Lincoln has revealed its next taste of American Luxury in the shape of the 2018 Navigator, a full-size SUV that doesn't stint on chrome. Unveiled today at the New York International Auto Show 2017, the 2018 Navigator borrows heavily from the Navigator Concept shown off last year, though drops some of the more eye-catching details of that show car. Nonetheless, this isn't an SUV you'll miss on the road.
The 2017 Lincoln Continental had a strong start: indeed, few auto-show cars capture the spirit of their predecessors - and the attention of the buying public - like the 2015 Continental Concept did. Unapologetic in its lavishly-chromed exterior and purple shag-pile cabin, it was far from the milquetoast sedans that had ill-borne the Continental name up until their demise in the early '00s. Instead, it summoned memories of icons from the fifties and sixties, a conspicuous and distinctive play on the "American Luxury" slogan of the brand.
Five minutes into driving the 2017 Lincoln Continental, a Mercedes-Benz C300 pulled up alongside me at the lights. “That’s a beautiful car!” the middle-aged driver called to me across the gap, to the barely-disguised pleasure of the Lincoln exec in the passenger seat. With less than 24 hours in Los Angeles to get to grips with the new Continental, I was attempting to multitask and squeeze in not only experiencing the car but figuring out what exactly had prompted the company to resurrect the such a storied nameplate now.
Not every new car is a success, and over time even the most intriguing models run the risk of being surpassed by more interesting offerings from other companies. It's not always a design, price, or features issue - some slow sellers fall victim to events outside their control, like changing fuel prices, shifting customer buying habits, or fading styling trends. The 10 cars on this list are facing their final year of production before being canceled forever, making this your last chance to snag one of these models.
Want to be a luxury brand these days? Better get in line. Just like every automaker has felt the need to dive head-first into the crossover pool, so goes the desire to push the features needle into the premium red-zone regardless of how affordable a vehicle's starting price might be. Bravely into this murky environment goes the 2017 Lincoln MKZ mid-size sedan, its moxie reinforced by both a redesign and an attitude adjustment under the hood aimed at grabbing the attention at previously-indifferent high end shoppers.
If you're currently shopping for a luxury SUV, you'll be pleased to discover that it's really a buyer's market. Automakers around the world are shifting production away from traditional sedans so that they can build ever-increasing numbers of crossovers and sport-utility vehicles, which are flying off of dealer lots across America.
Gullwing doors, an imposing on-road presence, and a brand new powertrain... no, not the Tesla Model X, but Lincoln's astonishingly outlandish Navigator Concept. Wheeled out at the New York International Auto Show this week, the vast SUV previews the next generation of Navigator and the vision of "quiet luxury" that the automaker believes its drivers - and their passengers - deserve.
It's a name with history, so Lincoln has a lot to live up to with the 2017 Continental. Revealed at the NAIAS 2016, the classic badge has a brand new car, with Lincoln hoping its vision of "quiet luxury" chimes with drivers. This is no humble ambition, either, with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the Continental's sights.
Lincoln has unveiled the 2017 MKZ, its latest luxury sedan, throwing in the company's latest design language, a new engine, and a better-equipped interior. It's an important model for Lincoln, too, the best-selling car in the company's current line-up. It's also a solid hybrid seller, with around 30-percent of all MKZ's having a combined gas-electric powertrain.
When you're resurrecting a name most associated with pampered land-yachts of the 60s and 70s, you can either fight it or - as Lincoln has with the new Continental Concept - embrace it, shag pile and all. A vision in navy blue and chrome, the meaty sedan previews, so the Lincoln Motor Company says, next year's production Continental, undoubtedly shedding some of the more outlandish features in favor of commercial viability. That'll be a shame, though, since as I discovered at the New York Auto Show today, what the Continental Concept excels at is detailing.
While others make a great noise about their latest, greatest, and most luxurious, Lincoln is of the opposite mindset. It believes that luxury isn't loud, obnoxious, or in your face but one that is quietly just that: luxurious. That is the statement and the gamble that the car maker is willing to make with the return of the Lincoln Continental, not as a final version but as a concept preview of what is to come. Somewhat ironically, due to the name's history, the revelation is causing some noise in the automobile world.
Luxury crossovers and SUVs are booming, and Lincoln is wading back in with a new model, the 2016 MKX, targeting not only the US but China too. Revealed at the Detroit Auto Show this morning, the MKX joins the Lincoln MKT and is, so the company claims, its most powerful and best handling version so far, not to mention the quietest inside. It's also an opportunity for Lincoln to throw tech at its high-end SUV, with a range of semi-autonomous parking aids, pop-out cameras, and more.