With Cadillac's 2007 Escalade on the way early next year, we weren't surprised to catch this prototype of the 2007 Lincoln Navigator undergoing testing at Ford's proving grounds in Michigan. From what we can see in these latest spy photos, the 2007 Navigator won't be a top-to-bottom redesign like the Escalade. Other than the front and rear fascias, this Navigator prototype appears identical to the current model in both its size and shape.
The Navigator's most dramatic difference on the outside looks to be its new front fascia that features a broad crosshatch grille in place of the current waterfall design. Complex headlight clusters with multiple lenses should add some flash to the otherwise traditional-looking face.
It's rare to get a clean interior shot of a prototype that isn't cluttered with wires and laptops, but our shot clearly shows a very different cabin than the current model. Larger slabs of wood cover the door panels while the chrome door pulls look to be larger and more substantial than the current levers. Squared-off gauge binnacles protrude from the instrument cluster adding a slight retro touch to the cabin while vertical strips of wood lie on either side of the center stack. The console shifter stays, the stereo cover is gone and the steering wheel gets a new, more squared-off four-spoke design.
Given that Cadillac stuck with a more traditional straight axle design for the new Escalade, expect Lincoln to continue to refine its fully independent suspension as a means of differentiation. We don't expect big changes under the hood either as the Navigator already gained a six-speed automatic last year. The biggest news will come in the way of a stretched version of the Navigator designed to compete with the Escalade ESV. It will debut about a year after the standard Navigator that goes on sale next fall.
The Navigator's most dramatic difference on the outside looks to be its new front fascia that features a broad crosshatch grille in place of the current waterfall design. Complex headlight clusters with multiple lenses should add some flash to the otherwise traditional-looking face.
It's rare to get a clean interior shot of a prototype that isn't cluttered with wires and laptops, but our shot clearly shows a very different cabin than the current model. Larger slabs of wood cover the door panels while the chrome door pulls look to be larger and more substantial than the current levers. Squared-off gauge binnacles protrude from the instrument cluster adding a slight retro touch to the cabin while vertical strips of wood lie on either side of the center stack. The console shifter stays, the stereo cover is gone and the steering wheel gets a new, more squared-off four-spoke design.
Given that Cadillac stuck with a more traditional straight axle design for the new Escalade, expect Lincoln to continue to refine its fully independent suspension as a means of differentiation. We don't expect big changes under the hood either as the Navigator already gained a six-speed automatic last year. The biggest news will come in the way of a stretched version of the Navigator designed to compete with the Escalade ESV. It will debut about a year after the standard Navigator that goes on sale next fall.
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