Lincoln has announced the changes to the Navigator SUV for the 2008 model year. Both the standard Navigator and the Navigator L get more standard features for the new year.
The new standard features are: Power liftgate, heated and cooled front seats, PowerFold third-row seats and a 14-speaker THX II -Certified audio system. The 2008 Navigator also comes with a new rearview camera system.
For those individuals who desire a less chrome clad vehicle, Lincoln is offering a new Monochrome Limited Edition package. The package features a body-color grille, bodyside cladding and power-folding heated mirrors.
PRESS RELEASE:
2008 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR AND NAVIGATOR L BRING MORE STANDARD FEATURES TO FULL-SIZE LUXURY SUVs
* Standard Comfort: Several comfort and convenience features are now standard for 2008, including power liftgate, heated and cooled seats, SIRIUS® Satellite Radio, THX® II- Certified audio system, and PowerFold™ Third-Row Seat.
* Customer Convenience: A new Rearview Camera System is added to Navigator’s available features for 2008.
* Lincoln Navigator L (Long Wheelbase): Provides an additional 25 cubic feet of cargo space
* Dramatic, distinctive design: Lincoln Navigator’s look combines power and refinement for the American luxury SUV customer
* Quiet, confident driving experience: Navigator’s frame and independent suspension deliver superior ride and handling. Acoustic windshield, thicker glass and tuned mirrors contribute to Navigator’s “whisper quiet” interior
The Lincoln Navigator, America’s original full-size luxury SUV, continues to deliver uncompromising levels of luxury, capability, functionality. For 2008, the award-winning Navigator raises the bar by offering many must-have comfort and convenience features as standard equipment. In addition, the newly available Rearview Camera System adds even more appeal for full-size SUV owners.
The Lincoln Navigator’s expressive design brings a unique elegance and an unrivaled presence to the full-size luxury-utility segment.
Lincoln Navigator charts its own path, offering confident ride and handling, outstanding comfort and craftsmanship, and class-leading capability. Lincoln extends luxury SUV capability with the Lincoln Navigator L (Long Wheelbase), 15 inches longer than the regular model and offers luxury buyers an additional 25 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the third-row seat.
Navigator and Navigator L are both available in 4×2 and 4×4 configurations. All Navigators are built at the Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Mich.
New for 2008
For 2008, Lincoln has simplified the packaging of the Navigator and Navigator L, making many optional features standard items.
Standard items now include: Power liftgate; heated and cooled front seats; PowerFold™ third-row seats; and a 14-speaker THX® II-Certified audio system with SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.
A newly available Rearview Camera System mounts in the rear liftgate handle and is activated when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, giving the driver a clear view behind the vehicle or the hitch for ease of hooking up trailers. The video image is displayed in the self-dimming rearview mirror.
A Monochrome Limited Edition Package also is new for 2008 and features a unique badge, along with body-color exterior accents including lower grille, lower bodyside cladding, upper chrome grille and power-folding heated mirrors with puddle lamps. This package is offered in four monochromatic exterior treatments: White Chocolate Tri-coat, Black Clearcoat, Vapor Silver Clearcoat Metallic and Stone Green Clearcoat Metallic. Inside, the package includes unique black carpet and floormats, Ebony wood trim, and unique Stone or Camel seats with black leather inserts and black piping. A stitched Lincoln logo is also placed on each headrest.
Three new exterior colors are available for 2008: White Suede Clearcoat Metallic, Vapor Silver Clearcoat Metallic and Stone Green Clearcoat Metallic.
Expressive Design Makes a Dramatic Statement
The 2008 Lincoln Navigator’s distinctive design combines power and refinement to deliver Lincoln luxury.
The statement of power begins with the bold chrome grille. The horizontal and vertical lines are inspired by the Lincoln star, detailed with sharp, organized surfaces. The precision detailing of the grille extends into the high-intensity-discharge (HID) projector headlamps. The lower grille carries through the theme, housing the integrated fog lamps.
The upper grille is carried into the chiseled chamfers that define the prominent “powerdome” hood, reinforcing Lincoln Navigator’s imposing presence.
