Not every buyer needs a big three-row crossover but that does not mean you have to settle for less luxury when it comes time to buy an upscale ride.
Lincoln, the luxury brand for Ford, is known these days for big luxury SUVs that have style and opulent interiors. Last year, Lincoln turned their attention to the smallest crossover — the Corsair — and gave it an updated look, a new face with a larger grill and even some flashy chrome trim pieces on the top Grand touring trim level.
These new styling cues give this small crossover more visual appeal that the Corsair needed to help project a more upscale look. Its large 20-inch wheels, dual exhaust pipes and stylish slender rear lighting that spans the width of the tailgate give off more Porsche crossover style than Ford.
Look for big upgrades once you open the door and slide into some of the most comfortable front seats you will find in the small crossover class, and even some pricier and bigger luxury rides. The optional 24-way perfect position seats take a few minutes to get just right with many options to change. But once set, the seats are really good. The leather, wood and aluminum trim are top notch for this class. However, a few pieces of harder plastics remain but mostly out of sight.
This baby Lincoln also sees more positive upgrades for the driver with a large 12.3-inch color cluster display with high quality graphics that better matches the competition and a large 13.2-inch center screen with the improved SYNC4 system, which seemed to understand voice commands. There was no frustration for once with SYNC.
The Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring only comes as a plug-in hybrid and the first 25-30 miles can be all-electric. A 2.5L four-cylinder engine comes into play together and the Lincoln will make 266 horsepower and plenty of torque to move swiftly. Still, running the daily commute on mostly electric power means this is a serene place to be. It is a hushed and comfortable ride even with the bigger wheels. On the highway, this little Lincoln packs the usual adaptive cruise control but with the optional ActiveGlide it can handle some hands-free driving as well.
Cost: $53,925; as tested $67,825
MPG: 60 mpge city and 48 mpge highway; I managed 56.7 mpge in 279 miles of mixed driving.
Safety: 360-degree camera; active park assist 2.0; adaptive cruise control with stop and go; lane centering; blind spot detection with CTA; personal safety system; pre-collision assist; Lincoln co-pilot 360; dynamic brake support; ActiveGlide1.2.
Options: $1,285 24-way perfect position seats; $1,150 20-inch bright machined wheels; $8,674 Collection III package; $750 Pristine white paint.
Things to know: The Lincoln Corsair is a small crossover that does not skimp on luxury. The plug-in hybrid version is an efficient runner.
Pros:
- Better styling helps it standout out more in the small luxury crossover market
- Interior spoils you with great seats and improved technology
- Plug-in hybrid system provides plenty of power and all EV driving capabilities
Cons:
- Price tag when choosing the Grand Touring trim level
- Can only have plug-in hybrid in top trim level models
- Less rear seat headroom than some of the competition
