I recently tested a top of the line Navigator Black Label loaded with those goodies. Here's what I found. Wochit
If it tows like a truck and and hauls like a truck, it's a truck. In a nutshell, that's why the 2018 Lincoln Navigator, arguably a luxurious new SUV, was just named North American Truck of the Year.
I'm the president of the jury that presents the awards, and trust me, we thought about this one a lot. Sales of SUVs, or utility vehicles, have skyrocketed over the last few years. Many, like the Honda CR-V and Ford Explorer, compete based on their ability to carry kids to soccer games, not to tow horse trailers or boats.
But when you need towing capacity, nothing else will do, and the Navigator can tow 8,700 pounds. That sets it apart from he Navigator apart from vehicles like the Volvo XC90, which holds the same number of people — but forget about the speedboat.
That's how the Navigator ended up in the truck category. It won because it's a huge leap forward for the brand, leaping from also-ran status to the front of the pack. Lincoln's just beginning to make its mark in international markets like China, and the creative design and exquisite details of the Navigator's interior should put it on plenty of new buyers' lists.
A footnote: The Navigator and the winners of 2018 Car and Utility Vehicle of the year, the Honda Accord and Volvo XC60, were my picks for Free Press vehicles of the year, but I didn't know my fellow jurors on the North American vehicle jury agreed with me till the results of that vote were announced Monday morning at Cobo Center.
Detroit Auto Show:
Contact Mark Phelan at mmphelan@freepress.com.
The 2018 Lincoln Navigator, Volvo SC60 and Honda Accord are the North American Car, Truck, Utility Vehicle of the year. Wochit
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