The Lincoln Navigator profile is defined by clean, sheer, tapered surfaces. That design language is consistent throughout the vehicle, from the smooth quarter panels to the chiseled side mirror shells. A Lincoln-signature chrome strip highlights the beltline, while chrome body-side trim extends from the front wheel well to the back for a tailored appearance. A proud, stable stance on standard 18-inch machined aluminum wheels or available 20-inch chrome wheels plants the vehicle to the road.
Lincoln Navigator offers power-deployable running boards. With the doors closed, the running boards fold out of sight and are perfectly integrated into the lower body wrap. When one of the side doors is opened, the running boards fold out in presentation, offering a step bar for easy ingress and egress.
The taillamps give a nod to the Lincoln MKZ luxury mid-size sedan, with wing-shaped lamps that cut into the liftgate and wrap around the vehicle. A bold chrome outline and white inserts in the red optic areas complete the exterior.
Award-winning Interior Sets the Bar
The Navigator’s interior has already received critical acclaim, winning the 2007 “Interior of the Year” award for premium-priced trucks as voted by the editorial staff of Ward’s Auto World magazine. It features a flow-through center console that sweeps up into the rectangular “eyebrows” that frame the dash panel. The strong graphic presentation is echoed in the shape of the instrument bezels, a design inspired by popular rectangular fashion eyewear.
Lincoln Navigator offers the elegance of Dark Ebony or Anigre wood trim on the console and upper door panels. The wood trim is bookmatched so the grains are precisely aligned. For example, the coin-tray cover is laser cut from the center console wood trim for perfectly matched wood grain.
Details like satin-nickel accents on the center stack, binnacle inserts and door trim along with chrome accents on cupholder rings and door releases speak to Lincoln Navigator’s fine craftsmanship. A touch of black on the center stack and instrument panel provides further emphasis of refinement. At night, the interior is bathed in Lincoln’s signature cool-white lighting, creating a soothing atmosphere.
Lincoln Signature Seating
Premium leather contributes to the overall comfort, further improving Lincoln’s signature seating.
The standard 10-way power driver and front passenger seats are designed to comfortably accommodate a diverse group of occupants, from 4-foot-10 to 6-foot-5, from 90 pounds to 300 pounds. Power-adjustable pedals and memory functions enable drivers to fine-tune their positions. The front seats also feature heating and cooling capability for the ultimate in comfort – another Lincoln hallmark.
Even Lincoln Navigator’s seat frames are refined to improve comfort by eliminating the vibration from the floor.
This premium seating extends to the available 40/20/40-split second row seat and 60/40-split third row, which effortlessly tumble to create a flat load floor. With seating for up to eight, the Lincoln Navigator offers 18.2 cubic feet of cargo space, while Navigator L offers 42.7 cubic feet.
With both the second- and third-row seats folded, the Lincoln Navigator can accommodate 103.5 cubic feet, while Navigator L offers a cavernous 128.2 cubic feet.
The second-row seats feature mechanisms that enable one-hand fold-and-tumble operation to access the third row. For increased visibility, the second-row head restraints fold forward 90 degrees to improve driver rear view.
Lincoln Navigator’s third-row seat folds flat into the floor for added cargo space. The standard PowerFold™ third row offers 54.5 cubic feet of cargo space at the touch of a button.
A standard power liftgate provides even more convenience, and uses side-mounted pistons for improved rear visibility.
State-of-the-Art Entertainment
Lincoln Navigator offers a host of features and options that provide a high level of convenience. The voice-activated DVD-based navigation system features a 6.5-inch touch screen designed for improved clarity and incorporates text-to-speech technology that reads and communicates directions and street names in three languages.
The Navigator is available with the industry’s first THX II-Certified audio system designed by THX, a California company renowned for its movie theater systems.
Named the ‘Best Audio (Stereo) System’ by CNET.com in the 2006 Car Tech Awards and also by PC Magazine in their 2007 Digital Drive Awards, the THX II system uses the latest in patented THX technologies to bring the home theater surround sound experience to the open road. The system uses a 12-channel amplifier to deliver 600 watts of power to a total of 14 speakers, including two subwoofers, strategically placed in the cabin.
The system’s processor takes into consideration bandwidth, peak audio levels and coverage uniformity to deliver a smooth spectral balance and wide dynamic range. Multi-channel equalization and digital signal processing match the speaker placement to the cabin acoustics to assure this level of performance.
With the push of a button, the system can be configured for three specific listening modes – Driver, Front Seats and All Seats – ensuring that all passengers are enjoying optimal sound.
