Say a big hello to the 2025 Lincoln Navigator, now more grand-looking and chock full of tech than ever before. This marks the fifth generation of Lincoln’s three-row luxury SUV, and while its bones are largely carryover, its appearance and interior experience are totally fresh.
As for those hard points, the Navigator is still rolling with a body-on-frame construction, independent rear suspension and the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 paired with the 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive standard. Said engine produces 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque, the same output as the 2024 model. Both the standard length and the L model return, with the latter pictured in white just below.
While this Navigator may end up driving much the same as the current one, it sure does look largely new from the outside. A fresh grille design gives it a mighty loud and proud aesthetic from the front and is complemented by a big light bar for even more visual presence. Like other new Lincolns, this one features the “Lincoln Embrace” for approach that plays an animation via the lights to welcome your return to the car. The full-width taillights do the same with new light-up “3D” badging. Chrome is thrown out the window in favor of satin aluminum trim accents (a Jet Black Appearance package will apply glossy black trim instead), and just like the refreshed Escalade, 24-inch wheels are newly added to the party – 22-inch wheels are the new standard.
One particularly new big-deal feature you’ll notice on the exterior is the “Lincoln Split Gate” that is essentially a split tailgate the likes of which you find on BMWs and Range Rovers. Similar to others, the tailgate is split so three-quarters of the gate opens up, while the remainder folds down. It allows for easier loading and unloading, but can also be used as a seat (600-pound capacity) when parked. Lincoln even offers a “Cargo Tailgate Manager” option that can function as a seatback for the tailgate, a table for tailgating events or to split the cargo area into a multi-level storage shape.
Things really start to look totally new when you hop into the front seats and take in the new 48-inch panoramic display that spans the whole width of the dash. You’ll recognize the Lincoln Digital Experience setup from the 2024 Nautilus where it debuted, and it operates in a similar manner here. Both the 11.1-inch touchscreen infotainment and steering wheel thumb controls (along with voice commands) can be used to control what goes on in the giant screen ahead of you. A new squircle-style steering wheel aims to not cut off the view of the big screen. Lincoln added video streaming and in-vehicle games available to play on the giant pano-display for the Navigator, but only when the car is in park. The infotainment is powered by Android Automotive, too, so that means you get Google Maps for navigation and the Google Assistant for voice commands. And yes, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still on the menu.
Those in the second row should enjoy the time back there even more now, with the available “Second-Row Power Tailored Seats.” The captain’s chairs are fully powered with heating, ventilation and massage functions. A simple button press will slide them out of the way for third-row access, which is optionally heated and 40/20/40 folding. No one will struggle to find an outlet, as Lincoln says this Navigator is equipped with 14 USB ports throughout and even has a wireless phone charger for the second row (optional).
Lincoln says it’s stepped up the luxury throughout the interior from a materials perspective, and there are two new Black Label themes to choose from: Enlighten (above, left) and Atmospheric (above, right). “Enlighten” aims to imagine a sunrise and combines beige, brown, gray and black tones with laser-etched birch wood trim. Atmospheric envisions a stormy day and consists of gray, black and copper colors throughout with ash wood trim. And as an added bonus with Atmospheric, Lincoln extends the “Radiant Copper” accents to the grille, fender badging and 24-inch wheels. This marks the first time Lincoln’s extended a Black Label’s interior theme to the exterior of a car.
Fancy “Rejuvenate” programs are designed to make this Navigator more luxurious with 5-10-minute sequences. Named things like “Waterfall Meditation,” “Aurora Borealis” and more, they fill the screens with corresponding visuals, activate the massaging seats, adjust the ambient lighting and fill the cabin with fragrance. A 28-speaker Revel audio system plays a corresponding sound, and the 30-way seats move into a more relaxed position, assuming you’re in park.
Driving should prove to be relaxing, too, as the latest version of BlueCruise hands-free driving comes standard for four years, after which you’ll need to pay a subscription to keep it. A new “Turn Signal View” feature puts a live video feed of your blind spot in the 48-inch screen when you flick the turn indicator on, and a new Intersection Assist feature can brake the car when making a left turn if it senses an impending accident from oncoming traffic.
This new Navigator is set to go on sale next spring, and pricing will come closer to deliveries.
