USA TODAY US Edition

Your phone is key to drive this SUV

Lincoln Aviator keeps it simple

- Mark Phelan

YOUNTVILLE, Calif. — Lincoln is about to make carrying a key or bulky electronic fob to start your car seem as antiquated as hand-cranking a vehicle from 1910.

Drivers of the new 2020 Lincoln Aviator SUV can use iPhones, and soon Android phones, for those and a host of other functions that go beyond current smartphone apps for remote start, find-my-car, and lock/unlock. Lincoln calls the feature Phone as a Key.

In addition to exponentia­lly multiplyin­g the level of panic the next time you think you lost your mobile phone — because now it is your phone and your car key — the feature allows the phone to start your vehicle, remotely open windows and tailgates, recall the driver’s settings and more. Current remote-start apps require you to have a mechanical key to drive away.

The new feature also can unlock the vehicle when the driver touches the door handle and flash greeting lights as you approach the six- or seven-seat SUV.

A few bugs

I recently spent a day driving Aviators equipped with Phone as a Key. The phone was tucked into an inductive charging pocket in the SUVs’ center console. The Aviator started every time and ran fine, though I got occasional warnings that the vehicle had lost contact with the phone. That was probably because I was driving developmen­tal vehicles. Lincoln engineers said the issue should be resolved in the Aviators going on sale now.

Lincoln will offer Phone as a Key on more vehicles as it introduces new models.

It’s part of the Aviator’s $1,000 convenienc­e package. Only Tesla currently offers a similar feature on its Model 3 sedan. Consumer Reports magazine reported reliabilit­y problems when they tested it in the 3.

Other brands aim to offer the feature soon.

Hyundai expects to have an Android-phone-only version on its upcoming 2020 Sonata sedan.

Bluetooth makes it work

Lincoln’s system uses Bluetooth at ranges up to 30 feet, so it works in places where there’s no phone signal, such as undergroun­d parking garages. An embedded modem or Wi-Fi handles messages from beyond Bluetooth’s range. The Aviator has 11 antennas to receive signals.

The feature works with iPhones running IOS 9 and higher now. It uses the Lincoln Way app. Lincoln expects compatibil­ity with Android devices soon.

You can authorize as many phones as you like to work with a vehicle. Phone as a Key also can activate valet mode. Parking attendants will use a temporary numeric code to lock, unlock and start the vehicle when the driver walks away with their phone.

The owner can disable Phone as a Key and use a backup ignition code that they punch into the door-mounted touch pad if they lose their phone or its battery dies. The feature also alerts drivers when they leave their phone in the car.

If a driver still manages to lock the key in their car, they can get in using the touch pad Lincoln owners love.

 ?? MARK PHELAN/USA TODAY NETWORK ?? Lincoln’s “Phone as a Key” can unlock your vehicle, start it and recall the driver’s settings.
MARK PHELAN/USA TODAY NETWORK Lincoln’s “Phone as a Key” can unlock your vehicle, start it and recall the driver’s settings.

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