Looks like: The current Navigator with a facelift
Competes with: Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX80, Lexus LX 570
Powertrains: 440-horsepower, turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6; 10-speed automatic transmission; rear- or all-wheel drive
Hits dealerships: Early 2022
The 2022 Lincoln Navigator is setting its sights on the big city — and the big family. The full-size SUV gets exterior styling tweaks, more safety features and a Central Park-inspired interior for the top-tier Black Label trim. Among the technology refinements, the most notable is the addition of Lincoln’s ActiveGlide hands-free driving.
Related: Do You Really Need the Lincoln Navigator’s Black Label Trim?
The Navigator is the first Lincoln to offer the hands-free driving system, first launched as BlueCruise in the Ford F-150 and Mustang Mach-E. (Lincoln is Ford’s luxury division.) As before, the SUV will come in regular and extended-length versions, the latter dubbed Navigator L.
Here’s what 2022 Navigator shoppers can expect from the SUV’s updated styling, performance and advanced driver-assist technologies.
A Fresh-Faced Family Hauler
Exterior styling changes are subtle for the 2022 Navigator, with most enhancements found inside the cabin. The three-row SUV gets a new front end with an updated grille and adaptive pixel projector headlamps, the latter updated. The rear gets three-dimensional LED taillamps that have a fading effect to add depth.
Inside, Ford’s new Sync 4 system offers enhanced voice recognition and navigation. The system is accessed via a touchscreen display that grows from the outgoing model’s already-sizable 10 inches to 13.2 inches in the new Navigator. Sync 4 also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Second-row passengers also gain an advantage in the updates for 2022, with climate and audio settings that can be accessed through a new 5.8-inch touchscreen. Added creature comforts include standard heated and ventilated second-row seats, plus an optional massaging function. To minimize the are-we-there-yets, the 2022 Navigator offers a new Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system with dual 10.1-inch screens (about the same size as 2021’s), wireless headphones, wireless streaming via Amazon Fire TV, voice control and screen sharing.
Performance and Capability
The Navigator’s turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 returns in the refreshed SUV, and it’s once again mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The 2022 model makes 440 horsepower and 510 pounds-feet of torque; power output drops by 10 horses compared to the outgoing model, but Lincoln says the difference is negligible and will not be noticeable to the driver.
What drivers will notice, according to Lincoln, is a smoother ride thanks to a new adaptive suspension with a road-preview function. The system uses sensors to monitor vehicle motion, the road and various driver inputs — like steering, acceleration and braking — to mitigate bumps.
The Lincoln Navigator boasts one of the highest towing capacities in its class, with the ability to pull up to 8,700 pounds in rear-wheel-drive models. A new, heavy-duty trailer tow package with trailer reverse guidance offers multiple camera views and steering guidance to help with parking and backing up a trailer.
A Lincoln First: ActiveGlide Hands-Free Driving
The 2022 Navigator becomes the first vehicle to offer Lincoln’s ActiveGlide hands-free driving system, which allows drivers to let go of the wheel on a network of designated highways called Blue Zones. The Cadillac Escalade, a direct competitor, already offers a similar technology called Super Cruise on 2021 models; the addition of ActiveGlide should help the Navigator keep up with its rival when it comes to driver-assist tech.
ActiveGlide advances the vehicle’s existing adaptive cruise control, lane centering and speed-limit recognition to steer the vehicle and reduce fatigue. According to Lincoln, the system can be used on more than 130,000 miles of Blue Zone highways across North America.
Even though it offers the option to drive hands-free, ActiveGlide still requires the driver to pay attention and take over control if necessary. (Despite all you might hear about self-driving cars, no production vehicle on sale in the U.S. currently relieves its driver of the need to pay attention, even temporarily.) To ensure the driver stays alert, a driver-facing camera in the Navigator prompts warnings if the driver’s eyes don’t stay on the road. ActiveGlide comes on the Navigator’s Reserve and Black Label models as part of a Co-Pilot360 2.0 Drive program.
Range-Topping Black Label Gets New Interior Themes
Going with the top-tier Black Label trim offers shoppers exclusive interior themes along with special perks like standard premium maintenance, complimentary vehicle detailing and car washes.
Lincoln also has two new Black Label themes for the 2022 Navigator. The first, Central Park, features contrasting open-pore dark walnut wood across the dashboard, with green Venetian leather seating and perforations in the shape of New York’s skyline. Lincoln says the second, Invitation, was inspired by an upscale celebration; it features laser etching used to replicate a party invitation, with open-pore khaya wood blanketing other portions of the interior. Two additional themes return for the 2022 Navigator Black Label: Yacht Club and Chalet.
Trims and Release Date
In addition to the Black Label model, the 2022 Navigator will come in Standard and Reserve trims. The Standard and Reserve models come with rear- or all-wheel drive, while the Black Label is only available with AWD. The 2022 Navigator goes on sale in early 2022, and pricing will be announced closer to the launch date.
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