Lincoln Navigator Concept Has Gullwing Doors, But Not Everyone Is Excited About It

A Lincoln Navigator concept model with gullwing doors and stairs made headlines recently after being revealed at an auto show.

Bloomberg Business reports that the lavish concept, which is being revealed by Ford Motor Co., has a high-end deluxe interior, along with a retro appearance and body.

Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra opened up about the revealed concept model Monday, claiming that it is the definition of luxury.

“This is how we define quiet luxury. It’s about creating warm, personalized, human experiences in everything we do.”

There are quite a few highlight of the Lincoln Navigator concept that will likely generate a lot of buzz when the luxury SUV is presented at the New York International Auto Show this week.

For instance, the seats can reportedly be adjusted in 30 different directions. The Navigator concept interior also provides accessible video screens for everyone sitting in the vehicle. As an added perk, the gear-shift mechanism looks like piano keys, and there is even a small staircase that assists people entering and exiting the vehicle.

However, the biggest highlight of the Lincoln Navigator concept model is arguably the gullwing doors.

During a discussion with the Verge, Galhotra briefly explained the complicated journey endured by the design team when it came to creating the impressive Lincoln Navigator concept model.

“It was a very interesting challenge for the design team. The design language is all about elegant beauty. To take a vehicle that has that much volume and to make it elegant is a fun challenge.”

According to Bloomberg Business, “journalists gasped and then clapped” moments after the big reveal of the Lincoln Navigator concept with gullwing doors at the press event.

The mere idea of gullwing doors on a such a popular SUV model would definitely cause jaws to drop and will likely duplicate the same effect when it is presented for public viewing at the New York International Auto Show.

However, not everyone is apparently excited or even pleased with the Navigator concept model having gullwing doors. As seen by the numerous responses posted on Twitter, there is clearly a mixed reaction to the news and quite a few people are disappointed.

ah, gullwing doors, for when i want to take 45 extra seconds to get my toddler into my car, the future is good pic.twitter.com/XdbGz8neho

— Batman Scoop (@AdamEDowner) March 24, 2016

Everyone’s going gaga about the Navigator concept’s gullwing doors, and I’m like, guys, it’s ugly. #NYIAS

— Steven Ewing (@stevenewing) March 23, 2016

Trying to “out smart Tesla” the gullwing doors will kill these already dead models Moms want no fuss/easy #EpicFail https://t.co/No9DMt1h4O

— Mike Mendelsohn (@premierlease) March 23, 2016

The gullwing doors and stairs are definitely an attention-grabber, but the Lincoln Navigator concept model has a vast number of other impressive features inside and out.

The large screens throughout the vehicle will make it easy for the passengers to play games against one another while the driver focuses on the road. The company’s vision for this particular feature consists of those screens connecting to a wide variety of mobile devices for entertainment, communication and productivity purposes.

Pointless. RT @BlogXilla: Here is the 2017 #Lincoln Navigator Concept. I got an up close look at it last night. Wow. pic.twitter.com/UugBdfrvzY

— Zaddy (@PatNasty24) March 23, 2016

There is even an intercom and video chat system built into the Lincoln Navigator concept model that allows passengers in the third row to communicate efficiently with the driver and front passenger.

When will this deluxe Lincoln Navigator concept model be released on the market? How much will it cost consumers when it finally reaches the showroom floor?

During its big reveal at the press event on Monday, Galhotra made one thing clear: the Lincoln Navigator concept is just that — a concept. The new Navigator that will head to the showroom floor in 2017 will not have gullwing doors. According to Bloomberg Business, “the doors were just a way for Lincoln to have some fun and call attention to the SUV’s lavish interior.”

What will the new Lincoln Navigator include? Reports confirm that the SUV comes with 400 horsepower thanks to its V-6 turbocharged engine. With the increasing concerns over global issues such as climate change, Ford is reportedly going to balance that power with aluminum body panels that will lower the weight of the vehicle.

The Lincoln Navigator concept model is drawing attention for the luxury SUV — attention that this particular line of vehicles needs right now to boost sales. However, only time will tell what else the 2017 showroom version of the Lincoln Navigator will offer.

[Photo by Bryan Thomas/Getty Images]