NYIAS 2017: Lincoln Teases First All-new Navigator in 11 Years

“We like to think some things are worth the wait,” tweeted Lincoln Motor Company this morning.

Ford’s premium division had a reason to be cheeky when it teased the backlit face of its next-generation full-size SUV, as the Navigator hasn’t seen a full redesign in 11 long years. That’s an eternity in the automotive world.

When the current-generation Navigator began production in August of 2006, Twitter was a month old, the American job scene and housing market seemed sturdy, and Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer were looking forward to long, happy futures. So, this week’s New York International Auto Show should be quite the momentous occasion for the resurgent automaker.

While we can only see a dim view of the Navigator’s face, some cutting-edge computer trickery known only to select Best Buy shoppers allows us a slightly clearer view:

For 2018, the full-sizer adopts a taller corporate grille to properly position the model alongside the MKZ and Continental, along with a similar lower fascia treatment. Compared to chrome-heavy Navigators of yesteryear, it’s a toned-down affair. The unseen flanks will likely bear a striking resemblance to those of the Navigator concept of 2016, minus the ridiculous gull-wing doors. Don’t expect stepladder-style running boards, either.

The Navigator shares its architecture with the similarly updated 2018 Ford Expedition, and there’s plenty of similarities between last year’s Lincoln concept and next year’s Ford. Providing power for the concept was the Continental’s 400-horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. We’ll have to wait a couple of days to see what heart (or hearts) beat inside the production model.

One thing that does set this Lincoln apart — something the automaker makes sure you’ll notice — is the illuminated badge in the center of the grille. Ford filed a patent for this feature in 2014.

[Image: Lincoln Motor Company/Twitter]