Welcome to the Six-figure Club, Lincoln!

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Traditionally, Lincolns served as the poster car for traditional, well-to-do Americans, just not ridiculously wealthy ones. Think successful club owner, business executive, law office partner, Vegas hashish importer, or rare antiques dealer. Regardless of model, the brand’s vehicles never ventured into the rarified pricing air occupied by European exotics — not even the Continental Mk. II, which stickered for the equivalent of $90k back in 1956.

That changes for 2019, as the Lincoln with the biggest margins — the full-size Navigator — joins its Cadillac rival in topping the six-figure mark.

Don’t worry, there’ll still be a plain-Jane base model offered for $74,500, according to order guides seen by CarsDirect. That price, which includes a destination charge, represents a $650 increase over 2018, though climbing the trim ladder to Select and Reserve grows much pricier for the coming model year.

At $78,850 after destination, the 2019 Navigator Select adds another $1,000 to its sticker. You’ll more than triple that pricing boost to move into a Reserve, which sees its entry price hit $86,500 for 2019; some $3,500 greater than in 2018. It’s a lot less jarring when you consider that extra $3,500 includes a now-standard technology package — formerly a $2,640 option — which adds a host of driver assist features.

Automakers love to boast of standard safety, but aren’t in the habit of handing it over for free.

It’s in the highest strata of Navigatordom where Lincoln breaches the $100,000 barrier. We’re talking about the Black Label L model. The long-wheelbase version of Lincoln’s top trim level joins the standard-length model in piling on the price, bringing its after-destination sticker to $100,890, or just $700 below that of a Cadillac Escalade ESV Platinum. Previously, the Black Label L went for $98,700.

Carrying an entry price of $97,690, the Black Label line doesn’t enter 2019 completely unchanged. Lincoln’s 30-way power seats become standard kit on these ultra-lux models, suggesting to would-be customers that profits are only part of the intention here. Of course, Lincoln will siphon almost a grand of extra gravy from each vehicle once the 2019 Black Labels go on sale.

Given the brand’s recent sales woes, Lincoln could be forgiven for seeing nothing but dollar signs in its largest model. Over the first seven months of 2018, Lincoln sales in the U.S. fell 10.8 percent, with July’s year-over-year tally falling 11 percent. In comparison, Navigator sales rose 62.7 percent in July and 79.9 percent on a year-to-date basis.

[Image: Lincoln Motor Company]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Michael500 Michael500 on Aug 21, 2018

    I like the bold look of this thing, but it's also a big fat looking slug of a truck too. Only an idiot or a Kardasian would pay this much. You can get a Range Rover for the same money- no one will look at you funny getting that valet parked at the club like this chrome festooned F150 with a shell. Lincoln has lost it's way, they should just kill the brand since they can't manage it. The sales numbers from the last decade agree with my opinion.

  • STS_Endeavour STS_Endeavour on Aug 21, 2018

    Lincoln did really well with this Navigator. Stunning interior. I kinda wish they carried over the gull wings from the concept. At least as an option.

  • Mikey My youngest girl ( now 48 ) dated a guy that had a Beretta with a stick shift. The Dude liked Beer and weed. too much for my liking..I borrowed my buddy's stick shift Chevette and give her short course on driving a manual .. I told her if the new BF has more than 2 beer or any weed ..You drive ...I don't care how many times you stall it, or or of you smoke the clutch . She caught on quite well ,and owned a succession of stick shift vehicles...An as an added bonus she dumped the guy.
  • Blueice "Due to regulation/govt backing, China is poised to dominate BEV/battery production, just as they do solar panel production, drone production, etc.Taiwan dominates production of certain types of chips due to regulation/govt backing and we saw how precarious such a situation is (especially with the PRC increasingly becoming aggressive towards Taiwan).That's why regulation/govt backing is aiming to build up local chip manufacturing."BD2, these businesses and or industries are not free market enterprises, buttcorporatist, bent on destroying their competitors with the use of governmentalunits to create monopolies. How safe are world consumers when the preponderance of computer chipsare made in one jurisdiction. Do you what Red China controlling any industry ??And it is well known, concentrated markets control leads to higher prices to end users.
  • Master Baiter I told my wife that rather than buying my 13YO son a car when he turns 16, we'd be better off just having him take Lyft everywhere he needs to go. She laughed off the idea, but between the cost of insurance and an extra vehicle, I'd wager that Lyft would be a cheaper option, and safer for the kid as well.
  • Master Baiter Toyota and Honda have sufficient brand equity and manufacturing expertise that they could switch to producing EVs if and when they determine it's necessary based on market realities. If you know how to build cars, then designing one around an EV drive train is trivial for a company the size of Toyota or Honda. By waiting it out, these companies can take advantage of supply chains being developed around batteries and electric motors, while avoiding short term losses like Ford is experiencing. Regarding hybrids, personally I don't do enough city driving to warrant the expense and complexity of a system essentially designed to recover braking energy.
  • Urlik You missed the point. The Feds haven’t changed child labor laws so it is still illegal under Federal law. No state has changed their law so that it goes against a Federal child labor hazardous order like working in a slaughter house either.
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