2019 New York - Lincoln Corsair debuts as the smallest crossover in the range

To say Lincoln is on a roll would be an understatement of mega proportions. It all started in 2015 when the brand previewed it's new design direction inside and out at the New York Auto Show with the Continental Concept. Since then, Ford's luxury arm has been the cynosure of many an eye in the Big Apple with the Navigator, Nautilus and Aviator making their debuts in subsequent editions of the show. It's the same in 2019 too with Lincoln previewing it's compact luxury crossover, the Corsair.

Lincoln's smallest crossover - based on the new Ford Escape - would replace the MKC, slotting in below the Aviator in the brand's increasingly-impressive lineup. 

The folks at Lincoln struck gold with the Navigator with critics as well as customers loving the way the behemoth SUV looked and pampered the occupants. It's not surprising then to see many of those elements being driven down the order. If the Aviator looked like a mini-Navigator, the Corsair looks like a mini-Aviator. We aren't complaining!

Head-on, high-set swept-back headlights sit on either side of a large chrome-embellished grille with the repeater lamps placed in their own recessed spots below the main light clusters. The grille, like all recent Lincoln models, features exquisite detailing with the mesh mimicking the brand's logo. In profile, you will notice the same sloping roofline, the prominent shoulder line and blacked-out pillars that are seen in the Aviator and the Nautilus. The Corsair moniker sits proudly beneath the rear view mirrors on either side. Taillights that run the width of the car, a muscular boot lid and dual-tone bumper with metallic inserts complete the rear. 

If Corsair's exteriors failed to excite you, chances are it's interiors will. The compact Lincoln's interiors are amongst the nicest ones in the segment without a doubt. The dashboard adopts a horizontal layout with unique full-width air-conditioning vents and a center stack that hangs unsupported. The mandatory touchscreen pops out on the other side, featuring Lincoln's SYNC 3.0 infotainment system. While the layout is classy and has a sort of retro-modern feel to it, the center stack - with a host of buttons and knobs - appear cluttered. 

A full suite of creature comforts and safety features are part of the standard kit offered with Lincoln's party trick - the 24-way power-adjustable front seats - available as an option. Other Lincoln goodies including extensive sound-proofing and Detroit Symphony Orchestra-recorded chimes for alerts are there too. What's more, the Corsair scores on practicality too with the rear passengers getting a manually-sliding and reclining split seat like the new Escape. 

Under the hood lurks a turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine that churns out 250 horsepower and 373 Nm of torque. It's the same engine that powers Escape's higher variants. For those looking for more power, a 2.3-liter mill with 30 additional horses and a torque rating of 420 Nm will be on offer. Both engines are mated to a 8-speed automatic transmission. With it's platform-mate Escape announced with conventional and plug-in hybrid powertrain options, the Corsair is expected to get one eventually as well, sitting atop the lineup as the flagship.

With Lincoln still struggling to make enough Navigators to meet demand and interest levels on the Aviator hitting a peak, Lincoln is on an ascent. The Corsair, in all probability, is going to make the climb a bit steeper!

2018 New York - Lincoln previews the Aviator, it's next luxury SUV salvo

Lincoln is back doing what it does best in New York. Back in 2015, Ford's luxury division announced its intentions in style by stealing the limelight with the Continental Concept before following it up an year later with the superb Navigator Concept. Sure enough, production versions of both cars followed with hardly any changes from the concepts displayed. The 2018 edition of the New York Auto Show was declared open yesterday and Lincoln is back creating a splutter, this time with the preview of its next model, the Aviator. 

The Aviator nameplate was first used in the year 2002 for a mid-size 3-row luxury SUV that was based on the then Ford Explorer. With Lincoln's alphabetic naming convention taking over, it became the MKT. While both those models never became popular among luxury car buyers, the times have changed. Lincolns today aren't being looked down as just dolled-up Fords and rightfully so. Don't believe us? Just look at the all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator side-by-side and you'll see for yourself.

