2022 Lincoln Navigator

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator isn’t a completely new vehicle, but it does have significant tweaks and additions to make it more appealing than last year’s model.

Among these improvements is the first implementation of Lincoln’s ActiveGlide, which is a limited hands-free driving system. There’s also a road-sensing camera that communicates information to the suspension to produce a smoother ride.

Many of the 2022 updates are for Navigator’s rear passengers. The second-row seats are now ventilated and can now be outfitted with a massaging function. That fully digital control module is new and allows rear passengers to adjust their seats and the climate system.

The rear entertainment system is also upgraded with Amazon Fire TV compatibility, so those in the back can stream (or download ahead of time) their favorite shows and movies. Front occupants will enjoy a larger central touchscreen.

ENGINE AND IMPLEMENTATION

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator has only one engine-and-transmission combination, but with 440 horsepower, one is all it needs. We found the Navigator to be responsive and genuinely speedy, and the 10-speed automatic shuffles through gears adeptly enough to avoid perturbing dozing passengers.

At our test track, the standard-wheelbase Navigator and long-wheelbase model had equally quick acceleration. However, straight-line performance is where the 2022 Lincoln Navigators performance potential begins and ends.

Steering feel is numb and its sheer bulk prevents it from being a vehicle that encourages enthusiastic driving. The Navigator’s ride is pleasant enough for a large luxury SUV, but rivals such as the X7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-class offer a more refined on-road demeanor.

When wearing optional 22-inch wheels, the 2022 Lincoln Navigator was sometimes jittery, and sharp impacts were followed by bouncing rebounds—the worst of both worlds.

ENERGY AND REAL-WORLD MPG

Unlike its V-8 competition, the 2022 Lincoln Navigator employs a downsized, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission in the quest for better fuel economy.

Despite its smaller engine, it’s far from fuel-efficient and earned ratings of 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway in rear-wheel-drive guise. For more information about the Navigator’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.

INTERIOR, CONVENIENCE, AND BOOTH

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator‘s interior is lavishly spacious and genuinely luxurious. Materials such as open-pore wood trim and massaging front seats are only available in the upper trim levels, but even entry-level Navigators have much to offer.

The Navigator’s third row is one of the best examples of that seating arrangement. There is 1.1 inches more legroom in the Navigator’s third row than that of the GLS-class, and other competitors fall even further behind.

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator offers optional 30-way-adjustable massaging front seats, a keystone feature for Lincoln’s flagship SUV. The seats are almost sculptural and are so customizable that you can even adjust the individual left and right thigh supports to different heights.

The Navigator’s immense size can be a drawback when weaving through traffic or attempting to park, but it’s a huge boon when it comes time to pack for vacation.

Short-wheelbase models have limited cargo space with all three rows in use; cargo space is abundant with the third row folded. Long-wheelbase L models have cargo room aplenty even with the third row in use.

IN-VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT AND INTERCONNECTIONS

The 2022 Lincoln Navigator comes standard with an eye-catching 13.2-inch touchscreen and has USB ports in every row. The infotainment system’s graphics are slick and easy to read—important for Lincoln’s presbyopic clientele—and the huge screen is like a glittering jewel atop the Navigator’s prow.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and the system is capable of over-the-air software updates thanks to an onboard 5G Wi-Fi hotspot. A 14-speaker Revel stereo system is standard but a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D stereo is part of the optional Luxury package.

PROTECTION AND DRIVER-ASSISTANCE ASPECTS

Lincoln also makes its Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assistance technology standards on the Navigator and that includes blind-spot monitoring, automated emergency braking, and pedestrian detection among other items.

For more information about the 2022 Lincoln Navigator’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites.

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