A Thing of Bling
Navigator's chrome grille is in demand
By AMY WILSON | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The new chrome grille on the 2007 Lincoln Navigator is pingponging in popularity.
Lincoln originally planned to put a chrome finish on the entire grille, including a piece at the top of the grille described as a mustache. But then came feedback from dealers that the chrome was over the top.
So the Navigator team instead went with a body-colored mustache to tone down the chrome, chief engineer John Viera said at a press event here. A chrome applique was offered as part of option packages for customers who wanted more bling.
Dealers have ordered 50 percent in body color and 50 percent in chrome, Lincoln officials said.
But the chrome has proved surprisingly popular. In fact, it's in such demand that dealers are ordering the chrome applique as a $50 service part to retrofit Navigators already on their lots.
"It was kind of an interesting surprise that more customers than we were thinking were actually interested in the chrome applique on the mustache," Viera said.
The service part is now on back order. Lincoln is considering making the chrome mustache a stand-alone option so dealers can get the full chrome grille without having to order it as part of a package, Viera said.
"We have the ultimate flexibility," Viera said. "Rather than try to guess, let's go ahead and let the customer tell us what their preference is, and we can go ahead and adjust our packages on the fly."
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