Ford-subsidiary Lincoln turned up the heat at this year's LA Auto Show with a potent offering in the luxury SUV segment. Christened as the Aviator, we can say that the new moniker could put up an interesting fight against dominant luxury offerings such as the Audi Q7, Volvo XC90, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE.
Offered in a three-row configuration, the Aviator will be available with a rear- as well as an all-wheel-drive platform. Lincoln has provided the Aviator with PHEV variant too, along with an air suspension with predictive adaptive dampers, and new safety technology.
Powering the standard variant of the Aviator will be a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V-6 that the company estimates at 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. Lincoln stated that the model will also be offered as a Grand Touring model sporting a PHEV powertrain with 450bhp and 600lbft of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission will be offered throughout all the trims.
Details about the electric powertrain are limited. However, we know that the electric motors are placed in the transmission cabinet, between the engine and the transmission. The lithium-ion battery, as we know, is located on the floor of the of the passenger side, conserving much of the boot space. A 10-speed automatic transmission will be offered across all the models.
Other features on the car include three riding modes viz, Aviator, Conserve, Slippery and Deep Conditions drive modes. However, what caught our attention is the Excite mode that lowers the ride height to increase the downforce during high-speeds. The Grand Touring activates the electric powertrain of the vehicle enabling the vehicle to run solely on electricity.
Lincoln Co-Pilot360Plus
The Aviator comes with the Lincoln Co-Pilot360Plus safety suite features that the company says is an updated version of the Co-Pilot 360. New addition in the system includes a Traffic Jam Assist that can steer the vehicle and work the throttle in low-speed situations, Evasive Steer Assist that adds torque to the steering to help avoid a collision, Reverse Brake Assist that applies the brakes when backing up if it detects an obstacle and Active Park Assist Plus that parks the Aviator automatically with no need for the driver to control any function, including gear selection.
