2020 Lincoln Aviator: Brand's Sort-of Savior Maxes Out About $10k Below Its Big Brother

Big base power and upscale skin? Check. Available hybrid powertrain for added punch and elevated virtuousness? Affirmative. A price scale that tops the $90k mark on the high end? Also correct.

Lincoln’s 2020 Aviator, which rolls onto the lots of jubilant dealers this summer, gives brand faithful and new recruits another midsize option in the hot luxury SUV segment. It also gives Lincoln an opportunity to energize flagging sales while growing the brand’s margins.

So, where does the Aviator start, price-wise, and what can you expect to get?

Well, expect to pay no less than $52,195 — that’s the cost, after destination, of a base, rear-drive Standard trim model. Powering that model is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 making 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 10-speed automatic. Far from being bare bones, the base nets you 19-inch machined wheels, a 10-inch touchscreen, Lincoln’s Co-Pilot360 suite of safety features, and heated front leather, among other niceties.

Interested in all-wheel drive on any non-hybrid trim? That’ll cost you an additional $2,500.

Next on the trim ladder is the Reserve, which stickers for $57,285 after destination. Moving into this class adds 20-inch wheels, 14-speaker Revel audio, quad-zone climate control, and a hands-free liftgate.

Above that (way above…) is the Grand Touring, which carries an entry cost of $78,790 and piles up every creature comfort Lincoln can muster. The top-flight non-hybrid Aviator carries on its 22-inch wheels a 28-speaker audio system, 30-way seats, and a Vista Roof as transparent as a razor company’s motives. Choose your Black Label themes carefully, as they’re meant to say as much about you as the vehicle itself.

Interested in going green and adding 150 lb-ft to your life? The plug-in hybrid range starts with the Grand Touring, a vehicle stickering for $69,895 after destination. All-wheel drive comes standard in this rig, as does a hybrid system that combines the same TT 3.0L with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motor, boosting output to 450 hp and 600 lb-ft. Twenty-inch wheels should carry the Grand Touring roughly 35 miles without the need for gasoline. A Vista Roof is standard, and drivers can choose whether to keep their battery capacity in reserve until it’s needed.

Buyers looking for the ultimate Aviator would best skip the Grand Touring in favor of the Black Label Grand Touring, a beast with a entry cost of $88,895. Three leather choices await you, as does a choice of Chalet, Destination, and Flight themes for the model’s interior. Adding the only two options — a tow package and ritzy-sounding Chroma Caviar Dark Grey paint — pushes the after-delivery price tag to $91,145. That’s just under $10k less than a top-flight Navigator Black Label L.

Lincoln should begin taking orders this spring, with the first Aviators reaching customers by summer.

[Images: Lincoln Motor Company]