2020 Lincoln Corsair Prepares to Take the Bottom End Upscale
Eager to generate buzz ahead of the model’s New York Auto Show debut, Lincoln Motor Company has offered up the first official image of its upcoming Corsair — a compact crossover that kicks the brand’s former alphanumeric naming convention to the curb.
Compared to its MKC predecessor, the Corsair should attain higher levels of luxury (and margins), while throwing a new powertrain option into the mix.
We’ve lightened that image for your viewing pleasure. It’s clear Lincoln is going for a baby Aviator vibe with this new vehicle, even though its front-drive origins can’t be fully erased by a designer’s pen. The blunt nose and rearward-sloping roofline are pure Aviator, however.
Lincoln’s midsize volume and profit generator goes on sale this summer, with the Corsair likely following in the fall. Corsair is a name applied to three FoMoCo models in various markets over the years, though Americans will recall it as an Edsel model offered in 1958 and 1959. It’s unlikely that the provocative, ill-fated Edsel is the image Lincoln wants to conjure up with the name’s resurrection — “corsair” is also a type of sailing dinghy and the name applied to old-timey privateer and pirate ships. The latter vessels’ romantic allure might be worth mining for menace, even if your random car shopper has little knowledge of 18th Century naval tactics.
As we told you earlier this year, the Corsair will launch with three powerplants in tow. Returning to the baby Lincoln are Ford’s 2.0-liter and 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinders, joined by a plug-in hybrid Corsair donning the automaker’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder and an electric motor. The VIN decoder docs we saw did not list the hybrid Corsair’s combined horsepower. Front- and all-wheel drive will be on the menu, along with base and Signature trims, but the hybrid is an AWD-only proposition.
Much like the “new”-for-2019 Nautilus (formerly the MKX), Lincoln is expected to offer Black Label packages for Corsair buyers eager to personalize their ride. As buyers seem willing to shell out more for added lux, Lincoln would be a fool to leave this off the options roster.
[Image: Lincoln]
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Really curious how this will turn out on the inside. Lincoln's shown they can be class competitive with the Navigator and Aviator, but this is a much lower cost vehicle, and it's going up against the GLC, Q5, X3, and XC60, all of which make the MKC look like an Escape Platinum that has no business wearing a luxury badge, even in Black Label guise. They're going to have to step it WAY up.
The Corsair is also the name of a fighter used in World War II and Korea. I've actually met two guys who flew them. One hated it because the cockpit was set back too far and you couldn't see the runway when landing nose-up, the reason it was rejected as the carrier aircraft is was designed to be, and the other loved it because it was perfect for close ground support in Korea. If Ford worked out the critical dimensions - wheelbase and track - that define its utility, performance, and stability, then that shouldn't be a problem for Lincoln. If they screwed up by not meeting the needs of their intended customers the way Vought did with the Corsair...