The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV marketed by the Lincoln brand of Ford since the 1998 model year. Sold in North America, it is based on the Ford Expedition. It is the heaviest production Lincoln, the Lincoln with the greatest cargo capacity, and the first non-limousine Lincoln to offer seating for more than six people.
Production was sourced from 1997 to 2009 at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Since 2009, production has also been sourced from the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Kentucky.
Background At the end of the 1980s, in the United States, sport-utility vehicles gradually began to transition from dedicated off-road vehicles towards dedicated family vehicles, similar to station wagons. In 1991, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer (SJ) ended its almost unchanged 28-year production run. The vehicle had gained a famous reputation for its high content, featuring the same content as a luxury sedan. A smaller, unibody Grand Cherokee (ZJ) was induced during 1992 that offered new luxury equipment and class-exclusive features. General Motors introduced the Oldsmobile Bravada in 1990 and Ford later introduced the Mercury Mountaineer in 1996, convincing several other manufacturers to introduce mid-size luxury SUVs. As full-size SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition are highly profitable vehicles, the Lincoln Navigator was positioned by Ford as a full-sized, luxury SUV.
First generation (1998)
The Lincoln Navigator was launched on July 1, 1997, for the 1998 model year, with the first vehicle rolling off the assembly line on May 14, 1997. Based directly on the Ford Expedition, introduced the year before, the Navigator gave the Lincoln-Mercury division its first full-size SUV (slotted above the Ford Explorer-based Mercury Mountaineer).
In its first calendar year of sales (i.e. 1998), Navigator contributed to an unprecedented event of recent decades – with Lincoln overtaking perennial rival Cadillac in annual sales volume. Initially, published figures indicated that Cadillac had outsold Lincoln by a scant 222 vehicles sold, thanks to an enormous surge in Cadillac Escalade sales in December 1998, from hundreds in previous months to almost 5,000. A subsequent audit resulted in a retraction/apology in May 1999, attributing the "error" to "overzealous" "low-level" employees.
Chassis The Lincoln Navigator was also developed under the Ford program code name UN173, with the Expedition developed under the UN93 program code name. A full-size body-on-frame vehicle, the Navigator was mechanically related to the Ford Expedition; both vehicles were related to the 1997 Ford F-Series. The Navigator featured independent front suspension (short-long arm/SLA); the rear suspension was of a live rear axle design. Using an optional feature from its Ford counterpart, the Navigator was designed with load-leveling air suspension; tuned primarily for ride comfort, the air suspension lowered itself when the vehicle was parked.
Although technically available with rear-wheel drive, the primary drivetrain on the Lincoln Navigator was ControlTrac, a computer-controlled automatic four-wheel drive system. As with the Expedition, the Navigator was fitted with four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes.
Using the same 230 hp 5.4L Triton V8 as the Expedition/F-150 paired with the 4-speed 4R100 automatic transmission, the 1998 Lincoln Navigator came with a towing capacity of .Bartlett, Jeff. "One-Year Test Verdict: 1998 Lincoln Navigator." Motor Trend. 1999. During 1999, Lincoln would fit two different engines in the Navigator in an effort to better match full-size SUVs from General Motors. At the beginning of the model year, the Triton V8 was upgraded to 260 hp; as a running change during the model year, Lincoln would replace the SOHC Triton with a 300 hp DOHC 5.4L V8, named InTech (borrowing a name from the Mark VIII). Due to the increase in power, towing capacity would increase to over .
Body Although the Lincoln Navigator shares the same bodyshell as the Ford Expedition, giving it a similar exterior appearance, Lincoln stylists would make many design changes to differentiate the two vehicles. Forward of the windshield, the Lincoln Navigator shares no body panels with its Ford counterpart, with its own front fascia (a grille design shared with the 1998 Lincoln Town Car and the 2000 Lincoln LS), wheels, roof rack, lower body trim, and taillights. The interior of the two vehicles shared more commonality, with the dashboard common to both vehicles (with greater use of wood trim); the Navigator was given its own seat design. To make for a quieter interior over the Expedition and Ford F-Series, the Navigator made greater use of sound deadening materials and higher-quality carpeting.