  

The Aviator Concept you see here, then, continues the brand's resurgence. Wearing Lincoln's classy new design language, the Aviator takes the style quotient several notches higher compared to the lousy MKT it would be replacing. Sharp, angular headlights sit on either side of Lincoln's now-familiar grille with staggered chrome ingots inside. Dense towards the center and gradually spaced out as we move outwards, the grille looks fantastic. The sculpted hood and the elegant bumper complete the fascia. True to its name, the Aviator has a tapered-down profile with the roof dropping dramatically as we move towards the rear. Wraparound windshield and Lincoln's trademark full-width taillights characterize the derriere with the quad taillights being the other attention-grabber.

The interiors are fabulous borrowing a whole lot from the bigger and plusher Navigator. While the layout and design is similar, the Aviator also gets those "Perfect Position" seats that the Continental debuted with 30-way electrical adjustments. Of course, there's lots and lots of soft touch leather and brushed metal inserts in the well decked-out cabin that has three spacious rows of seating. The third row can seat 6-footers in total comfort, Lincoln claims. Also debuting with the Aviator would be a feature called "Phone as a Key" that lets us lock, unlock and start the vehicle with our phone.  

While complete details of what's under the hood of the Aviator Concept isn't known, Lincoln has been generous enough in saying it'll get a twin turbocharged EcoBoost engine under the hood with an available Plug-in Hybrid option (PHEV). Ford's 10-speed automatic is likely to be the transmission of choice. The other big news is the Aviator shifting to a rear wheel drive platform (RWD) that's also likely to underpin the upcoming next-generation Explorer, Ford's popular midsize SUV. 

Recent history says the Aviator should make it to production pretty much unchanged in a year or so. And once that happens, expect this smart luxury offering to keep Lincoln's cash registers ringing along with the hot-selling Navigator!

2017 Los Angeles - Nautilus continues Lincoln's resurgence, replaces MKX in the lineup

With fresh infusion of funds from Ford Motor Company, an all-new contemporary family design language, growing sales and a return to the classic 'travel theme' model names, Lincoln is on quite a roll these past few years. The Continental full-size sedan started it all and the Navigator full-size SUV carried it forward. The Nautilus, a midsize crossover that recently debuted at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, continues the American luxury brand's resurgence. 

Set to replace the brand's best-selling MKX, the Nautilus is an important model for Lincoln. It was crucial they got this one right and the folks at Lincoln have got the design and styling aspects spot on. The fascia is significantly redesigned and gets the signature chrome-embellished trapezoidal grille from its siblings. The new headlights are simple yet classy while the hood and fenders have creases at the right places for that muscular look. The profile remains largely unchanged with the only significant addition being the chrome Nautilus badge under the rear view mirrors. MKX's characteristic shoulder line that sort of disappears in the middle before re-appearing towards the end of the rear door is still there as are the midly-flared wheel arches and the full-length taillights. 

The Nautilus creates a positive impression, no doubt, but you just can't help think a substantial redesign all around would have complemented the new fascia and the name change better.

The same applies to the interiors as well which are just a mild overhaul from the erstwhile MKX. The two-tone cabin is lavishly equipped with Lincoln offering three premium 'Black Label' trim themes. Creature comforts like the optional 'Ultra Comfort' seats that can adjust up to 22 ways, provide lumbar massage and developed with inputs from orthopedic surgeons and driver-assist features like adaptive cruise control, lane-centering feature, evasive steering assistance, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection and active park assist are aplenty. 

A pair of turbocharged engines featuring direct fuel injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing power the Nautilus. The base engine is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder unit that churns out 245 horsepower while the more expensive variants get a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 mill that generates 335 horsepower and a peak torque of 515 Nm. Both the engines are mated to a 8-speed automatic transmission that transmits the power to all four wheels. 

The Nautilus goes on sale next spring with the United States of America and China expected to be its major volume markets. Together with the Continental and the Navigator, the Nautilus makes the new Lincoln lineup quite an impressive one. What's next, Lincoln?