Lincoln Navigator Black Label test drive

We drove Lincoln's $120,000 luxury SUV through South Carolina to see if it's still America's ultimate people carrier.

Sep 24, 2026

8 cards · 2m · tap to begin

From · · 2m

Lincoln Navigator Black Label test drive

We drove Lincoln's $120,000 luxury SUV through South Carolina to see if it's still America's ultimate people carrier.

In brief

We drove Lincoln's $120,000 luxury SUV through South Carolina to see if it's still America's ultimate people carrier. The Navigator remains an over-the-top luxury icon, but modern tech and comfort features make it genuinely impressive to experience from the inside. Originally reported by Maxim.

The original luxury SUV

Lincoln introduced the Navigator in 1998, a year before Cadillac's Escalade. It became a late-'90s icon, especially among hip-hop artists and pro athletes, and helped Lincoln outsell Cadillac for the first time in 50 years.

“The Navigator is the original full-size luxury SUV.”

Striking design and interior

Striking design and interior

The Black Label Special Edition features shimmery Sunrise Copper paint with black wheels and roof. Inside, the light-beige Enlighten interior feels spacious with supremely comfortable seats and 48 inches of curved panoramic glass across the dashboard.

Wellness themes and customization

Lincoln positions Black Label as a wellness experience with three interior themes. Atmospheric features gray leather and ash wood, Enlighten offers beige leather and birch wood, and Invitation includes black leather and khaya wood. The Rejuvenate feature combines aromatherapy, sound, lighting, massaging seats, and climate control.

Powerful engine and smooth transmission

The 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque with velvety smooth shifts from the 10-speed automatic. It delivers serious passing power and can tow up to 8,700 pounds with the heavy-duty trailer tow package.

Adaptive suspension eliminates bumps

The Adaptive Suspension system uses 12 sensors monitoring movement 500 times per second, paired with a forward-facing camera that anticipates road conditions. It adjusts stiffness for each wheel individually, eliminating floaty rides on highways and erasing potholes on mixed terrain.

Hands-free driving and sound quality

BlueCruise hands-free system handles lane changes and stop-and-go traffic on compatible highways. The Navigator uses acoustic-laminated glass and sound-dampening materials to create a quiet cabin, then fills it with a 28-speaker Revel Ultima 3D sound system.

Comfort for all three rows

Massaging seats in the first and second rows can be heated or cooled. The second row offers optional entertainment screens. Even the third row is spacious enough for adults on long road trips, with no bad seats in the entire vehicle.

“There are no bad seats.”

From outsider to insider

The Navigator was once an unattainable status symbol locked in the past. Driving it revealed that the modern version is best understood from the inside out, where its genuine luxury and technology shine far beyond its iconic exterior image.

“It's an SUV that can only really be known from the inside out.”

The takeaway

The Navigator remains an over-the-top luxury icon, but modern tech and comfort features make it genuinely impressive to experience from the inside.

Read the original on Maxim

React

Sign in to react and comment.

Comments (0)

Life is short. Keep it sweet. Respect others' opinions and be kind!

    Recommended next

    More decks on lincoln navigator and related topics.