The new Ford Expedition adds Android Automotive and half of Lincoln’s panoramic screen
The new Expedition, first teased at a drone light show today in Texas, appears to have only the left side of Lincoln’s 48-inch pillar-to-pillar panoramic, leaving behind only a 24-inch panel. A journey.
You get the same instrument cluster and navigation combination in front of the driver’s seat, but without the widgets found on the right side of Lincoln’s extended screen. The Expedition’s small central touchscreen that sits beneath it also runs Google Play Store apps, uses Apple CarPlay, and has digital HVAC controls, just like the Lincoln. The car also offers both Google Assistant and Alexa voice assistants (one at a time), and some models offer BlueCruise for hands-free driving.
Pillar-to-pillar panoramic screens have become a shining feature that manufacturers have recently introduced to their luxury cars. They are often installed as an infotainment hub for the front passenger, allowing them to watch streaming videos and play PlayStation games.
Ford sells a standard-wheelbase Expedition and an extended “Max” one. In the middle row, you have the options of bench seats or captain’s chairs; the back of the headrests of the first row have holders that can hold the smartphones or tablets of passengers in the middle row. The Expedition can seat up to eight people with the bench option.
At first glance, the Expedition looks like a copy of the new Lincoln Navigator with its different tailgate, the addition of a light bar up front, and the same 3.5-liter V6 engine under the hood. (It’s Ford’s “EcoBoost.”) The Expedition’s new Tremor trim offers up to 440 horsepower and tuned suspension and trail differentials for more off-road capabilities. Like the Navigator, Ford doesn’t offer a hybrid powertrain option on the Expedition, either.