The system also features a fast-loading six-disc changer that reads CDs in normal audio, MP3 compressed or text formats. The AM/FM tuner is compatible with the Radio Data Broadcasting System (RDBS) and displays participating radio station call letters, formats and song titles.
If rear passenger entertainment is in order, Lincoln Navigator has an available entertainment system with an 8-inch screen and two wireless headphones to keep the sound contained.
Whisper Quiet Refined Ride
Enjoying the Lincoln Navigator’s entertainment offerings is even easier, as engineers “soundly” beat their initial targets for interior quietness. The result is a vehicle that will provide customers with a truly unexpected quality of quietness on the road.
Noise-dampening insulation is used in the headliner and dash to help decrease wind and powertrain noise. Noise-absorbing padding is also used in the carpeting to further reduce tire and road noise. Thicker side glass and cut-line seals are included for decreased wind noise.
Additionally, when engineers redesigned the 2007 model, they added structure to the roof to reduce body boom. A stiffer chassis and new body mounts were incorporated to further isolate road noise and vibration. Side mirrors were “tuned” to reduce wind noise in the cabin, and tire tread designs were optimized to minimize road noise.
Luxury Driving Experience
Lincoln Navigator offers a confident, refined driving experience commensurate with a luxury vehicle. The vehicle features a stiff frame for confident handling and decreased susceptibility to squeaks and rattles. The frame features a tube-through-tube design, creating one of the stiffest frames in the industry.
Navigator has an independent rear suspension (IRS) that features a five-link design, with the fifth link controlling fore/aft movements while the short and long arms control lateral forces. This allows for greater control of wheel movement, as well as enabling lighter suspension components for improved response.
Power is provided by Lincoln Navigator’s 5.4-liter, 3-valve V-8 engine, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, that generates 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. A wide-ratio, 6-speed transmission has smaller steps between gears than a typical 4-speed automatic and offers improved shift quality and faster acceleration. With a wide 6.02:1 gear ratio and two overdrive gears (fifth and sixth), the Lincoln Navigator’s 6-speed offers up to a 7 percent increase in fuel economy on the highway over a typical 4-speed automatic.
Standard AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control)
Lincoln Navigator’s confident handling helps prevent accidents from occurring. Lincoln Navigator’s safety system features a comprehensive package of features, including standard AdvanceTrac® with RSC®, which utilizes two gyroscopic roll rate sensors to enhance the vehicle’s rollover resistance.
Additional standard safety features include:
* Dual-stage second-generation driver and front-passenger air bags that tailor deployment based on crash severity, safety belt usage and occupant size.
* Three-row Safety Canopy™ side curtain air bags designed to activate in rollovers and side impacts for enhanced head protection.
* Seat-mounted side air bags for the first row and energy-absorbing knee bolsters and glove box for the front passenger.
* Frame design meets the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers’ vehicle-to-vehicle frontal crash compatibility voluntary agreement.
Key Features and Options:
Standard features include: 300 hp 5.4-liter V-8 engine with 6-speed automatic transmission; Genuine wood, leather, and satin nickel trim; 18-inch machined aluminum wheels; HID headlamps; Dual-zone electronic air temperature control; THX® II-Certified audio system with 14 speakers, six-disc player compatible with normal audio, MP3 compressed or text format CDs; MP3 audio input jack; SIRIUS® Satellite Radio; 10-way power adjustable driver/passenger seat with power lumbar and recline; Auxiliary climate control; Power adjustable pedals; Keyless entry keypad; Power liftgate; Power-Fold™ third-row fold-flat seat; Heated and cooled front seats; Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS); AdvanceTrac® with RSC®; Three-row Safety Canopy™ side curtain air bags; Front seat-mounted side air bags; Chrome exhaust tip; Dual power-folding mirrors with memory, integrated turn signal and puddle lamps; Reverse Sensing System; Driver memory seats and mirrors.
Navigator L unique standard features include: 25 cubic feet of additional cargo space, Cargo management system and power running boards.
Options include: Monochrome Limited Edition Package; Elite Package; Trailer Tow Package; 20-inch Chrome Aluminum Wheels; Chrome Hood Accent; Premium Leather Seats with Piping; Rear Seat DVD Entertainment System; Power deployable running boards and Power moonroof.