Lincoln previews the blingier Navigator it will launch for 2022

Lincoln's current-generation Navigator will receive a mid-cycle update for the 2022 model year to fend off a growing list of rivals. The company published a short video on social media to preview some of the changes it has made.

Up front, the refreshed Navigator features new-look headlights with LED accents and a subtly revised grille fitted with what looks like a backlit Lincoln emblem. There's also a new piece of trim labeled "The Lincoln Motor Company," which is the carmaker's official name. All told, the changes made to the front end look relatively minor.

We're guessing that the rear fascia will be similarly nip-and-tucked, but it doesn't appear in Lincoln's 18-second video and it was completely camouflaged in the last batch of photos we received from our spies. However, we've seen enough of it to tell that the massive light bar will be either significantly trimmed down or removed altogether.

Technology updates will likely round out the changes made for 2022. It's too early to tell if Lincoln will mix things up under the hood. As of writing, the Navigator's only available engine is a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 rated at 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. Its most direct rival is the recently-redesigned Cadillac Escalade, which eschewed downsizing and still offers a V8, and it now needs to worry about the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which is V8-only. Could Lincoln surprise us by giving the big Navigator its V8 engine back?

Lincoln will unveil the 2022 Navigator next Wednesday, August 18, and sales will start in the following weeks.

Unsurprisingly, the Ford Expedition that the Navigator is related to will also enter 2022 after undergoing a series of changes. Visual tweaks will help the new model stand out from its predecessor, and spy shots suggest at least two new variants will join the range. One is a performance-oriented ST-badged model, and the other is an outdoorsy Timberline trim.

By Ronan Glon