2017 Lincoln Navigator Next in Line for Aluminum Body
Aluminum is moving into the auto industry in a big way, and Ford is embracing it.
The 2015 F-150 features aluminum body panels that has helped the pickup shed around 700 pounds, and it looks like the Lincoln Navigator is the next vehicle in Ford’s portfolio to go on the aluminum diet. An all-new Navigator is expected to show up in the second half of 2016 as a 2017 model year, sporting the new material.
SEE ALSO: 2015 Lincoln Navigator Revealed – Video
For 2015, Lincoln’s big SUV got an exterior makeover and a new engine, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 from the F-150. Two models are available, either a short wheelbase version or a long wheelbase, though both are available with three rows of seats.
The 2015 Navigator comes in at 5,830 pounds at its lightest, so you can expect the new model to have a base curb weight around 5,000 pounds. Another distinct possibility is the addition of a ten-speed transmission for the new Navigator, a unit that Ford is currently developing with General Motors.
GALLERY: 2015 Lincoln Navigator
[Source: Auto News]
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Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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Sounds great and all but will it be enough to steal sales from the Escalade? Does Lincoln still have some cachet left to give the Escalade a serious run for the money? We will see.