With the new Navigator, Lincoln has put down an impressive marker in the realm of luxury SUVs. The big rig weighs nearly 6000 pounds, is clad in an elegant aluminum skin and rides on a unitized steel body. Power comes from a turbocharged V6 that produces 450 horsepower at 5500 rpm, with 510 pound-feet of torque on tap from 3000 rpm. Power is put to the road through a 10-speed automatic transmission, with rear-wheel drive standard and 4-wheel drive available. Lincoln estimates a combined fuel economy rating of 18 mpg, and the maximum towing capacity is rated at 8700 pounds.

The Navigator comes in four trims--Premiere, Select, Reserve and Black Label--and thought the Premiere is only offered in the standard wheelbase of 122.5 inches, the other three trims are also available as 131.6-inch-wheelbase Navigator L models. Regardless of the trim or length, however, all Navigators offer luxury seating for eight passengers. It's in the cargo capacity where L models excel, with an extra 15 cubic feet of space over the standard Navigator.

Navigator Premiere models ride on 20-inch 14-spoke aluminum wheels and include LED fog lights, headlights, and daytime running lights, LED taillights, rain-sensing wipers, a satin chrome mesh grille with active grille shutters and a foot-activated, hands-free liftgate. Inside there's genuine wood trim in the center console and door panels, a leather steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, leather seating with 10-way power heated front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs and power-recline third-row seats, a 12-inch configurable LCD instrument cluster, adjustable pedals, power one-touch windows, tri-zone automatic climate control, 4G modem with WiFi hotspot capability, and active noise control. A 10-inch LCD touchscreen provides control for the SYNC 3 infotainment system, the navigation system, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a 14-speaker Revel audio system. A heated second-row 40/20/40 power-folding bench is optional, as is hill descent control on 4-wheel drive models.

The Select and Select L trims add 22-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, illuminated power running boards, wireless device charging, and a heated steering wheel. Options include a CD player, heated and ventilated 30-way "perfect position" front seats with memory, adaptive cruise control with collision mitigation, head-up display, and active park assist. A panoramic sunroof is optional on the standard Select and standard on the Select L.

Reserve and Reserve L Navigators bring an illuminated emblem, illuminated seatbelt buckles, standard heated and ventilated 24-way power front seats and second-row split seating with a center console. A 20-speaker audio system is optional, as are second-row heated dual captain's chairs,

Finally, the top-tier Navigator Black Label, which offers seating for seven, rides on special 22-inch wheels, and comes standard with nearly everything that is optional on lesser trims, including adaptive cruise control, head-up display, park assist and lane departure warning. Additionally, the Black Label offers themed interiors such as "Chalet" and "Yacht Club," and "Destination." Chalet is clad in Alpine and Espresso leather with Silverwood inlays. Yacht Club offers soft blues with teak wood and a sand headliner, while Destination features mahogany leather Khaya inlays and a mahogany headliner.

A Heavy-Duty towing package features electronic traction assist, a heavy-duty radiator, trailer backup assist, and a trailer brake controller. Other packages include a Technology Package and the Lincoln Play rear-seat entertainment system.

Standard safety features include traction control with stability control, side-wind stabilization, a blind-spot information system with cross-traffic alert, advanced airbags, anti-lock brakes and more.