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2020 Lincoln Aviator 450-hp PHEV will get its own exterior visual cues

Lincoln will brand its powerful plug-in version of the new Aviator crossover as a GT hybrid package with a few distinguishing visual cues when it goes on sale next summer. The luxury PHEV crossover will do battle with competitors like the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, Volvo XC90 T8 and BMW's (incredibly long-winded) X5 xDrive45e iPerformance. The "GT" designation harkens to the golden era of grand touring and is meant to convey the combination of high performance and comfort over long distances. "It's really trying to get at how Lincoln is redefining luxury performance," said Brad Jager, the Aviator brand manager. The hybrid system will deliver 450 horsepower and a whopping 600 pound-feet of torque, which are increases of 50 hp and 200 lb-ft over the pure combustion version powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6. Lincoln isn't releasing expected electric-only range or fuel economy, and it's keeping most of the details of the hybrid system under wraps for now. It has said you'll also be able to hold the charge to be deployed later, such as for short trips in town. Lincoln is, however, making a few subtle exterior changes to designate the GT hybrid setup, which will be offered in the higher-end GT and Black Label trim models (the entry-level Aviator and Reserve models will be available only in gasoline combustion versions). First are changes to the Lincoln star badge on the grille and Aviator badge on the side flanks, which fill in with a blue color borrowed from the original Lincoln V12 badge from the 1930s and '40s — a neat touch on a vehicle that is reviving a nameplate. The grille itself is also an inversion of the new Lincoln treatment appearing on models like the Navigator and Nautilus. So where the grilles on those models have cutouts, the GT hybrid grille has protruding shapes that dissipate the further away they are from the center badge. Lastly, the PHEV will come with 21-inch wheels instead of the 22-inchers that equip non-hybrid versions. Lincoln says it designed the rear-wheel-drive architecture with the Aviator in mind, allowing the battery to go underneath the passenger-side second-row seats and maximizing interior space. Engineers also fit an electric motor between the V6 engine and the 10-speed automatic transmission. Lincoln hasn't announced pricing on the Aviator, which goes on sale next summer, and the plug-in hybrid versions will obviously command a premium.

2023 Lincoln Corsair gains a new face and more tech, loses buttons

The 2023 Lincoln Corsair heads into its next model year with a notable refresh inside and out.  Lincoln’s best-selling vehicle gains a number of items, but it also loses a big one: the previously optional 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Due to low take rate, Lincoln is dropping its most powerful engine from the lineup, making the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 250 horsepower the only pure-gasoline version of the 2023 Corsair. Lincoln says the 2.0-liter is updated and changed for emissions reasons, but it returns the same output and fuel economy as before. The Grand Touring PHEV carries over unchanged, so itÂ’s still rocking the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder and single electric motor for a combined 266 horsepower. The exterior changes are largely contained to the CorsairÂ’s new face. It gets a totally new grille that is much larger than before. It features a wavy surface, and for the PHEV, it has a metallic foil surface with blue accents to denote its hybrid status. The lower front bumper is revised to accommodate the new grille design, and new wheel options are available across the board. No changes are made to the rear. Lastly, two new color options are available: Crystal Red and Whisper Blue. The blue is new to Lincoln, and seeing it in person, it skews more towards periwinkle than blue — we like it a lot. As for the interior, Lincoln has redesigned the center stack with a new 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen taking center stage. It runs Sync 4 technology, can be updated via over-the-air updates and features Amazon Alexa. YouÂ’ll be able to monitor the CorsairÂ’s new Auto Air Refresh system (an optional feature) via the infotainment system, too. It features a laser sensor and unique cabin air filter that constantly monitors the cabin air quality and is capable of refreshing the air in the cabin 1.5 times per minute. A 12.3-inch instrument cluster also runs new software for 2023, and it comes standard in the Corsair now. The new center stack designdeletes the large array of climate and media controls that were previously there, which Lincoln says was for the purpose of promoting a more airy cabin and a feeling of spaciousness. A volume knob is still present, but the vast majority of the functions previously controlled by buttons and knobs can now be found in the big, new touchscreen. Yes, that means the climate controls are now integrated into the touchscreen.

Did Lexus make a BMW? Or did BMW make a Lexus? This and other 2017 surprises

It's that time of year again. The calendar is about to reach its end, Star Trek Cats 2018 is about to take its place, and I'm reflecting about all the cars that graced my driveway this year or summoned me to exotic places. You know, like Stuttgart or Phoenix. In 2017, I drove at least 57, and as I perused the list of them, I started to notice a common refrain: "This car surprised me." Most were pleasant surprises, but there were a few head scratchers and facepalms for good measure. In both cases, it was generally the result of car companies seemingly trying to break out of an existing mold. Nowhere was that more apparent than the pair of Lexuses slathered in Infrared paint: The LS 500 that left me this week and the LC 500 that was my favorite car of 2017. Though Lexus has been trying to shake its crusty, gold-packaged reputation for some time now, its efforts always seemed like an old man choosing Hollister to redo his wardrobe after realizing it hasn't been updated since 1987. I fell in love with the LC, genuinely floored by its near-perfect take on the GT. It's characterful in sound, appearance and tactility. It was at home in the city, in the mountain and on the open road. It was both comfortable and thrilling, and after driving the mechanically related LS 500, I can report that the LC's talents aren't an outlier. The LS 500's turbo V6 may make different noises than the LC's naturally aspirated V8, but it nevertheless invigorates the cabin when the car is placed in Sport+ mode. The steering is truly communicative, body motions are kept in miraculous check, and I absolutely forgot I was in an enormous luxury limo ... and a Lexus one at that. It was everything that the BMW 530e was not. I drove that on the exact same roads and was utterly bored the entire time. Generally doughy, lifeless steering, more distant than Planet 9. And no, the plug-in hybrid powertrain had nothing to do with that. At least it shouldn't. The Porsche Panamera S e-Hybrid I also drove this year proves that, as do the Hyundai Ioniqs, which are surprisingly adept and fun little cars regardless of what powers their wheels (Hyundai + hybrid = fun really blew me away). I would drive that Lexus LS F Sport over the BMW 5 Series any day of the week, which seems like a shocking thing to say in relation to either car. While Lexus is seemingly breaking out of its old crusty mold, BMW seems to be climbing into one.