A limited number of freshly converted US-made Lincoln Navigators are on their way to Australia thanks to Autogroup International.
The Sri Lankan-based, Australian-owned company has over 30 years of experience in converting left-hand drive vehicles to right-hand drive and has recently completed a run of GMC Hummer EVs as well as these Lincoln Navigators.
Related to the Ford F-150 sold here, the Navigator is a full-sized, body-on-frame SUV. It’s currently in its fourth generation, which entered production in 2017, however the nameplate pre-dates even that of the Cadillac Escalade… if only by a year.
Autogroup International will be shipping the converted vehicles to more than 40 right-hand drive countries including Australia.
It’s converting Reserve and Black Label versions of the extended-length Navigator L, skipping the entry-level Premiere.
All Navigator models use a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 324kW of power and 691Nm of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission distributes power via the two-speed transfer case to all four wheels.
Rated towing capacity is 3600kg.
There’s a choice of seven- or eight-seat configurations, with the former featuring second-row captain’s seats.
The vehicles feature a panoramic sunroof, illuminated power side steps, a 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a head-up display, a 28-speaker Revel Ultima3D sound system, a 360-degree camera and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
The conversion offers a mirror-image finish that not only replicates the original but in some areas enhances it due to the handcrafted approach and use of many new components.
While the 2023 Lincoln came with five standard drive modes (deep snow or mud, slippery, wet or icy, conserve, excite and normal), the 2024 Navigators have an additional sixth mode called ‘slow climb’ that aids in steep climbs while off road.
Autogroup International employs over 185 people and operates out of a three-acre, purpose-built, multi-million-dollar automotive manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka.
It says it follows strict ISO 9001:2015 Quality Assurance standards to ensure full compliance and government approvals to export their converted vehicles to the relevant right-hand drive markets.
It takes around six weeks for each Lincoln Navigator to be carefully converted to right-hand drive and each one is backed by a three-year full vehicle warranty.
Given the stats, performance and right-hand drive availability, these luxurious 2024 Navigators should fit in well with Australia’s love affair with towing and off-roading, and Autogroup International believes it will stand above any of its rivals.
No pricing has been revealed yet, so it’s unclear how it’ll compare with the likes of the Lexus LX, BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS in Australia.
While General Motors hasn’t confirmed the Navigator-rivalling Cadillac Escalade for our market – though it has left the door open – it will bring the GMC Yukon Denali to Australia in 2025.
It’ll be remanufactured in right-hand drive by Walkinshaw in Australia, much like the Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
