A Pleasant Surprise Awaits Lincoln Aviator Fans

Got your eye on Lincoln’s upcoming Aviator? You’ll be pleased to learn the brand’s premium midsize crossover will enter your driveway with more bragging rights than previously thought. Specifically, more power for the same price.

As Lincoln doles out a small fleet of 2020 Aviators to a cabal of shrimp-loving auto scribes, the provided spec sheet held a surprise. The model’s certified power figures are not the same figures listed during the Aviator’s 2018 LA Auto Show reveal.

First noticed by CarBuzz, the confirmed power numbers amount to 400 horsepower (unchanged from earlier) for the base twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, plus 415 lb-ft of torque. That’s up from 400 lb-ft.

Greater things await those who shell out near-Navigator sums of cash for the plug-in hybrid variant, positioned by Lincoln as something of an exclusive hot rod that just happens to be green. While the automaker previously claimed hybrid buyers could expect 450 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque — healthy numbers by anyone’s measure — the actual output is even better.

In plug-in guise, the Aviator is good for 494 hp and 630 lb-ft, widening the already significant power gap between it and its Cadillac XT6 rival. Surely there’s a hotter “V” variant of Caddy’s new midsize CUV in the works? (Perhaps a better question would be, “Would a V variant of the XT6 turn anyone on?”)

Boasting a rear-drive layout at the bottom end (unless you’re a Canadian buyer), the Aviator starts below the XT6 in terms of price, quickly rising as buyers add all-wheel drive and loftier trims to the standard 3.0-liter/10-speed auto drivetrain. Going green and gutsy adds a lone electric motor to the mix. It’s worth mentioning that the sportier and hybrid variants of the Aviator’s Explorer platform mate do not match the Lincoln in terms of power. The Explorer hybrid is not a plug-in, either.

Ford was careful not to overlap the two models too closely.

While we now know exactly how much power these Aviators make, fuel economy for the plug-in variant remains a mystery. Presently, the EPA only lists rear-drive and AWD versions of the standard Aviator, with MPGs amounting to 18 city/26 highway/21 combined for the rear-driver. Adding all-wheel grip lowers things just a bit to 17/24/20.

Aviators begin landing at dealers later this summer.

[Images: Lincoln Motor Company]