The Lincoln Navigator included standard features available or optional on the Expedition, including power driver and passenger bucket seats, 2nd-row bucket seats (with a 2nd-row bench seat as a delete option), floor consoles, and keyless entry. The few options available included a power moonroof, a universal garage door opener, 7 seven to 8 eight passenger seating an electrochromic rearview mirror (filtering out headlight glare from vehicles seen in the mirror), and a premium audio system (a seven speaker, 290-Watt audio system with a 6-disc front console-mounted CD-changer, and rear seat audio controls), and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Some of the unique features on the first-generation Navigator were power-adjustable pedals (a first-of-its-kind feature on a luxury SUV), a feature on the factory radio that only illuminated the controls necessary for the selected function, full controls for the audio system, climate controls, and cruise controls on the front of the steering wheel, and rear seat radio and climate controls.
During its production run, Lincoln made few changes to the first-generation Navigator. In 1999, alongside the addition of the InTech V8, power-adjustable brake and accelerator pedals were added; the previously optional 17-inch wheels became standard, while an updated instrument cluster features a digital odometer.
For the 2000 model year, the fender-mounted radio antenna was integrated into the right-rear window, while the interior received Nudo leather seating surfaces. The carpeting and netting on the rear of the two front seats were replaced with leather and buttoned map pockets respectively, and the recessed tray on the rear center console's lid for those Navigators that had rear captain's chairs instead of bench seats was replaced with a flat leather lid. The options list expanded to include a satellite navigation system, a reverse-sensing system, side-impact airbags, optional heated seats and cooled front seats, the first manufacturer to offer climate controlled front seats, provided by Amerigon. User-controlled by individual dash-mounted switches, ambient cabin air was drawn into the system and either heated or cooled by a solid-state heat pump, using a thermo-electric device (TED) to convert electric current into the desired hot or cold thermal effect, and conditioned air is circulated via a fan through ducts in the seat cushion and seat back, to heat or cool the surface.
For the 2001 model year, several minor cosmetic changes were made. On the hood's grille and tailgate, the Lincoln emblem was given a black background (replacing the previous red); on the tailgate, the Lincoln and Navigator badging switched sides. A VHS-based video entertainment system became an option.
For the 2002 model year, the Navigator featured a molded Lincoln badge on the steering wheel center, as well as optional heated and cooled seats.
Second generation (2003)
Launched in May 2002 for the 2003 model year, a number of changes and improvements were made to the Navigator thanks to a thorough redesign. The Navigator continued to share a platform with the Ford Expedition, which was also redesigned for 2003, but continued to differ from it in terms of styling and various upscale features. The redesign featured a thoroughly revised exterior, the first since the Navigator's launch, with only the front doors and roof panel unchanged from the previous generation. The new exterior came with features such as a larger chrome waterfall grille, brighter quad-beam headlights with larger housings, revised chrome door handles set in color-keyed bezels, and slightly wider running boards.
Inside, the Navigator features an all-new instrument panel and dashboard area which, significantly, was not shared with the Expedition. Inspired by the symmetrical, "dual-cockpit" layout of the 1961 Lincoln Continental, the instrument panel and dashboard area was adorned with real walnut burl wood inserts and panels and switches painted with a low-luster satin nickel color. Adding to the upscale interior design further were white LEDs, 120 in all, which provided backlighting for controls and switches. Additionally, to direct attention to the high-quality satin nickel-faced analog clock mounted in the dashboard, an articulating door is present to conceal the radio head unit and optional satellite navigation system when they are not in use.
Highlighting the Navigator's design changes were other new features and options for 2003. Newly available features like Ford's Safety Canopy side curtain airbags and a tire pressure monitoring system improved occupant safety. Convenience was enhanced by the availability of power running boards (an industry first), power-folding third row seats, a power liftgate, and HID headlights (for top end models). The available rear-seat video entertainment system was updated to be DVD-based and all Navigators now came with standard 18×7.5-inch alloy wheels with 18×8-inch chrome wheels available as an option.
Like the redesigned 2003 Expedition (U222), the Navigator benefited from a reworked chassis, new rack-and-pinion steering, and an all-new independent rear suspension (IRS), which brought better handling and ride comfort. The Navigator continued to benefit from a load-leveling air suspension but it now lowered the vehicle by an inch when stopped in the interest of easing entry and exit. The Navigator's powertrain was modified from the UN173, but the 5.4 L DOHC V8 used before was no longer advertised under the InTech name. But it now produced at 5500 rpm and of torque at 3750rpm. Due to changes brought with the redesign, the Navigator's base curb weight increased to in two-wheel drive models and nearly in four-wheel drive models. In turn, towing capacity dropped slightly.