The 2007 Lincoln Navigator’s new grille, which resembles an overpriced cheese grater from Sur La Table, cannot be a good idea. Look at the size of that thing, the ornate detailing, the huge garnish that wraps over the leading edge of the hood like a giant bug deflector – heck, we half expected shreds of cheddar to dangle from the Navigator’s toothy new face. The design is less ostentatious on light-colored Navigators than dark colored ones, but nevertheless seems to fly in the face of Lincoln’s new “unpretentious luxury” mantra. Even Peter Horbury, FoMoCo’s chief designer, seems confused about what a Lincoln is supposed to be. Last month in Detroit, Lincolns were going to appeal to people who don’t wish to flaunt their success. But when introducing the 2007 Lincoln Navigator to the press at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show, Horbury used phrases like “attitude” and “dramatic design” to describe the hulking SUV. The press kit calls the new Navigator “imposing.” Whatever.

OK, so we don’t like the new front end. But that’s not the whole story when it comes to the upgrades made to the 2007 Lincoln Navigator. Chief among them is an all-new frame that provides improved handling and ride quality, a redesigned interior with new seats for added comfort, specific design and tuning to produce a “whisper quiet” interior, and a new extended-length Navigator L model that adds 25 cubic feet of additional cargo space. The new Navigator (What? No renaming to MKN? – Ed.) also gets cleaned up flanks which look quite nice, and 20-inch chrome wheels are available as a factory option.

The 2007 Lincoln Navigator’s interior is restyled, too, and the taillights are redesigned to look like the Zephyr sedan (called MKZ for 2007). The cabin benefits from added front and third-row leg room, and the dashboard, though familiar, receives new instrument bezels styled after trendy rectangular eyewear. Buyers can choose to decorate the 2007 Navigator’s interior with Dark Ebony or light-colored Anigre wood trim, and the Navigator comes standard with what Lincoln calls “butter soft” leather. Accents are done in satin nickel and chrome for an appropriately upscale look.

Designed for added long distance support, the new front seats are 10-way power adjustable and can be equipped with heaters and cooling fans for four-season comfort. Even the seat frames were re-engineered to reduce vibration coming up from the Navigator’s floor. Power adjustable pedals help the driver to find a proper driving position, regardless of her size, and a memory function helps different drivers in the same household recall their fine-tuned seat and pedal settings. To make it easier to climb in and out of the 2007 Lincoln Navigator, power running boards that automatically deploy when the doors are opened are integrated into the lower rocker panels.

The Navigator’s second- and third-row seats tumble and fold to create a wide variety of cargo carrying options. When serving as an eight-passenger conveyance, the new extended-length Navigator L can carry 42.7 cubic feet of cargo behind the third-row seat; fold ‘em all flat and it swallows 128.2 cubic feet of stuff. An optional PowerFold third-row seat makes maximizing cargo space even easier, if pulling levers and pushing seatbacks just isn’t your style.

People riding in the 2007 Lincoln Navigator’s rear seats will love the optional DVD entertainment center connected to a 600-watt THX-II Certified premium audio system – and Hollywood executives can’t figure out why theaters are empty these days. Combined with thicker glass and added sound insulation for a “whisper quiet” interior, watching your favorite movies inside the new Navigator is just like seeing them on the big screen – almost. The new Navi also features a DVD-based navigation system with a touch screen and voice command control, available Sirius satellite radio, and an integrated auxiliary jack for your iPod or other MP3 player.

Powering the 2007 Lincoln Navigator is a 5.4-liter V8 good for 300 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 365 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,750 rpm, delivered to the rear or all four wheels through a new six-speed automatic transmission. Maximum tow capacity is 9,100 pounds when properly equipped. The Navigator also gets a new independent rear suspension design for improved handling and stability.

Aside from its sheer size and weight, the 2007 Lincoln Navigator features important safety items like dual-stage front airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, and a Safety Canopy system of side-curtain airbags that can remain inflated for extended periods of time in the event of a rollover accident. But with a standard Roll Stability Control system, Lincoln is working hard to keep a rollover from happening in the first place.

All in all, the significant updates and revisions to the 2007 Lincoln Navigator are welcome improvement, enough to keep the big SUV in the ring to duke it out with a completely redesigned Cadillac Escalade. Just remember to bring a block of tasty parmigiano reggiano to scrape across the new grillework.

Photos by Ron Perry