Test Drive Lincoln Navigator since 2006 SUV

Truck VIP.

Adjustment in the Ford family, in the side branch - the Lincoln separation. When you hear the name of this brand, imagine a long-long car, from which some kind of superstar will be magnificently and, accompanied by numerous security, will begin to wade through the crowd of fans. Or remember the unkind Word car traffic jams on the covered streets of the hometown of the hometown, where the mothers are waiting for the travel of a tavern with red-blue flashers and sigh lightweight, by sight of the feed of the car, the front of which is in two quarters around the corner. With Lincoln Navigator is all somewhat different.

Most recently, we had two cars on the test - a light truck F-150 and created on its basis Ford Expedition (Motor 7 (15). Therefore, when we were offered to experience the new Lincoln Navigator, we first laughed in: well, what can be in it Such a special is the same car. After all, for example, General Motors SUVs, produced by different offices, differ from each other only by names and emblems. But then curiosity took the top - after all, the Navigator was created by the Lincoln compartment, which means that at least the luxury of the finish should be different. Increased comfort.

In recent years, the image of off-road cars and their owners has undergone significant changes. From the working horses, these cars turned into steep cars, and instead of farmers and lumberjacks at the wheel now sit solid and very solid gentlemen, and sometimes hired drivers. Of course, many cars of the lung truck class are still used in direct appointment, but in this sector of the sphere market of influence is divided, and consumer addictions have long been determined. Therefore, now the manufacturers are fighting for the buyer who can peck on the tricky complete set. In the Avenue of any company producing high-pass cars, in the Options section, you can see the equipment, another five years ago the former privilege of only executive machines: leather interior, trimming of wood, cruise and climate control, electric drives in total, and Similar notes, but very nice little things.

But the case of serial models is not limited. Almost all manufacturers are either already produced, or is about to release a special - luxury - the version of its SUVs. For examples, it is not necessary to go far: from Toyota Land Cruiser made Lexus LX450, from Ford Explorer - Mercury Mountainer, from Nissan Pathfinder / Terrano - Infiniti QX4.

A piece of luxury pie They want to grab even those companies that were not serious with SUVs seriously. Merdcedes-Benz, who eighteen years ago, Gelandewagen, and since then, sluggishly modernizing him, unwound and released ML320, in Mercedesovsky is good and cheap. Stubborn rumors walk that the range of their models is going to replenish the SUV even Porshe.

Against this background, the appearance of a high passability of a car in the Lincoln is a natural, quite responsible fashion and spirit of the times. Although it can be said with full confidence that if these cars leave sometime asphalt coating, then only in order to throw the owner on the tramplers of some very civilized reservoir, where he can in a good company to open a bottle of Dom Perignon from plastic cups, Satisfying in nature and adventure. Basically, uncommon off-road qualities of such cars will remain unclaimed. It is perfectly understood by the manufacturers themselves, offering on a par with all-wheel drive versions and cars with wheel formula 4x2.

But this, so to speak, the theory of the question. Turn directly to the machine itself. With a fluid external inspection, the car differs from Expedition only to the design of the front part, with a typical lincoln cladding of the radiator and a new lighting, but it is only at first glance. From the body of the prototype, Navigator remained only the roof, all other external panels are new. In addition to the changed relief at the bottom of the body there are plastic lining, quality resembling tuning kits from Lada-engineering. Step over the high thresholds helps the robust, running along the entire body a footboard, equipped with backlight, which automatically turns on when the doors is opened.

In the cabin, primarily draws attention to the remote control of the driver's seat, located on the side surface of the seat. It seems that the designers wanted to ensure the possibility of optimal landing of the driver, which even overreal with the number of seat adjustments.

In addition to moving forward-back and up-down, the chair can change the slope in the front and rear parts separately. The tilt of the backrest, as well as the stiffness of the pillow and the lumbar stop are adjustable, but for some reason manually. Naturally, all this luxury is unthinkable without heating in two modes and leather seats.

The front passenger chair is equipped with the same service kit, but the two seats in the second row are not regulated - if you intend to use the services of the driver, take care of the car in other configuration. Two seats are not a reservation: Instead of the usual sofa from behind, separate chairs are really installed, and between them something resembling a vase, in fact - a thermal shower for drinks or provisions - to whom more needed.

About the dimensions of the Navigator salon can not say - they are huge. Of course, it is not suitable for dancing, but each of the four passengers can accommodate as it wishes. There is also a third row of seats, but this folding sofa is suitable except for children: the floor will raise the floor in this place, and a man above 150 cm has a novel. The manufacturer, however, claims that this is done specifically - to improve the review from the sofa.

Switches of climate installation, display of the route computer and some aircraft crosses are located on the ceiling. Two foams are also placed in the front of the cabin - for glasses and for radio, telephone or remote control unit with garage gates. Next to the Penals are the buttons with which you can open the rear side glass gills. By the way, besides the windshield, all the glasses are tinted - the front is very insignificant, and they will not break through the rest outside the interior. The dimming is made in accordance with the American standards, but it is argued that we will not have problems with the inspection.

Above each chair is an individual lamp and an air conditioner nozzle - as in an airplane. For sitting rear, it is possible to manage music using the remote control set between the front chairs.

A trip to the right off-road this time was not included in the test program. First, the passability and maneuverability of cars on this chassis are fully appreciated on the previous test. Secondly, there was no tractor for insurance. Thirdly, in the standard car wash, these machines are not placed, and to restore the car lost in the swamp would have to have forces.

We were interested in, first of all, the work of a pneumatic self-leveling suspension, which for Navigator is a standard package (for Expedition it is also provided, but as an option, and last time we are not lucky).

