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Lincoln Australia will soon rollout its Navigator large luxury SUV to the local market, though it won’t come cheap.
Imported and converted to right-hand-drive by International Motor Cars, who also remanufactures models such as the Cadillac Escalade and Dodge Challenger, the top-spec Lincoln Navigator Black Label is expected to wear a list price of $274,900 when it hits local roads before the end of the year.
Speaking to CarsGuide, Lincoln Australia and International Motor Cars boss David Potter said reception to the full-sized SUV had so far been positive, despite the high pricetag.
“Look, it’s had a pretty good response just in the last few days, a lot of people asking about it,” he said.
“It’s an expensive car … but this is a bit of a test case, it’s our first one of these.
“The idea of doing the Lincolns is really just something that came about in the last few months.
“We’ve got our eye on a couple of other (models) but, at the moment, it’s just the Navigator that we’re bringing over.”
Mr Potter said that the firm was also looking at bringing in lower grades at more affordable prices, but that interest in the first batch of Navigators will dictate where it goes in future.
Available exclusively in the ultra-luxurious Black Label trim, which starts at $US97,135 ($A$153,961), the Lincoln Navigator is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 petrol engine – the same one found in Ford’s F-150 Raptor and GT supercar.
However, while the GT takes outputs to 482kW/756Nm, the Lincoln Navigator keeps performance more manageable with a 336kW/691Nm tune, matching F-150 Raptor pick-up.
Drive is sent to the rear-wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission, while an all-wheel-drive option also adds a two-speed BorgWarner transfer case with low- and high-range.
A long-wheelbase version is also available in the states, but its unclear exactly which version of the Black Label will be offered in Australia.
Seating is available for seven, with a third-row bench seat and second-row captain’s chairs, while wheels measure 20 inches, although buyers can option 21-inch components.
Standard gear includes illuminated door sills, exterior chrome accents, active grille shutters, power-folding side mirrors, woodgrain interior trim, 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster, powered tailgate, heated steering wheel and wireless smartphone charger.
For multimedia, the Lincoln Navigator makes use of Ford’s Sync3 technology, which is displayed across a 10.0-inch touchscreen, outputting to a Revel 20-speaker sound system.
Safety wise, automatic and adaptive LED headlights, surround-view monitor, reversing camera, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, lane-keep assist, forward collision warning and tyre pressure monitoring feature.
With a near $300,000 pricetag, the Lincoln Navigator is priced above a $171,900 BMW X7 M50i, but about lineball with a $274,210 Range Rover Autobiography SWB.
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