The All-New 2020 Lincoln Aviator is Alright, Alright, Alright!

The all-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator.

Looking for luxury SUV to handle all of that last-minute holiday shopping and bring you in the new year with style?  The all-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator is for you.  I recently had the opportunity to experience the hybrid option, the Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring and it is fabulous. My music loving friends will love the fact that unique chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra provide musical alerts for 25 features in Aviator, notifying drivers of everything from an open fuel door to an unlatched safety belt.

The all-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator.

 Here's the scoop...

The all-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator defines effortless luxury performance among premium SUVs, offering impressive power and capability combined with sleek elegance and intuitive technology.

Delivering Quiet Flight, Aviator offers two powertrains – a standard twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 gas engine and the Grand Touring’s hybrid powertrain. This marks the first time Lincoln has combined a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine and advanced electrified hybrid technology capable of delivering smooth performance and nearly instantaneous torque.

“Aviator signals a takeoff point for Lincoln,” says Joy Falotico, president, The Lincoln Motor Company. “It offers unparalleled elegance combined with effortless performance – a true representation of Lincoln’s vision for the future.”

Aviator is the brand’s first midsize three-row SUV, broadening the Lincoln portfolio.

The spacious interior of the 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring.

The standard twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, paired with a new 10-speed SelectShift^® automatic transmission, delivers 400 horsepower and 415 ft.-lbs. of torque for effortless acceleration.

Every detail is a work of Art.

With the hybrid option, Aviator Grand Touring’s twin-turbocharged engine and advanced electrified technology takes the levels of performance even higher, with an impressive 494 combined horsepower and best-in-class 630 combined ft.-lbs. of torque.

“With Aviator Grand Touring, we are aiming to set the bar for luxury SUVs,” says John Davis, chief program engineer, The Lincoln Motor Company. “It offers a sanctuary-like cabin and signature drive feel that is uniquely Lincoln.”

The powerful electric motor, with maximum output of 75 kilowatts and a 13.6-kilowatt-hour battery pack in Aviator Grand Touring, is designed to complement the performance of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine. Together, they produce robust, effortless performance while maintaining a whisper-quiet cabin.

Complementing the impressive powertrain performance is an advanced suspension that pairs pothole mitigation and Lincoln-first road preview technology to create a ride that adjusts to nearly any situation. Key components of this advanced suspension include:

A beautiful view regardless of the seat in which you are sitting.

• Available Adaptive Suspension, which uses a suite of 12 sensors that constantly monitor vehicle motion, body movement, steering, acceleration and braking activities. These sensors read the road 500 times per second and can automatically prompt setting adjustments up to 100 times per second. The suspension’s advanced pothole mitigation can sense when a wheel is dropping into a severe dip and stiffens the shock absorber to reduce the amount of drop, lessening the harshness of a tire strike. Each wheel responds independently, allowing the vehicle to tailor its response to any given road surface.
• Available Lincoln-first Adaptive Suspension with Road Preview, which uses the forward-facing camera to read the road nearly 50 feet ahead to look for height deviations between two and eight inches and adjust the suspension to mitigate any unpleasant impact.
• Available Air Glide Suspension, which offers the highest level of refinement by replacing traditional coil springs with guided air springs, enabling several preset ride heights for increased comfort and capability. An additional benefit, Dynamic Lower Entry, adds a new level of sophistication to Lincoln’s trademark embrace - upon approach, Aviator lowers to greet the driver. The convenience of this feature makes loading cargo easier as well.

The signature grille of the 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring.

Many ways to customize the drive experience

Lincoln Drive Modes are one of several intuitive options to seamlessly customize the Aviator drive experience. Standard modes include Normal, Conserve, Excite, Slippery and Deep Conditions.

Each is fully integrated – clients simply select the mode, and Aviator takes care of the rest. Aviator Grand Touring includes two additional modes:

• Preserve EV recharges and saves battery power for a later time, while continuing to use both engine and motor to deliver the full performance drivers expect; the high-voltage battery can be recharged up to 75 percent while driving in this mode.
• Pure EV is designed to keep the driver in all-electric mode in most conditions; should demand exceed electric capability, the driver receives a prompt to allow the gas engine to engage.

When equipped with the available Air Glide Suspension, Aviator rises to its highest position for better capability in the Deep Conditions mode; when driven at speeds above 70 mph, it lowers to Aero Height, offering improved performance.

Client-focused, intuitive technologies

The effortlessness of the overall experience in Aviator starts even before clients enter the vehicle. Right from the start, the available Air Glide Suspension automatically lowers the vehicle to greet the driver, adding a new level of sophistication to Lincoln’s signature welcome lighting embrace.

Clients can then use their compatible smartphone as a key to access the vehicle. Lincoln’s available Phone As A Key technology, debuting in the all-new Aviator, is activated using the Lincoln Way^™ app. It allows owners to lock and unlock, open the liftgate and, most importantly, start and drive the vehicle – all without a traditional key.

Phone As A Key offers additional functionality. Drivers can recall individual preferences for adjusting seat, side mirrors and steering column positions. Comfort and entertainment settings can be activated through the feature as well. If owners want to loan their Aviator to a family member or friend, the technology makes that equally effortless, too, as up to four “keys” are provided with each vehicle in addition to the standard smart key fobs.

Should a phone battery go dead, a passcode can be entered on the standard exterior keypad to gain entry, then a backup code can be entered on the center touch screen to start and drive the vehicle. If a phone is lost or stolen, Phone As A Key can be easily deleted, providing additional peace of mind for clients.

