2002 Lincoln Signature Navy Town Car - Working Sunroof W/inspection Sticker on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Lincoln Navigator

Typically, when I approach a new vehicle launch, it's with a degree of optimism. Nowadays, we just expect that every new vehicle will pose a legitimate challenge to segment leaders. Mid-cycle refreshes, meanwhile, have taken on a greater degree of importance, as customers' preferences for the freshest vehicles remains strong and automakers rush to keep the latest tech in their offerings.
Conversely, I admit to not being terribly optimistic hopping into the 2015 Lincoln Navigator. I was the first person from Autoblog to see the new model in the metal, way back in January ahead of its Chicago Auto Show debut, and my initial reaction was far from positive. But, as I'd been the one that initially tested the new Cadillac Escalade and had just finished a week in the long-wheelbase version of General Motors' most premium SUV, I was a natural candidate to head down to Louisville, KY - home of Navigator production - to sample the brand's latest.
Lincoln's attempt at freshening the old Navigator's bling-bling face is pretty typical of today's more thorough mid-cycle refreshes, with dramatically new front and rear clips. The addition of standard 20-inch wheels or optional 22s - in place of standard 18s and optional 20s - goes a long way towards modernizing the Navigator's staid exterior. The cabin, meanwhile, is home to finer leather, which covers most of the dash as well as the steering wheel and seats. Warm Ziricote wood would prove to be a particular highlight on the top-flight Reserve model that I drove (the only trim available for us to test).

Does Lincoln Zephyr trademark mean a return to real names?

Lincoln's long history includes many legendary names, and despite its short life, Zephyr retains a spot in that pantheon. Perhaps its will return once again: Ford Motor Co. applied to trademark Zephyr on May 11. Trademark filings can have ambiguous meanings, and often they're legal plays to get or keep the rights to a name. But in the last year, we've seen signs Lincoln is looking to use real names on its vehicles again. Obviously, it's keeping Navigator for its flagship sport-utility vehicle with a new model due next year. Reprising Continental for the MKS replacement was also well received. That said, Lincoln still uses the MKX and MKC "names" for its crossovers. Zephyr is a dustier moniker. It was used in the 1930s and '40s on a mid-level model spearheaded by Edsel Ford. The stylishly aerodynamic model was set between the Ford V8 De Luxe and more expensive Lincolns. It returned in 2006 as the Lincoln version of the Ford Fusion before that model was renamed MKZ. Mercury also used Zephyr on its version of the Ford Fairmont in the late 1970s and early '80s. Ford last held a trademark on the Zephyr name in 2013. The filing says Ford seeks to use Zephyr for "motor vehicles and parts and accessories therefor." That could mean a new car — or just parts. Putting the Zephyr badge back on the MKZ is the most likely bet. Meanwhile, Ford also moved to get the Thunderbird trademark on May 11 for the same vehicles and parts purpose, and it filed for the Mustang trademark for shampoo and lotions on May 4. A Lincoln spokesman said, "In the normal course of our business, we file trademarks for names," but had no further information. Related Video:

Lincoln hijacks Cadillac's 'Dare Greatly' tagline

Talk about comedy - not even 24 hours after Cadillac teased its CT6 while inviting us to "Dare Greatly" during the Oscars telecast, Lincoln was doing the same but on Google. An anonymous tipster informed us the day after the Oscars that typing "dare greatly" into Google returned two ads before the search results. When we checked it over the course of a few hours, the first ad was always for Cadillac and either read, "Cadillac - Dare Greatly - Only those who dare drive the world forward," or, "Cadillac - Dare Greatly - It's not the critic who counts, it's the man in the arena." (On a side note, come on, Cadillac - "the man in the arena?" Well. It's a quote. Suppose that's all right, then.) The second result was for Lincoln and read, "Dare Greatly - It's not about making a statement, it's about doing what you love," with the associated URL being www.lincoln.com/dare+greatly. The first time we clicked it, it went to the Lincoln homepage showing the 2015 MKZ Hybrid. The second time, we got a page saying that the Lincoln site wasn't available; the Lincoln site was fine, the link didn't work. There's no reference to the Google joke at the Lincoln site - this was just about getting eyeballs. The English have the perfect phrase for Lincoln's provocation: "You've got some cheek!" We think it cunning, dastardly, and funny, and there's no doubt it worked - they knew people would flock to search the term. One of our competitors, Autotrader, said that within an hour of the first of four Cadillac spots airing during the Oscars, car searches for Cadillac vehicles climbed 53 percent from pre-Academy Award coverage levels. Searches for Cadillac cars were up 120%, they said. If this is Round One of our homegrown scrappy old-timers going at it, we're all for it. News Source: Google Marketing/Advertising Cadillac Lincoln Luxury