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The new Lincoln Navigator is elegant luxury in a gigantic package

The new Lincoln Navigator is elegant luxury in a gigantic package

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It’s hard to understand how large the new Lincoln Navigator is without standing next to it. To be fair, its size isn’t vastly different from the old one, and it hasn’t changed much from the concept vehicle Lincoln showed at last year’s New York Auto Show, but it remains an imposing presence. I called the previous concept a “massive, luxurious land yacht,” and I stand by that description.

Lincoln is focused on providing “quiet luxury,” and has some interesting services in the works to personalize the experience for its customers. There’s a Pickup & Delivery option that allows owners to have their car retrieved from their home or work for maintenance, freeing them from the tiresome task of heading to the dealership.

“Quiet luxury”

A pilot program called Lincoln Chauffeur lets owners of new Lincolns (starting in Miami and San Diego) hire a chauffeur through a special Lincoln app to handle the driving for a night out on the town, to pick up the kids, or even to run an errand or two. At-home test drives are being tested in Dallas and Houston, where a dealership will bring you the Lincoln of your choice to try for up to 48 hours before purchasing.

The idea is to make everything seem effortless. The engine helps there, too — it’s a tweaked version of the 450-horsepower twin-turbo V6 (Lincoln doesn’t use Ford’s EcoBoost branding) and 10-speed transmission used in the Ford Raptor pickup truck to meet Lincoln’s drive for “quiet performance.”

We’ll have to test them out before making any claims to usefulness, but the digital dash and infotainment system looks lovely, with custom systems for the Navigator designed to provide “just the right amount of information,” according to Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra. Adjustable drive modes change a number of settings on the car, helping it drive more economically (right...), or adjust to slippery or snowy conditions. It also has available Trailer Backup Assist from the F-150, as well as 360-degree cameras and adaptive cruise control to make life easier whether you’re driving forward or backward.

The Navigator has six fast-charging USB ports — enough for nearly everyone — as well as four 12-volt power outlets, and a 110-volt plug to boot. CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard. Up front are Lincoln’s Perfect Position Seats (first seen in the Continental), which can adjust in 30 different ways and have heating, cooling, and massage options.

I’ll withhold final judgement on the new Navigator until I get behind the wheel, but if you’re on the market for an enormous SUV to haul around your family (something Lincoln says you probably have if you’re considering this vehicle), it could be the mega-sized machine for you. Even if you’re on your own, the Navigator could be worth a look, if for nothing else than to marvel at the sheer size of the thing.