NEW YORK –  Lincoln drew gasps from a crowd of several hundred recently when it unveiled its vision for the future of the full-size Navigator SUV at a private event before the New York International Auto Show.

As the concept version rolled onto a pristine white stage, the vehicle’s two huge, gull-wing doors opened to reveal an interior with horizontally ribbed seats, a flat, retro center console and a “piano-key” shifter.

The exterior displayed an elegance accentuated by an updated version of Lincoln’s new signature front grille and “radial, directional turbine-themed,” 24-inch wheels.

The production version of the vehicle is scheduled to go on sale next year, 20 years after the Navigator was first introduced. The vehicle quickly became popular at a time when there was an arms race in the automotive industry to build bigger and more luxurious SUVs. It’s Lincoln’s best-known nameplate.

“With the all-new Navigator concept, we are going to once again help people reimagine a luxury SUV,” said Kumar Galhotra, president of the Lincoln brand for Ford. “It has the performance to go anywhere, more room than ever before, and the technology and the luxury to enjoy the ride and comfort.”

Galhotra was quick to admit that the giant gull-wing doors, reminiscent of the DeLorean cars of the 1980s and the Tesla Model X SUV, were only installed on the Navigator concept for dramatic effect.

“There are two reasons that we did this. One is that it’s a concept. Concept (vehicles) offer great ways to explore ideas,” Galhotra said. “The second is that the interior of the vehicle is very important … and this is a great way to showcase that interior.”
Still, Galhotra said the production version of the Navigator that goes on sale in 2017 will look a lot like the concept version.

Historically, the Navigator has been built on a truck frame with room for seven or eight passengers and plenty of cargo and towing capacity.

Galhotra declined to say if the new Navigator will be built on a truck frame or on a unibody frame, but he promised it would have the capability to tow boats and said it will be equipped with a twin-turbo V-6 engine with more than 400 horsepower.

That could help Lincoln improve the fuel economy of the Navigator. Even with a V-6 engine, the current rear-wheel drive Navigator is rated at 18 miles per gallon when city and highway driving are combined, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

With gas prices hovering at $2 per gallon nationally, large SUVs are once again in big demand. Sales of the Navigator increased 14.7 percent in 2015 to 11,964.

Galhotra and Lincoln executives say they expect sales of full-size luxury SUVs to remain steady in the coming years. Last year, Americans purchased about 170,000 full-size luxury SUVs, and global sales for the segment topped 420,000.

The bold, adventurous approach Lincoln is displaying with the Navigator concept is evidence the company believes it finally has momentum after a comeback that has been in the works for at least five years.

While several other premium brands have increasingly emphasized performance and more-aggressive styling that appeals to male buyers who want fast, powerful vehicles, the Lincoln brand is aiming for what it calls “quiet luxury.”

“That (performance) segment is only part of the luxury market” Galhotra said. “Some of them are going after very aggressive styling, but we don’t stand for aggressive. … Lincoln has a very clear heritage of elegance.”

The updated MKZ has all-new 3.0-liter V6 engine that delivers 400 horsepower. It starts at $43,575.

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