[Photos] 2022 Lincoln Navigator Adds ActiveGlide, SYNC4
Photo: Lincoln
The Lincoln Navigator is getting a modest aesthetic refresh for 2022, but it’s really stepping things up when it comes to technology. Namely, the new 2022 Lincoln Navigator will be the first vehicle in the brand’s lineup to offer Lincoln ActiveGlide hands-free driving when it debuts next year.
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Toplining the changes for the inbound 2022 Lincoln Navigator are the additions of ActiveGlide hands-free technology, SYNC 4 infotainment, and Lincoln Enhance over-the-air updates.
The 2022 Navigator becomes the first vehicle from the luxury brand to get Lincoln ActiveGlide hands-free driving technology. Originally announced alongside Lincoln’s plans to go all-electric, Lincoln ActiveGlide is ostensibly the same system as Ford’s BlueCruise, combining and evolving the Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Lane Centering, and Speed Sign Recognition features.
Lincoln ActiveGlide will allow for hands-free driving on more than 130,000 miles of highways in North America — up 30,000 miles from Ford’s previous estimates. Lincoln has not specified whether the system prep kit will be built into the Navigator or if it will be offered on select models.
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The 2022 Lincoln Navigator is the second vehicle in the brand’s portfolio with SYNC 4 following the 2021 Lincoln Nautilus. This gives the new Navigator cloud connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and improved Amazon Alexa Built-In as well as Alexa integration with the Lincoln Way app.
You’ll also be able to keep your Navigator up to date with system and software updates and upgrades thanks to Lincoln Enhance. Lincoln pledges that the feature will allow customers to save money on repair trips and provide more consistent performance across the SUV’s lifetime.
“We’ve added thoughtful technology we know our clients will appreciate, helping to make their journey, whether it be near or far, as effortless and enjoyable as possible,” said Mike Kipley, Navigator chief program engineer. “These additions give them more ways to personalize their Navigator based on their needs and lifestyles.”
New 2022 Navigator ‘the ultimate expression of Lincoln’
Lincoln isn’t out to reinvent the wheel with the 2022 Navigator. That job is likely reserved for the all-new Lincoln EV that will debut next year and shake up the brand’s Quiet Flight design DNA. For now, the revamped Navigator is a tasteful progression of Lincoln design language inside and out.
“Elevating a vehicle as successful as Navigator is no small feat, and our team accomplished this with pride — turning heads and pulling our clients into the sophisticated, sleek design both inside and out,” said Kemal Curic, design director, Lincoln.
“Building on what we already know and further refining our strengths, we explored more ways for clients to enjoy the sanctuary of their vehicle, using it as a space for personal relaxation and wellness — from home, to work and to stationary moments,” Curic added.
Photo: Lincoln
The most notable updates to the exterior of the 2022 Lincoln Navigator include a new Lincoln signature grille flanked on either side by standard adaptive pixel projector headlamps. These new headlights complement 3D taillamps in the rear that create a sense of depth and enhance the Lincoln Embrace welcome lighting array.
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Navigator’s updated interior offers better Lincoln Play, more speakers
New 2022 Lincoln Navigator is clean, cozy, and swank
Photo: Lincoln
Peep the capacious center console
Photo: Lincoln
Spacious second- and third-row seating, including optional captain’s chairs
Photo: Lincoln
A new digital module lets second-row passengers adjust seats and temp
Photo: Lincoln
2022 Lincoln Navigator offers upgraded Lincoln Play entertainment system with Fire TV
Photo: Lincoln
Navigator gets a new 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D audio system
Photo: Lincoln
While curb appeal is a big part of the Navigator’s formula, the inside is where it really counts. As before, the 2022 Lincoln Navigator is a beastly boat with seating for up to eight people and a whole bunch of cargo space. But Lincoln fills that space with more features that should resonate with customers.
Up front, you’ll have a larger 13.2-inch touch-screen display for SYNC 4 as well as a 12-inch digital cluster. While it’s not the 38-inch curved OLED setup from the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, it’s a strong upgrade over the previous Navigator.
These screens also add a flourish of color to the Navigator with the Constellation digital design theme, which uses blues and oranges to emulate the feeling of sunset.
Speaking of colors, the Lincoln Navigator Black Label lineup adds two new offerings: Central Park and Invitation. Those themes join Chalet and Yacht Club as options exclusive to the 2022 Lincoln Navigator’s top trim.
The 2022 Lincoln Navigator serves up a superior second-row experience as well, offering a new 5.8-inch digital module in the rear center console that allows passengers to adjust seat, climate, and audio settings. Better still, the second-row seats are now standard with heating, ventilation, and massage functionality — the latter of which is a first-in-segment offering.
With the 2022 Lincoln Navigator also comes an improved Lincoln Play rear entertainment system. New Lincoln Play now integrates Fire TV and offers Voice Remotes with Alexa for easier navigation. The system boasts 10.1-inch screens which can display individualized content, wireless Bluetooth headphones for personal listening, 16 GB of storage per display, and several different inputs.
Also receiving an upgrade is the Navigator’s sound system, which climbs from the top-tier 20-speaker system to a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D audio system more in line with the Aviator. Like the Aviator, the Navigator also gets six chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in place of alert sounds.
The more things change, the more some things stay the same
Photo: Lincoln
One thing that absolutely isn’t changing with the 2022 Lincoln Navigator (yet) is the beast beneath the hood. The new Navigator will carry over the current model’s 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, though Lincoln says it will actually be slightly less powerful at 440 horsepower. This isn’t to say Lincoln won’t add a late-model Grand Touring or shuffle one out for a future model year, but there’s no sign of a hybrid Navigator just yet.
Though Lincoln is sticking with the one engine option, the 2022 Navigator will get some boosts in performance. Another new feature for the SUV is Adaptive Suspension with Road Preview, which uses 12 sensors to monitor the road up to 500 times per second and adapt as many as 100 times a second.
The Navigator’s Heavy-Duty Trailer Tow Package also adds Trailer Reverse Guidance, which makes it easier to back up and back into a spot with a trailer.
Lincoln is also adding a pair of new technologies to the updated Lincoln Co-Pilot360 2.0 suite, which will be standard across the lineup. All Navigator SUVs will get Active Park Assist 2.0, which essentially automates parking, and Intersection Assist to avoid turning left into oncoming vehicles.
The 2022 Lincoln Navigator launches early next year.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.