SUV in the heydays of the American barge-mobile during the 1970s and it slowly evolved it, this is what you’d get today. In other words, despite some efforts to spiff up select aspects of the styling and add some modern touches, the Navigator can’t really escape its old fashion roots and it shows all too clearly.

Some good news is that Lincoln did indeed look into the modern world when it came to powering the 2015 Navigator, as the Blue Oval’s outdated 5.4-liter naturally aspirated V8 with 310hp and 365 lb.-ft. (494Nm) of torque is replaced by newer 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 EcoBoost with “at least” 375hp and 430 lb.-ft. (582Nm) paired to a six-speed automatic with either rear- or all-wheel drive.

“Drivers will feel the power when they step on the gas,” said Elaine Bannon, 2015 Lincoln Navigator chief engineer. “The new EcoBoost engine sets the standard in this vehicle segment with its balance of performance and efficiency.”

Lincoln added that with this powertrain, the 2015 Navigator is also “projected to deliver best-in-class towing”. No fuel economy numbers were released.

The 2015 model gets standard electric power-assisted steering and the optional Lincoln Drive Control that adds a Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) suspension system. You’ll also find a Hill Start/Descent Assist system and the standard Nivomat load-leveling system that automatically raises a loaded rear end.

Lincoln plans to reveal the new model at the Chicago Auto Show in February, with the first vehicles due to arrive in showrooms this fall. In theory, the competition for the 2015 Navigator includes the new Cadillac Escalade and the related GMC Yukon (especially in Denali trim), the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, the Lexus LX and Infiniti QX80. It’s too early to know pricing, but for what it’s worth, the 2014 Navigator is the most affordable of these models starting at $57,160.

To sum up some thoughts on Lincoln’s latest introduction, here’s the thing about Ford’s near-premium brand; it has been trying over and over again to find its identity and place in the market, but without much success. Being forced to simply apply a makeover on a seven-year-old design that was outdate upon introduction, even if it did make the right choice in the powertrain department, isn’t really helping its case, is it now…

By John Halas

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