- CARS, CARS, CARS. CAR AND DRIVER. OCT/2019
Return of the Bling
FIRST DRIVE Lincoln’s Aviator brings back American luxury
with size, power, and presence. _by Eric Tingwall
e are sad to report that the 2020
9V[P\Y[.cVNa_V[\aaUR½fV[T car we’ve been promised for the better part of a century. The Aviator is earthbound just like you and me. Meta- phorically, though, this 4900-pound leather-and-wood-trimmed box has the wings to help lift Lincoln out of what looked like an unrecoverable nosedive just a few short years ago. There’s an American bulk to the Avia- tor and enough width in the cabin that at least a few buyers will believe they’re driv- ing the larger Navigator. Like the Gator, the Aviator is very much a gilded Ford. It shares its core components with the new Explorer but, crucially, the visible and aN[TVOYRVZVYN_VaVRN_RSRdN[QV[VT[V¼-
cant enough not to matter.
The standard twin-turbocharged 3.0-
liter V- 6 is oriented north-south and deliv-
ers torque to either the rear or all four
wheels. At 400 horsepower and 415 pound-
feet of torque, the base engine outguns the
competition, in many cases by more than
50 horses. And though most of the time it’s
silent, it roars to attention with a poke of
the accelerator and rockets the Aviator
down the road. Ford’s 10 -speed automatic
continues to improve with every new
2020 Lincoln Aviator
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear- or all-wheel-
drive, 6- or 7-passenger, 4-door hatchback
BASE PRICE: $52,195–$69,895
POWERTRAINS: twin-turbocharged and
intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 400
hp, 415 lb-ft; twin-turbocharged and intercooled
DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 400 hp, 415 lb-ft
+ AC motor, 101 hp, 221 lb-ft (combined output,
494 hp, 630 lb-ft; 13.6-kWh lithium-ion battery)
TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic with
manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE: 119.1 in
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT: 199.3/79.6/69.6 in
PASSENGER VOLUME: 148 cu ft
CARGO VOLUME: 18 cu ft
CURB WEIGHT: 4900–5700 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
ZERO TO 60 MPH: 5.1–5.3 sec
ZERO TO 100 MPH: 13.2–13.4 sec
1/4-MILE: 13.7–14.0 sec
TOP SPEED: 145 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
EPA COMBINED/CITY/HWY: 20–22/17–19/
24–27 mpg
EPA COMBINED GAS+ELECTRIC: 40 MPGeW
experience that all in one shot. Most of the
driving modes blend the power sources.
While the $52 ,195 base Aviator rides on
a conventional suspension, most buyers
will end up with a more sophisticated
chassis. Starting at $59,795, the mid-level
Reserve trim with all-wheel drive comes
standard with adaptive dampers. The
Dynamic Handling package pairs those
electronically controlled dampers with a
camera that looks 50 feet down the road
N[QV[S\_Z`aURZdUR[a\_RYNe\_`aVßR[
based on the topography of the pavement.application, including this one. Here, it
picks gears assertively yet executes shifts
with a gentle smoothness.
In place of an optional V-8, Lincoln
\ßR_`aUROY\d[C#]NV_RQdVaUN[RYRPa_VP
motor and a 13.6-kWh lithium-ion battery.
The all-wheel-drive $69,895 plug-in hybrid
is known as the Aviator Grand Touring and
makes 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet
of torque—but it weighs nearly 800
pounds more. Lincoln says the Grand
Touring should be good for about 18 miles
of electric range, but you’re unlikely toLincoln’s new
design direction
and emphasis on
interior quality
have brought the
brand back from
the brink. It also
helps that the
least powerful
Aviator has 400
horsepower and
the hybrid Grand
Touring has 494.DRIVELINES