2020 Lincoln Mkz/zephyr Reserve on 2040-cars

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Lincoln reignites the Navigator with bold concept

The Lincoln Navigator's demise has been greatly exaggerated, and nearly 20 years after it first revolutionized the luxury segment, a new generation of the iconic sport-utility vehicle will again point the way forward for the brand. Previewed by a concept at the New York Auto Show, the new Navigator will hit showrooms next year joining the much-anticipated Continental sedan as Lincoln's twin flagships. The concept is "a very strong" hint of what the production Navigator will look like, Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra said. He's referring to the general appearance of the tall concept, which is confident, creased, and a bit reminiscent of a Range Rover. There are huge wheels, lots of chrome, and "Navigator" spelled out in blocked capital letters over the fender vents. It runs a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 making 400 horsepower and will ride on a new chassis, though Galhotra wouldn't offer more details. Oh, and it has gullwing doors. The crowd audibly oohed and aahed when that feature was demonstrated at a preview event in New York, but those are purely for show. They won't be on the production model, Galhotra said, and they're meant to demonstrate the spacious cabin. "The nature of the vehicle is very important ... and it's a great way to showcase that interior," he said. The inside of the concept is an interesting place. It has a rear cargo area that doubles as a closet, complete with shelves that make up a wardrobe management system, and there's a rail running down the middle of the passenger area. A multi-level running board cascades forward when the gullwing doors open, and the six seats are adjustable 30 ways. There are also wifi-equipped touchscreen monitors mounted in the seat backs. Inside and out, the Navigator carries a nautical vibe. It's covered in a soft shade of blue paint, while the interior has blue leather and teak accents. The Navigator concept features some of Ford's semi-autonomous technology, including pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection. The radar-and-camera-based system will look for obstacles in the vehicle's path, warn the driver, and then brake if needed. It also has a 360-degree camera and lane-keeping assist. Look for all of this on the production model. Launched in 1997, the Navigator is one of the original all-American large luxury SUVs – the Cadillac Escalade didn't arrive until 1999.

2017 Lincoln Continental pricing undercuts Cadillac CT6

For 40,000 people interested in purchasing a new Lincoln Continental, today is the day they've been waiting for. We have the full and complete list of prices and optional extras for the luxury brand's big, new sedan. The Continental will be offered in four trims – Premiere, Select, Reserve, and Black Label. The Premiere starts at $45,485 (including $925 in destination pricing), while the Select kicks off at $48,440. Speaking of the Select, the base 3.7-liter V6 can be swapped for a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, if you've got $2,250 to burn, driving the price up to $50,690. Going to the Reserve gets you more kit and the 2.7-liter comes standard, but the price increases to $54,840. Finally, the base Black Label starts at $63,840. In the case of both the high-end trims, Lincoln will let you upgrade to the eagerly anticipated 400-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 for $3,265. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option regardless of trim or engine. Standalone options include Lincoln's "Perfect Position" seats, a $1,500 feature that adds 30-way adjustability. It's easy to drive those prices up, of course. Lincoln is offering five options packages, spread across the Select, Reserve, and Black Label trims. The Select Plus (blind-spot monitoring and Sync 3) adds $1,255 to the price of the Select. The $695 Climate Pack (automatic high beams, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, and rain sensing wipers) and $3,105 Technology Pack (360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, Enhanced Active Park Assist, lane keeping assist, and forward collision warning) can be added to the Select, Reserve, and Black Label. The $4,300 Rear-Seat Pack (heated, cooled, and multi-contour rear seats, inflatable rear belts, and a panoramic sunroof) will pamper backseat passengers on the high-end Reserve and Black Label, while the $5,000 Luxury Package will add LED headlamps and a 19-speaker Revel stereo to the Reserve trim. Standalone options include Lincoln's "Perfect Position" seats, a $1,500 feature that adds 30-way adjustability. That's just silly. More common features include a $1,130 Revel stereo, a $1,750 panoramic sunroof, $750 20-inch wheels, and a $335 CD player. So yeah, don't expect many of those base prices to make it to the showroom without some swelling. By our math, the Conti tops out at a cool $82,400. Lincoln says it's big target for the Conti is Audi A6, and its pricing matches up neatly with that car. The front-drive 2.0-liter turbocharged A6 Premium starts at $47,125.

Ford names Lincoln chief as North American president following Nair's departure

Ford announced yesterday that its North American president Raj Nair would no longer be working for the company due to "inappropriate behavior." As a result, the company needed fill that gaping vacancy. The new North American president and Ford Group vice president will be Kumar Galhotra, and his term in the new role will start on March 1. Galhotra will remain the group vice president and chief marketing officer for Lincoln through March, meaning he's the head of the luxury brand. He's had this position since 2014. Before that, he was vice president of engineering for all of Ford. With Galhotra's promotion, a number of internal promotions follow. Joy Falotico, current chairman, CEO and group vice president of Ford's credit division will fill Galhotra's position, and Dave McClelland, vice president of marketing for Ford Asia Pacific, will fill her role. Other shuffling at Ford includes Stewart Rawley's promotion to vice president for Ford North America and chief operating officer. He is the current vice president for strategy at Ford. Ford China's chairman and CEO John Lawler will take Rawley's old role, and Cathy O'Callaghan will take over Lawler's job at Ford China, but not until June 1. O'Callaghan is currently vice president, corporate controller and chief financial officer for global markets at Ford. Related Video: