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2020 Lincoln Corsair Overview
Photo: Lincoln
The all-new 2020 Corsair is the latest vehicle to join the ever-expanding Lincoln crossover and SUV lineup, slotting between the compact Nautilus and three-row Aviator. Replacing the Lincoln MKC, a crossover that was key to the brand’s revitalization (especially its ads, which launched Matthew McConaughey has the brand’s spokesman du jour), the Corsair looks to give Lincoln a similar boost as it forges ahead toward an electrified future.
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The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is available at two trim levels: Standard and Reserve. Lincoln has announced a Corsair Grand Touring and expects to launch it around summer 2020 as part of the 2021 model year.
What’s New
Well, everything. The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is all new from the ground up, nudging out the MKC and spelling the ostensible end of alphanumeric names in the Lincoln lineup. Following in the stead of the Lincoln Navigator, Aviator, and Nautilus, the Corsair name derives from the idea of adventuring and exploration. Corsair is synonymous with French pirates and the leader of the Starjammers, and the word comes from the Latin root cursus, which means journey.
Exterior
Photo: Lincoln
The new Corsair carries on style cues that have become part of the Lincoln brand over the past several years, including a signature grille, a chromed front-door fender badge, and full-ditch horizontal taillamps. The Reserve Appearance Package, available on the Reserve trim, adds a more distinctive grille with floating chrome accents on black mesh for a more refined, three-dimensional look.
If you find the sleek shape of the Corsair to be balletic, then you’ve got quite the keen eye for design. Lincoln Design Director Kemal Curic says that the inspiration for the Corsair comes from the S-curve shape of a ballerina’s form mid-dance, allowing light to reflect off its body surfaces and capture the eye with ease. In this way, Curic says, the Corsair reflects the four tenets of Lincoln’s Quiet Flight ethos: Beauty, Gliding, Human, and Sanctuary. So if you see the Corsair and think hm, it’s like a ballet on wheels, go ahead and pat yourself on the back.
Additionally, the Corsair offers a wide range of wheel options to amplify its look, including two styles per in 18-, 19-, and 20-inch proportions. The Standard gets punchy touches like a roof rack, side rails, chrome dual exhaust tips, bright beltline molding, and standard LED lighting including signature lamps. The Corsair also features standard Lincoln Embrace, which lights up and welcomes you as you approach when it detects your key fob.
The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is available in 10 different color options, including four offered at no additional cost: Infinite Black, Ingot Silver, Artisan Blue, and Magnetic Gray. Iced Mocha, Pristine White, Burgundy Velvet, Red Carpet, and Ceramic Pearl are available at an additional $695 on top of the sticker price. Flight Blue, which also costs $695, is exclusive to the Corsair Reserve.
Interior
With sound-deadening features like a dual-walled dash, acoustic glass, and Active Noise Control, the Corsair emphasizes the quiet part of Quiet Flight. Sound-wise, the Corsair is also quite a bit more pleasant than your average crossover thanks to its symphonic chimes — rather than the beeping you get when a door is ajar or seat belt is unfastened, you’ll hear notes recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Widely praised for the tranquil ride it provides, the Corsair has also won over plenty of critics for its high-end approach, earning a spot on Autotrader’s list of the 10 Best Car Interiors Under $50,000. Helping it earn this coveted claim are standard features like 10-way Comfort Seat front seats with power lumbar, memory, and four-way head restraints; a sliding 60/40-split second-row bench seat that offers six inches of recline; a Wollsdorf leather-wrapped steering wheel; Pinstripe Aluminum trim; a Piano Key Shifter; Dual-zone Electronic Automatic Temperature Control; and a 10-speaker Lincoln Premium Audio System.
The Corsair Reserve steps it up even more by swapping in genuine wood trim and Bridge of Weir Deepsoft leather-trimmed seats, the latter of which is available in a unique Beyond Blue hue that complements the available Artisan Blue and Flight Blue exterior options. Touches like an illuminated Lincoln Star on the center console and illuminated scuff plates for the front doors kick up the feeling of being welcomed in whenever you climb into the cabin. And you get even more comfort and versatility with the Reserve as well, with standard features like EasyFold functionality for the second-row seats, heated front seats, and a 14-speaker Revel Audio System.
For the utmost in luxury, you’ll want to upgrade to the Reserve II package, which nets you 24-way Perfect Position front seats with ventilation, heated outboard seats in the second row, and a heated steering wheel.
Performance
Both the 2020 Lincoln Corsair Standard and Reserve feature a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbo with fuel-saving Auto Stop-Start Technology. This turbo-four smoothly delivers 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque through a new eight-speed SelectShift automatic transmission with paddle shifters, creating a spirited ride that works with a new rear suspension to bolster the calmness of the interior. The Corsair’s intelligent powertrain, aerodynamic form, and features like Active Grille Shutters also make it an efficient performer that returns 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway.
If you’re eager for a bit more punch, the Corsair Reserve is available with a 2.3-liter turbo that pushes the output to 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The 2.3-liter is standard with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive — also available for Standard and Reserve models with the 2.0-liter turbo — which optimizes your drive based on road conditions. Intelligent AWD works harmoniously Lincoln Drive Modes — standard on all Corsair trims — by taking full advantage of its Normal, Excite, Conserve, Slippery, and Deep Conditions settings.
The Corsair is at is best with the available Adaptive Suspension, which monitors factors like body movement, steering, and braking to adjust suspension damping nearly instantaneously. This system also allows you to customize damping to your liking so that you get the exact ride you want.
Set to hit this summer as part of the 2021 model-year refresh, the upcoming Corsair Grand Touring will feature a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder paired to a permanent magnet synchronous motor. This combo is expected to deliver a total system output of 266 horsepower, and it will add a Pure EV mode to the Lincoln Drive Modes that enables fully electric driving for an estimated 25 miles.
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Technology
Photo: Lincoln
As smart as it is seductive, the 2020 Lincoln Corsair is a showcase for many of the best technologies Lincoln has to offer. Chief among these is the Lincoln Co-Pilot360 safety suite, which includes Blind Spot Detection with Cross-Traffic Alert, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear View Camera, Auto High-Beam Headlamps, and a Lane-Keeping System as standard features.
Available as an upgrade, Lincoln Co-Pilot360 Plus adds key features like Active Park Assist Plus, Adaptive Cruise Control with Traffic Jam Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, Reserve Brake Assist, and a Front Sensing System. Additional safety-minded upgrades include an available 360-degree camera, jeweled LED headlamps with speed-dependent lighting and dynamic bending, and a digital head-up display.
Thanks to standard Pre-Collision Assist and Automatic Emergency Braking and the jeweled LED headlamps — available in the Reserve II package — the Corsair earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s TOP SAFETY PICK for 2019 and 2020.
Beyond safety, the Corsair is quite shrewd when it comes to convenience and connectivity. New SYNC 3 AppLink offers functionality with Waze, voice-activated Apple CarPlay, and Lincoln+Alexa. With the Reserve II Package, you’ll get must-haves like a 110-volt outlet (in addition to its standard pair of USB smart charging ports and pair of USB ports), a wireless charging pad in the center console, and Phone As A Key technology. The latter works with the Lincoln Way app, letting you lock/unlock, raise the liftgate, and remotely start the Corsair.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.