The evolution of American luxury transport continues with the fifth-generation Lincoln Navigator, which features a new interior, an extended digital dashboard, a split tailgate, and more cargo space. You won’t miss it on the road either – the revitalized Navigator is large, imposing, and commands a great deal of road presence, even with the softer but more polished front end, and the same dimensions as the model it replaces.

The 48-inch curved panoramic display creates an impactful first impression the moment you step inside, wrapping around the entire cabin width and enveloping you as if you were sitting in an IMAX theatre. Hosting 4K resolution and crisp graphics, the interface is divided into multiple sections and widgets that can be customized to display the weather, tire pressure, and fuel economy. This is all controlled via the smaller touchscreen mounted in the center. Lincoln has cleverly positioned the panoramic display just below the windshield, right at eye level, giving us an unobstructed view out front. This also allowed us to see all the features and information on the screens while keeping the road ahead in the sharpest points of our peripheral vision. That’s also the reason why the flat-top-bottomed steering wheel is comparatively small by design, so it doesn’t impede the driver’s view of the screens behind like they do in the Porsche Taycan and Genesis GV70.

Which leads us to the Lincoln’s party piece: BlueCruise. This is their hands-free driving assistance feature, which works on 97% of controlled-access highways (interstates, freeways, expressways) in Canada and the U.S., and is included with purchase for four years. BlueCruise works just as well as GM’s Super Cruise, and instantly zaps the stress out of a commute on a magnitude higher than your regular adaptive cruise control, as it doesn’t ask you to prove you’re paying attention every few seconds. In the Navigator, a driver-facing camera flanking the steering wheel monitors your eye movement and ensures you’re watching the road. Keep your sight ahead, and you can take your hands and feet off the pedals until you exit the highway.

This autonomous drive is relatively smooth and intelligent at keeping you in the center of your lane and monitoring for cars slipping into your lane unnoticed. Our only nitpick is that BlueCruise is not great at coasting and cruising behind an aggressive vehicle, and prefers last-minute hard-braking maneuvers that throw your occupants forward rather than smoother, slower progressions to a stop. It also only works up to 130 km/h. Any faster and you need to take the helm. 

Still, the benefits are immeasurable. While you still have to keep eyes on the road, and the cameras will ping if you aren’t, it allows you to mentally relax and enjoy the five massage programs, which knead stronger than the seats in the Range Rover and BMW X7, which are more of a slight tickle than a therapeutic activity. Lincoln’s don’t turn off automatically after 20 minutes either; they stay on until you turn them off. 

Hands-free also lets you breathe in and appreciate the three available cabin scents piped through the vents, from Mystic Forest to Violet Cashmere. Each with three selectable strengths, they make the interior smell great, but are a touch too synthetic to smell natural or organic. Yet, it’s a vital addition to the amenity list, especially when rival SUVs have been offering it for years. BlueCruise also lets you soak up the excellent 28-speaker Revel Ultima audio system, flooding our ears with punchy, rich notes and bass-filled theatre.

Having spare mental bandwidth on a lengthy commute did unravel some nitpicks. The haptic sensors on the steering wheel don’t make sense. This is a people hauler, first and foremost. There’s no ergonomic or functional rationale for designing a bare, simple, buttonless cabin. Volvo is doing the same with their EX electric models, and it’s frustrating to interact with them. Lincoln is making a similarly wrong turn here by adopting haptic sensor pads to adjust the steering wheel position, side mirrors, and even pedal placements.

You need to tap the steering wheel pad, view their designated function on the screen, and then scroll to adjust on the unlabelled buttons. There are no ridges between the boxes either, so it’s just as easy to lower the volume as it is to activate voice command, and it’s not easy to access the seat memory either, without a dedicated physical button. Many users argue that this is just a simple one-and-done action when you purchase the car, but remember that many of these Navigators will surely be destined for fleet duties with multiple drivers. 

Otherwise, the rest of the cabin is average. The leather upholstery feels and looks mid-grade, with unique panelling and switchgear that put it a step above the pickup truck it’s based on. It’s not as buttery or as fragrant as a Range Rover’s (not even close), and a peg below both the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Cadillac Escalade on the material front. The glass-like volume dial is the most premium part of the cabin, which says a lot. Yet, it operates with buttery smoothness and well-defined notches that are easily felt during rotation—possibly the best-feeling dial after BMW’s. Panel fitment is decent and about par with Cadillac, but severely underwhelming in its heft and weight after you’ve felt the difference in a Mercedes-Benz GLS or Lexus LX 700h. The panels here wiggle in their gaps, with low-fitting tolerances and excessive movement on their rail sliders, when you’d expect a smooth, open glide instead. We also discovered seat-bottom creaks during some massage programs. The more expensive Black label trim ups the ante with quilted seats and real wood inserts, but we only tested the Reserve model.

The powertrain has been carried over from the previous Navigator, a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 440 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s an excellent motor with strong acceleration and enough torque to make gliding and cruising effortless at triple-digit speeds. It never had us missing the V8, and makes the Navigator feel agile and light on its feet on the straights. It’s an entirely different story when the road begins to wind. The Navi still requires a slow-in and fast-out approach, as it’s clearly tuned for comfort over sport. As a result, road compliance is excellent on glassy roads, providing a suitably comfortable and cossetting ride that isn’t typical of these body-on-frame SUVs. This long-wheelbase variant rides better than the comparable Escalade, too, especially on the standard 22-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Primacy LTX rubber. However, Lincoln will equip 24s for $3,500 if you wish.

The new Lincoln Navigator delivers what was asked of it—and more—distilling the art of people-hauling into a science and reinventing the formula for what American luxury should be: a pampering, luxurious, hands-free commuting tool that offers the complete spa experience with massages and fragrances. While it’s ultimately lacking in some areas of user functionality, it’s an overall positive experience for eight lucky patrons.

Specifications:

Model: 2025 Lincoln Navigator Reserve L
Paint Type: Crystal White Metallic
Base Price: $129,000
Price as Tested: $135,175
Wheelbase(mm): 3,342
Length/Width/Height (mm): 5,635 / 2,404 / 1,981
Curb Weight: 2,742
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Horsepower: ​​440 hp @ 5400 rpm
Torque: 510 lb-ft @ 3300 rpm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, 4WD
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 14.2
Tires: Michelin Primacy LTX; 275/50R22