The 2025 Lincoln Navigator launched as an all-new, redesigned version of the large and luxurious SUV, a revamp that included revised exterior styling and a totally new interior that’s quite different compared to its predecessor. Trouble is, the new Navigator got more expensive as a result of these changes, too – with the base Premiere trim discontinued for 2025, the cheapest point of entry came in at $99,995 via the Reserve, compared to $83,265 for the 2024 Navigator Premiere. Now, however, the 2026 Lincoln Navigator has brought back its entry-level trim for the new model year.
According to CarsDirect, the 2026 Lincoln Navigator lineup will indeed welcome back the Premiere trim, effectively lowering the point of entry for that model at the same time. In fact, the 2026 Lincoln Navigator Premiere will start out at $91,995, excluding destination charges of $2,595, which makes it a cool $8,000 cheaper than the Reserve. A Lincoln spokesperson confirmed this re-addition to the lineup, noting that the change was made “based on consumer interest and retailer feedback.”
If nothing else, this change also better positions the 2026 Lincoln Navigator against its chief rival, the Escalade, which starts out at $93,695, including destination. There are a few things that the entry-level trim gives up, as one might imagine – it gets heated and ventilated soft-touch captain’s chairs instead of the premium leather units in the Reserve, a standard Revel Audio System instead of Revel Ultima 3D, and it gets a standard 40/20/40 split bench seat instead of second-row captain’s chairs.
Otherwise, the 2026 Lincoln Navigator is getting more expensive, with the Reserve and Black Label increasing by $2,000 to $101,995 and $118,995, respectively, minus destination charges. Regardless, we’ve seen Ford delete base trims only to add them back on more than one occasion as of late. The Ford Bronco brought back its Base trim for the 2025 model year after ditching it in 2024, while the 2026 Ford Explorer is also gaining a new Active Base trim, too.
Comment
Pretty difficult for someone to look at a Lincoln when they only offer four (4) vehicles and one of them (the Corsair) is going to be discounted.
They are supposed to be competing with Cadillac but how can you compete when they have very little offerings? Cadillac has about a dozen vehicles and mulitple EVs to pick from. When Farley said 3-row EV SUVs won’t be popular, other companies are making them and selling them. I’ve seen plenty of Escalade IQs and R1S’ on the road.
With Lincoln lowering the price a bit with the premiere trim, it might get a few more lookers, but even at the low $90Ks, many will simply pick an Escalade, as it has a better reputation and they are readily available.