The Lincoln Aviator is a mid-size, three-row luxury SUV manufactured and marketed under the Lincoln brand of Ford Motor Company — and now in its second generation, with a hiatus from 2006 to 2020.
The first generation Aviator was manufactured for 2003–2005 model years as a rebadged variant of the third generation Ford Explorer — and assembled at the now-closed St. Louis Assembly in Hazelwood, Missouri, alongside the Explorer and Mountaineer.
For the 2020 model year, Lincoln reintroduced the Aviator as a badge engineered variant of the sixth generation Ford Explorer
Marketing and reception
Lincoln played up the similarity to the Navigator full-size SUV with magazine ads that read, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Especially when it's yourself you're imitating." The Aviator was met with relatively positive press coverage.
While the Aviator's styling borrowed cues from its big brother, the Navigator, it also looked similar to the very widespread Explorer with which it shared the platform. Also working against the Aviator was that it was priced similar to the larger and relatively popular Expedition. Car and Driver said in a comparison test, in which the Aviator tied for fifth place, that only the car's high price and lack of certain features and no low range with the 4WD model held it out of contention for the top spots.
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File:LincolnAviator.jpg|2005 Lincoln Aviator
File:Lincoln Aviator 2002-2005 backright 2008-04-10 U.jpg|2004–2005 Lincoln Aviator, rear ¾
File:Lincoln Aviator.JPG|2003 Lincoln Aviator (US)
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Replacement
The first-generation Lincoln Aviator was discontinued after the 2005 model year, with the final vehicle produced by St. Louis Assembly on August 19, 2005. At the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, Lincoln previewed an intended second generation. In a break from the Explorer/Mountaineer, the model line was shifting its design from a three-row SUV to a two-row crossover SUV, becoming a Lincoln counterpart of the Ford Edge CUV. The second-generation Aviator was planned to be released as an early 2007 vehicle.
In 2006, Lincoln rebranded its model line, adopting an "MK" model across its lineup, with the exception of the Navigator and the Town Car. The Aviator nameplate was dropped, becoming the Lincoln MKX (X= crossover); based on the Ford CD3 platform, the production MKX served as a counterpart of the Ford Edge.
Second generation (U611; 2020)
At the 2018 New York Auto Show, Lincoln unveiled a prototype version of its planned second-generation Aviator, scheduled to enter production in 2019.
A more detailed production was later introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 28, 2018. Lincoln confirmed that the Aviator would go on sale in the summer of 2019 as a 2020 model in North America and China (as the ) afterward.
The Aviator comes standard with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that outputs and of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Aviator Grand Touring's powertrain outputs and of torque from a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 and a electric motor in a plug-in hybrid system.
Overview
The 2018 Aviator prototype marked the debut of an all-new vehicle platform for Ford Motor Company; while the vehicle is RWD, the architecture is designed for multiple powertrain layouts, including all-wheel drive (AWD) and front-wheel drive (FWD).
A number of safety technology features were included, with Lincoln CoPilot360 packaging automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a blind-spot information system with cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system, lane centering, reverse camera, and auto high-beams. Reverse Brake Assist applies the brakes if the vehicle detects an object when the transmission is in reverse.
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File:2024 Lincoln Aviator Black Label in Flight Blue, rear left.jpg|Rear view
File:Lincoln Aviator II PHEV 01 China 2023-04-14 (cropped).jpg|Aviator PHEV (China, import)
File:Lincoln Aviator II PHEV 02 China 2023-04-14 (cropped).jpg|Aviator PHEV (China, import)
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2025 refresh
The facelifted Aviator was revealed on February 5, 2024, for the 2025 model year. It features a redesigned front fascia, refreshed interior and redesigned headlights. The plug-in hybrid Grand Touring trim was discontinued for 2025.
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File:Lincoln Aviator 3.0L Reserve U611 FL Pristine White Metallic Tri-Coat (2).jpg|Front View
File:Lincoln Aviator 3.0L Reserve U611 FL Pristine White Metallic Tri-Coat (4).jpg|Rear View
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Safety
NHTSA crash test ratings (2020):
- Front Impact Rating:
- Side Impact Rating:
- Rollover Rating: <small>15.1%</small>
{| class="wikitable"
|+2020 Lincoln Aviator IIHS Ratings
!Category
!Rating
|-
|Small overlap front
|
|-
|Moderate overlap front
|
|-
|Side impact
|
|-
|Roof strength
|
|-
|Head restraints & seats
|
|}
Sales
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Calendar year
! US
!Canada
! China
|-
| 2002
| 1,856
| || rowspan=6
|-
| 2003
| 29,517
|-
| 2004
| 23,644
|-
| 2005
| 15,873
|664
|-
| 2006
| 1,711
|
|-
| 2019
| 8,323
|678
|-
| 2020
| 23,080
|1,941
| 8,818
|-
| 2021
| 20,924
|2,043
| 14,256
|-
| 2022
| 21,977
|
| 6,297
|-
| 2023
| 15,551
|
|4,867
|-
| 2024
| 25,235
|2,027
|3,828
|-
| 2025
| 24,373
|
|1.855
|}
References
External links
- 2005 Lincoln Aviator press kit (Ford Media)