New Lincoln Navigator, Mercedes G-Class Go Aluminum

Jan.25, 2018—Both the 2018 Lincoln Navigator and the 2019 Mercedes G-Class both shed a significant amount of weight, thanks to incorporating aluminum and steel in the vehicles material mix.

The Lincoln Navigator has lost 200 pounds due to a complete aluminum body. The G-Class vehicle lost 375 pounds, with a steel body, aluminum hood, doors and fenders.

Aluminum being used throughout the majority of the vehicle, the Lincoln is can repaired by any shop well versed in Ford F-150 aluminum repair as Lincoln says the two vehicles are very similar structurally.

The front frame structures are almost identical except for a few refinements a Lincoln spokeswoman says. Lincoln used a higher-strength steel for the Navigator frame, very much like Ford.

The Mercedes G-Class uses a mix of high- and ultra-high strength steels and aluminum.

Mixed mediums such as aluminum and steel are being utilized with more manufacturers. Just recently, The 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 shed 225 pounds because of its aluminum use, and a frame that’s 98 percent high-strength steel.

As of late Dec. 2017, Lamborghini’s Urus SUVs was made with a blend of aluminum and steel, while GM adopted a steel, aluminum, carbon fiber mix for its pickups. Tesla’s Model 3 also features an aluminum and steel blend.