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2020 Lincoln Navigator now has an option for chrome haters

If you've ever seen a new Lincoln Navigator, you know that there was no restraint when the designers started adding chrome. But it seems Lincoln realizes not everyone wants to drive a rolling mirror ball, so it's adding a Monochromatic Package to the 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The package is pretty simple, it coats items such as the grille, side vents and other trim in the body color, rather than shiny metal. It's only available in three colors — white, gray and black — and only on the Reserve trim level. Lincoln has made some other updates to the Navigator that benefits every trim level. Power running boards, heated and cooled front seats, wireless phone charging, and the latest version of the CoPilot360 suite of safety features are all standard. The latter includes blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking and automatic high-beam headlights. Also included as standard is Lincoln's Phone as Key system, which allows your phone, well, to work as your key. You can also control things remotely, and even enable other people's phones to work as a key on a regular basis or just during specific times, in case you need to lend access. The 2020 Navigator will arrive at dealers this November. Pricing has not been announced yet, but it should be available shortly before the on-sale date.

Dodge Dart falls short of Consumer Reports Recommended, Caddy XTS and Lincoln MKS, too

The Dodge Dart, Cadillac XTS and Lincoln MKS all failed to earn a "Recommended" rating from Consumer Reports. When it came to the compact Dart, the organization's testers thought the vehicle offered a quiet cabin, solid-feeling chassis and nimble suspension, but the new model ultimately fell short of the coveted rating due to powertrain issues. The institute's reviewers found the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to be underpowered and noted "drivability issues" when the available turbocharged 1.4-liter four was paired with the optional dual-clutch transmission (some of our editors disliked it paired with the six-speed manual). CR also dinged the latter powerplant for sounding "raspy." For what it's worth, we think the forced-induction engine offers an excellent and playful exhaust note, but that's just us.
As for the XTS, CR lauded the car for its luxurious cabin, but the vehicle's experience was dulled by its finicky CUE infotainment interface. Overall, the big Cadillac scored much higher than its cross-town rival from Lincoln. While testers found the American luxury sedan to offer a quiet ride and quality fit and finish, they felt the MKS delivered a "cramped driving position, ungainly handling, uncomposed ride, and limited visibility." Ouch. At the end of the day, both cars fell short of rivals from Japan, Germany and Korea. Check out the full press release below with more details, along with CR's musings on the Chevrolet Spark and Lexus ES.

Ford recalls 1.3 million Fusions, MKZs: Steering wheels could come off

When driving a car, the steering wheel is only expected to move in a rotational fashion, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. When it moves in some other direction, something is wrong, and when it moves the wrong way enough that it is no longer attached to the steering column, that's a really, really bad thing. And apparently, according to a recall issued by Ford, there are over 1.3 million Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZs that are at risk of this happening. And at least two accidents and one injury have been attributed to the issue. Ford says the problem is that the steering wheel bolt that keeps the wheel attached to the column might not provide enough torque, resulting in the bolt slowly loosening and working its way off the column. The good news is that the fix is really simple. Ford will install a larger bolt with more threads along with a larger nylon patch to keep it all locked down. The fix is completely free to owners. Cars affected by the recall include 2014 to 2017 Fusions built built at the Flat Rock plant in Michigan between August 6, 2013, and February 29, 2016. Model year 2014-2018 Fusions and MKZs built at the Hermosillo factory in Mexico are also affected. So if you have one of those sedans, please get in touch with your local dealer to have the issue addressed. Related Video: