Cruising in the CORSAIR
It’s been almost a year since they pulled the sheet off the 2020 Lincoln Corsair at last spring’s New York Auto Show.
At the time, it was touted as new and improved but “unapologetically Lincoln” and a more recent road test reinforces its claims as an evolutionary upgrade over the MKC that it replaces.
Lincoln’s “Mark” and “MK” nomenclature confusion has been clarified with real model names Aviator, Nautilus and now Corsair. Although the spin doctors were quick to claim a Latin “cursus” inspiration for the Corsair name, lest we confuse “soothing elegance” with pillaging and piracy.
Like the former MKC, the Corsair still shares about 70 per cent of the under-the-skin fundamentals with its Ford Escape sibling. But any similarities end there.
Start your inspection with a slow walk-around and the Corsair comes up all Lincoln, from the traditional signature grille up front to the fullwidth horizontal LED taillight treatment in back.
There are trickle-down design cues from Navigator and Aviator and concave S-curves and exaggerated lines create shifting plays of light that seem to flow along the Corsair’s contours.
The Corsair is only slightly longer and lower than its predecessor but a judicious layout maximizes its compact dimensions, especially behind the front seat where it adds a couple of inches more second row legroom.
Lincoln boasts that the Corsair offers more rear legroom than many larger luxury SUVs including the Tesla Model X and Mercedes-Benz GLS. That second row slides with a six inch fore and aft adjustment, folds and reclines for versatility, and the Corsair also features a significant bump up in cargo space behind.
Inside, the accent is on a fresh layout, luxurious appointments, quality materials and a kind of “hushed ride” treatment designed to ensure a “sanctuary for the senses”.
The Corsair really does deliver a quiet, almost old-school plush ride.
That starts with Lincoln’s firstever rear integral bush suspension, engineered to absorb impacts normally transmitted into the cabin.
A dual-wall dashboard, an innovation usually only found in larger, more expensive vehicles, uses an air gap between the engine compartment and cabin to isolate noise and vibration. Doublelaminated glass, soft-touch textures and Active Noise Control employing sound waves from the audio speakers, also contribute to the Corsair’s soothing interior ambiance.
An interesting touch that demonstrates Lincoln’s design detail obsession is found in the six unique chimes, specially recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, that replace standard electronic alerts to mark everything from an open fuel door to an unbuckled seat belt.
Our as-tested, top-of-the-line Reserve model added most of the optional bells and whistles.
Sink into the available Perfect Position seats and enjoy 24-direction adjustment, massage capability and added lumbar support for driver and front passenger.
Three new Lincoln interiors debut inside the all-new Corsair. They are Medium Slate on our tester, featuring soft grey with touches of Ebony, while other new choices include Cashew, blending black and tan, and Beyond Blue, a bolder new choice with a vivid blue and white palette.
The revised horizontal dash design looks clean and uncluttered. A new centre stack shifts the table-style display screen to a separated position above.
Piano-style horizontal “PRND” shifter keys replace the previous vertical row of plastic shifter buttons.
And, speaking of transmissions, an eight-speed automatic replaces the MKC’s former six-speed, smoothly translating power through driverselectable modes to an intelligent all-wheel drive system that comes standard in Canada.
That power comes from a choice of two turbocharged four-cylinder engines – a standard 2.0-litre engine (250 hp and 275 lb/ft) and an available 2.3-litre (295 hp and 310 lb/ft).
Tested here, the 2.3-litre motor pulls handily with more muscle and background moan than I expected and offers up to 1,361 kg (3,000 lb) of towing capability while, at 11.1/8.2L/100km (city/hwy), paying only a minuscule pump penalty with nearly the same fuel economy rating as the smaller 2.0-litre engine.
I haven’t even touched on content that includes a long list of standard or available features including SYNC 3 infotainment with AppLink, WiFi connectivity, Panoramic Vista Roof, Phone As A Key control via your cellphone, a head-up display, wireless charging, a 14-speaker Revel premium audio system and Lincoln Co-Pilot360 or the more extensive Lincoln CoPilot360 Plus suite of driver-assist techs.
The 2020 Corsair competes in the highly-contested and popular premium compact segment against benchmark brand models like the Acura RX, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC and Cadillac XT4.
And it is a competent alternative choice in that market niche, offering a unique mix of amenities and ability in a Lincoln-flavoured package loaded with elegant qualities and the all the latest dynamic driver assists, tweaks and technologies.
A Corsair Grand Touring plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model joins the lineup this summer.