In order to look at the driver's seat and adjust the seats and belts under it, it has not needed a lot of time - everything is familiar with the test drive F-150 and Expedition. With the engine turned on, the automatic transmission selector cannot be moved from the Parking position without pressing the brake pedal. Then we did not pay attention to this feature. Move through the streets - no problem. Good speaker, a circular review and - that is important - quite a certain image of the car make it easy to squeeze into the most dense stream and freely maneuver in it within the total speed of movement. During the passage of the tunnel, the automation reacted to reduce illumination and turned on the head light. After that, passing cars began to give way to the road even more.

Swimming around the surroundings, found a winding and bumpy path, which perfectly complied with our goals. With the first - a familiarization trip, a trip was moved at a speed of 40-50 km / h, looking out for the deepest rods, mainly on turns. To myself noted that the suspension, indeed, works - the car body perfectly retains a horizontal position. The second round is traveled by 60 km / h. The result is the same.

Third check-in, speed - 80 km / h. It turns out that the car does not like to enter the pit at the same time two wheels of the front axle. It follows to a nose to the nose - this is normal and expected, but then the suspension is treated for a while, and if the first irregularity should be the second, then the car overcomes it with the softness of stools. Navigating an obstacle only with right or left wheels no inconvenience causes: probably the inter-track suspension balancing is configured more sensitive than the inter-axis, which is completely opposite to the behavior of previous tested cars.

On a winding, but smooth road, the stability of the car is great - you can put on a torpedo filled to the edges of a glass and on the way not to spill. The speed, the number and steepness of the turns at a reasonable mode of motion does not matter. Well, it is Lincoln, and the smoothness of these cars is well known.

Navigator suspension has another interesting feature. When the ignition is turned off, the machine is lowered by about 25 mm - it is more convenient to enter and exit. At the beginning of the movement, the clearance increases and retains its value to a speed of about 40 km / h, after which the car is again lowered. The logic here is as follows: if the speed is small, then under the wheels off-road, therefore, the clearance should be more. And since I went to quickly, it means that we got out on the highway, and the big road clearance is no longer needed.

The engine for Navigator is provided only one - 5.4 liters of V8 with a capacity of 235 hp. Compared to Expedition, the car was sick (to a large extent due to the enormous additional amount of sound-absorbing materials). But noticing the associated any deterioration of the dynamics on the eye failed. But silence in the cabin was obvious.

So, Lincoln Navigator is a dynamic, powerful and comfortable car. Made it in a record short term - for 23 months. And in some places it is felt. Leather seats, wooden steering wheel and inserts on torpedo - suite. But the plastic in the interior decoration is exactly the same as in the F-150 truck.

The steering wheel is entirely joined with Jaguar. Although, on the other hand, why not? Who, in the end, the owner?

Of course, the luxury image of the Range Rover surpassed. But it is necessary to compare the cost, and everything else. In the US, for example, Range Rover prices begin with $ 56.000, and it is less. LX450 will cost a minimum of $ 49,000, but Navigator may be more tow. And it is worth a maximum of $ 46.000 - in the all-wheel drive version and in the most sophisticated configuration. Prices for these cars in Moscow car dealers can compare themselves.

In general, it can be assumed that the VIP truck is the department of Lincoln in the first approximation. Given the popularity of the initial Expedition to sell Navigator should be not bad. If only the guys from the Cadillac separation will not be solved in the same way to bring Chevrolet Suburban.

The Lincoln Navigator car was provided by Art Motors. Tel.: (095) 245-8450.

Until the mid-70s, manufacturers of SUVs around the world were traditionally focused primarily on military, hunters, tourists and other consumers who needed transport capable of do without roads. The produced machines were intended for people of courageous and unpretentious, not accustomed special importance to the conveniences and values \u200b\u200bin the car only his permeability. The interior of the SUVs was extremely ascetic, with naked iron panels and a minimum of control devices, but with an abundance of a variety of levers sticking out of the floor, and with huge pedals, which are not mistaken in dirty boots.

For the first time, the car of increased passability, equipped with a salon, a little-old adapted for a normal person was made, oddly enough, in the USSR. It happened for the reason that it was bad in the country with the roads, and they still wanted to move in more or less comfortable cars, or because the launch of a new car was timed to some date, and there was no time to master Production of a new interior, to say now difficult. But anyway, the VAZ-2121, who debuted in 1976, was equipped with a salon from the VAZ-2106, at the time, the car of the Lux Category.

In fairness it should be noted that the attempts to put on the all-wheel drive chassis, the standard body was taken in our country and earlier (GAZ-61, GAZ-M72), but it was only a combination of finished parts, and not a specially designed car.

And since we firmly remember that Russia is the birthplace of elephants, we will assume that the idea of \u200b\u200bthe Americans stole. AMC Company, combining two Russian approaches to the topic, in 1981 he released an Eagle car, developing for the body that existed in three versions (coupe, sedan, wagon) off-road chassis. By the way, afterwards, after purchasing AMC Corporation Chrysler, Jeep Cherokee was created on the basis of Eagle Wagon.

Traditional manufacturers of SUVs did not accept the appearance in their sector of the market of a new competitor, who had proposed the luxury of the interior unprecedented for the car, and began to create salons for their cars, no difference from ordinary - road, urban and family versions. At first, most manufacturers offered a civilian stuffing only as an additional equipment, but very soon cars with Spartan decoration have ceased to be in demand, and the comfortable salon for SUVs has become the norm.

Evgeny Romantsky
 
 

A source: Motor magazine [№11 / 1997]