When Lincoln->ke48 said that it wanted to make a huge splash at the 2016 New York International Auto Show,->ke226 they clearly undersold the whole concept of making a splash. The American automaker that made its name in the premium luxury segment has been on the peripherals in recent years, but boy, oh boy, did it pick a good time to spread its wings with the unveiling of the Navigator->ke465 Concept.

I mean that literally and figuratively because as you can see, it’s got those massive gullwing doors that’s almost out of a Transformers movie. Speaking of size, everything about the Navigator Concept is huge, as if it’s trying to intimidate the rest of the premium SUV->ke145 segment by flexing its muscles to show that the OG has returned to reclaim the throne it vacated a long time ago.

Like it or not, the Navigator Concept is a showstopper. Don’t count on the production version to be anywhere close to this, but for what it’s worth, Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra did say that the concept provides a “strong hint” on what the production model will look like when it hits the market in 2017. If there’s even an ounce of truth into what Galhotra said, I’m going to be waiting with baited breath to see if the new Navigator has the chops to once again revolutionize the luxury SUV segment.

The early returns from the concept->ke169 version seems to point in that direction so let’s all hope that Lincoln won’t let us down.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

2016 Lincoln Navigator Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Lincoln Navigator Concept
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

On the surface, the Navigator Concept doesn’t really look like a concept. There are strong production hints throughout the body and, from certain angles, it even reminds me of the Range Rover Sport, albeit one on PEDs. But, that perception literally evolves the moment its moving parts start, well, moving. Pull out the latches to open the doors and those gullwings immediately rise up like an eagle about to take flight. The doors are massive in size, which makes it even more impressive to see how they open up. They’re probably really heavy too considering that they essentially comprise the front and rear doors of the SUV. Imagine trying to close that door down from inside the cabin; you might get muscles in your arm in no time.

The front section doesn’t look like a concept at all. In fact, Lincoln’s new rectangular front grille is already visible in the Navigator Concept. The headlights are also similar, including the L-shaped LEDs that are part of the entire housing. The SUV does have another strip of lighting just underneath. The front bumper is also relatively subdued with the only noticeable bit being the pair of thin bars that run the width of the section and flanked by what looks to be fog lamp strips.

The side profile is obviously dominated by the gullwing doors but the Navigator has another neat trick up its sleeve: three rungs of concertina running boards that cascade down as soon as the doors are opened. Lincoln made no mention of the wheels, but they appear to be at least 24 inches in size. And, if there was any confusion on what model this is, the word "Navigator" is proudly spelled out in blocked capital letters over the fender vents and below the straight shoulder line that runs from the tip of the headlights all the way to its counterpart in the rear.

Speaking of the rear, it’s the other part of the SUV that appears to be close to the production version. The taillight configuration is literally one bar that stretches out from one side to another, as if it’s hugging the concept entirely. Lincoln’s “word” logo sits right above it in a pattern akin to how Land Rover does it. Finally, there’s the swept up rear bumper that looks to be the only other part of the concept’s body that looks out place.

Lincoln indicated that the concept was inspired by luxury boats and yachts, hence the use of a Storm Blue paint finish. Apparently, that’s a nod to the gray tones of the sky and the blueness of the sea.

Interior

As personality-driven as the exterior of the Navigator Concept is, the design team that came up with this concept still managed to give the interior the more evocative design. Lincoln itself admitted that the reason why those gullwing doors were added was to use them to showcase the luxury-stuffed cabin of the SUV. Space and refinement are the predominant themes of the interior and it’s easy to see why Lincoln took this approach. SUV customers want these two things above everything else when it comes to the cabin.

Lincoln went all out addressing these needs, as exemplified by those six patented Perfect Position Seats that not only have 30 different adjustable methods, but also have -- at least in the case of the four seats in the first two rows -- WiFi-equipped touchscreen monitors mounted in the seat backs. The driver and the front passenger aren’t completely left out though as they also get a large floating panel screen. Information for this display can be fully customized through another digital touch screen housed in the center stack, just above the two A/C vents. Speaking of those vents, just below them are clear markings of an automatic gearbox but fashioned as actual buttons. I doubt that this is one of those features that will carry over into the production model, but it is pretty cool to think that you can switch gears from drive “D” to neutral “N”, reverse “R”, or park “P” by the simple press of a button.

On the luxury front, the interior of the Navigator Concept is largely defined by the generous amount of teak finishes throughout the entire cabin, complementing the equally opulent use of fine leather. Believe it or not, this concept also has what Lincoln calls a “custom wardrobe management system” that can be accessed by opening the trunk. It’s like a wall cabinet of sorts, but laid out with individual compartments to house clothes, a pair of leather boat shoes, sunglasses, and what appears to be binoculars, among other things.

Drivetrain

The Navigator Concept is powered by a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 that comes with 400 horsepower. That’s about the extent of the details that Lincoln released on this front. The output is particularly interesting since the production Lincoln Continental already gets 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque out of a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6. There’s obviously more to this than what the company’s telling us so it might be best to hold off on any judgments as far as the production Navigator’s engine and output numbers are concerned.

Conclusion

This is the kind of concept that creates so many feelings it’s hard to compartmentalize everything into one thought. There are some aspects about the concept that are extremely interesting. The interior, for instance, looks great even if it’s unlikely that the production version will get all of its shiny features. The outright size of the SUV is also a good look, especially if Lincoln really wants to make a splash in the full-sized, luxury SUV segment. On the other hand, I’m not too excited about the look of the front end of the SUV. It’s too simple for a model that’ll carry the Navigator name. Oh, and those gullwing doors? Let’s just hope that Lincoln sticks to its word and leaves it strictly for the concept.