Lincoln Navigator Earns Top Large Premium SUV APEAL Award for Third Year in a Row

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, July 29, 2020:   The Lincoln Navigator continues to turn heads and impress consumers, earning the top award in the Large Premium SUV segment for the third consecutive year in the 2020 J.D. Power US APEAL study.

The Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study measures owners’ emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle across 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort and luxury they feel when climbing into the driver’s seat, to the feeling they get when they step on the accelerator. These attributes are aggregated to compute an overall APEAL index score measured on a 1,000-point scale.

The Navigator became the first American vehicle to top the APEAL study in 2018. This year, over 87,000 surveys were completed across 31 brands and 185 ranked models.

“Being awarded for the third year in a row in the APEAL study is an honour, and really represents how the Lincoln brand designs and engineers vehicles with the clients’ preferences at the forefront,” said Michael Sprague, North America director, The Lincoln Motor Company. “Our team is dedicated to creating an exceptional and effortless ownership experience, and this is a testament to our success.”

The 2020 Navigator showcases a clean, dramatic and elegant monochromatic colour scheme that echoes the sanctuary-like interior of the vehicle. Signature features and standard technology such as power running boards, heated and ventilated front-row seats and a suite of the brand’s popular driver-assist technologies are all features that continue to attract clients.

“Interior comfort is undoubtedly a consideration when measuring owners’ emotional attachment to their Navigator, and Lincoln’s large premium SUV’s cabin boasts exceptional hip and leg room and space to manoeuvre, as well as segment-exclusive 30-way Perfect Position seats,” said Nicolas Lory, Managing Director, Lincoln Direct Markets. “Power, too, can be emotive, allowing Navigator’s best-in-class 450 horsepower help it to top spot in the APEAL awards for the third consecutive year, and drive its continued popularity with Middle East customers.” 

Navigator’s retail share is the best in over ten years, as the vehicle continues to welcome new clients to the brand. More than 60 per cent of Navigator sales come from conquest customers, and the vehicle continues to grow in its segment with a 28.2 per cent share through May – an increase of 1.97 percentage points year-over-year.

Overall, Lincoln has jumped from sixth to second among premium nameplates in the 2020 J.D. Power US APEAL study, with all models beating their respective segments and earning the highest score in driving comfort and infotainment.

Lincoln Middle East, too, continues to soar in popularity, seeing its best month of sales for four years in June, as quarantines and curfews eased across the region and luxury vehicle owners proved eager to get back on the road.