Helping in that area, too, are the wealth of driver-assist features** on Aviator, which comes standard with Lincoln Co-Pilot360^™. It provides Pre-Collision Assist with automatic emergency braking, Blind Spot Detection with Cross-Traffic Alert, a Lane-Keeping System, rear backup camera and auto high-beam headlamps.

An available upgrade, Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Plus, adds:

• Adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, which guides Aviator using stop-and-go, lane-centering technology and speed sign recognition to scan speed limit signs along the roadway, adjusting speed based on the information obtained.
• Evasive steering assist offers assistance to the driver to help avoid a collision with a slower or stopped vehicle ahead; it provides additional steering support when a collision cannot be avoided by braking alone.
• Reverse brake assist can help stop the vehicle when backing up if Aviator’s integrated rear sensors detect an obstacle at the rear.
• Active park assist plus removes the stress from parking by taking over steering, shifting, braking and acceleration functions with the touch of a button to navigate getting in and out of parallel and perpendicular parking spaces with ease.

Driving at night is made effortless with available Adaptive Pixel LED Headlamps, which allow the pattern of the beams to change, enabling two additional lighting technologies:

• Adaptive dynamic bending lighting: Through the front camera, the vehicle reads the road ahead and, when sensing a corner, predicts where light is needed, allowing the headlamps to instantly adjust or bend.
• Speed-dependent lighting: The intensity of the beam adjusts based on the speed of the vehicle; at faster speeds, light is directed to the road, while at slower speeds, headlamps adjust to illuminate more areas in front of the vehicle.

Comfort and convenience

The true luxury of Aviator is the experience of leaving day-to-day pressures and entering a soothing sanctuary. Aviator’s spacious, airy cabin accentuates horizontal lines, minimizing visual clutter and offering a relaxing ambience.

The artful and seamless design of the speakers.

An available Revel^® Ultima 3D Audio System re-creates an authentic concert-hall experience by immersing occupants in rich, superior sound emanating from 28 speakers throughout the cabin. It offers a choice between three listening modes – stereo, audience and on-stage – while a control slider in the center stack allows clients to fully immerse themselves in sound, enjoying music the way they want to hear it. The new system acoustically expands cabin space to transform the environment, while its 360-degree immersion capability ensures that every seat is the best seat in the house.

Unique chimes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra provide musical alerts for 25 features in Aviator, notifying drivers of everything from an open fuel door to an unlatched safety belt.

Available Perfect Position seats with Active Motion offer 30-way adjustability, massage capability and additional lumbar support for driver and front-row passenger for paramount comfort, while flexible second-row seats recline, adjust fore and aft, and tip and slide forward for easy access to the third row.

An ergonomically advanced Vision steering wheel, intended for ultimate ease of use and customization, adds to the effortless ambience through contextual controls. The steering wheel features streamlined four-way switches at strategic positions to control music, phone and available navigation functions, in addition to settings.

The third row provides ample seating and can be folded flat to create plenty of room for cargo. When left up, Aviator offers best-in-class cargo volume behind the second row. Advanced under-floor battery packaging in the Aviator Grand Touring allows for all the benefits of an electrified powertrain without compromising luggage space or legroom.

Other convenience features include an available wireless charging pad for compatible mobile phones located in the front-row center armrest, while a handy media bin is available for the front-row passenger. Multiple power outlets throughout the cabin and a standard Wi-Fi hotspot keep occupants connected wherever the journey may take them.

Aeronautical inspiration

The boundless allure of flight has long inspired automotive design, and the exterior styling of the all-new Lincoln Aviator takes that inspiration to the next level. The connotations of flight are intrinsic in the strong front and tapering rear of the vehicle, creating a distinct aerofoil analogy.

Aviator is available in an iridescent Flight Blue exterior color, which complements its flowing lines. A signature Black Label grille is executed in high-gloss black and chrome accents that beckon the eye, while the appearance of a wraparound windshield completes the aviation-inspired theme.

Available Lincoln Black Label themes include:

• Flight harmoniously combines Luggage Tan and Ebony and features dark full engine turn appliqués that replicate the finish of early aviation instrument panels.
• Chalet offers Espresso and Alpine Savannah leathers and deep Silverwood appliqués, with touches designed to awaken the senses.
• Destination draws inspiration from vintage luggage with Mahogany Red Savannah leather complemented by smooth khaya wood appliqués.

The Lincoln star adorning the grilles of Aviator Grand Touring and Aviator Black Label Grand Touring features Spirit Blue in the four quadrants to signify the hybrid powertrain. Signature grilles for Aviator Black Label themes feature a protruding star pattern in a bright chrome finish, while the grille for Aviator Grand Touring disperses the star pattern in varying sizes from the center with a satin finish.

With Aviator, Lincoln also also launched Lincoln Access Rewards, an enhanced loyalty program designed to elevate the ownership experience. The program offers clients who purchase or lease a new Lincoln vehicle opportunities to earn points that can be redeemed for future new vehicles, dealer services or world-class experiences with Lincoln hospitality affiliates.

“At Lincoln, we’re always thinking about the next, best way to elevate luxury for our clients,” says Falotico. “Aviator arrives at this perfect intersection – where strength and beauty meet performance and technology.”

The all-new Aviator, is built at Chicago Assembly Plant, and is available globally in markets where Lincoln vehicles are sold.

For more information, visit www.lincoln.com.

All photography www.bonniemoret.com.