Lincoln Navigator 2015 rocks fuel-friendly EcoBoost V6 engine, touchscreen control, Drive Control

After nearly a decade, Lincoln’s legendary Navigator is finally getting a makeover with the launch of its 2015 edition. Here’s what Lincoln has done to breathe life back into the old beast.

Firstly, the 2015 Navigator remains as one of the biggest, sturdiest luxury SUV’s there is, but it needs to truly impress us if we’re going to drop money on this instead of BMW or Mercedes equivalent.

For the environmentally conscious drivers, the beefy 5.4-litre V8 engine has been dropped in favour of a nippy 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Lincoln says that “Drivers will feel the power when they step on the gas,” and that “the new EcoBoost engine sets the standard in this vehicle segment with its balance of performance and efficiency.”

In an interview with Lincoln’s key designers and engineers, care of AutoBlog, we now know that the engine is paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox, as well as a manual mode. From these specs alone, we can see that Lincoln’s looking to meld power and efficiency with fuel economy.

Adaptive dampeners will play a part in this as well as the 2015 Lincoln has been fitted with a Drive Control system which keeps dampeners in line for a smoother, safer ride.

The last Lincoln was in 2007 and technological advancements mean that most premium cars now have touchscreens dashboards. In this vein, the new Lincoln comes with MyLincoln Touch with Sync, an 8″ touchscreen home.

This compliments twin 4.2″ displays to the left and right of the speedometer. It’s all about the LCD, man. Rounding this off is Ziricote wood finishing (the same found on luxury yachts) accenting the dash, door handles, arm rests and whatever else isn’t coated in padded leather.

Lincoln plans to debut the 2015 Lincoln Navigator at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, which is a few months before it enters the production line (scheduled for “end of summer”), with sales beginning “early fall”.