11/7/19 UPDATED: This review has been updated with test results for both the Corsair 2.0T and 2.3T models.



Lincoln would like you to learn a new name: Corsair. Sounds romantic, refined, with a whiff of the 1940s, which sort of works until you learn, or remember, that a corsair is a pirate. Well, pirates do love gold and this new Lincoln is definitely out for yours.

HIGHS: Shapely design, confident road manners, quietly refined interior, lots of available tech.

Pirate stuff aside, the new-for-2020 Lincoln Corsair is a Ford Escape deep down under its handsome and upscale exterior. As with its MKC predecessor, the updated Corsair shares most of its bones with the Ford Escape, which itself is all new for the 2020 model year. It supplants the unimaginatively titled MKC model and holds only the entry-level station in the brand's SUV lineup. It is also a convincing adherent to Lincoln's modern ethos.

View Photos Marc Urbano Car and Driver

While its compact transverse-engine proportions aren't quite as fetching as the larger longitudinal-engine Lincoln Aviator's, the Corsair's elegant lines fit right into the new Lincoln showroom, matey.

Confident and Indifferent

From our initial experience with the latest Escape, Lincoln could have done far worse in terms of a donor platform. Both vehicles share a similar strut front suspension. Yet, the Lincoln adopts its own chassis and steering tuning, optional adaptive dampers ($700 on Reserve models only), and a revised multilink rear suspension. We can say that rolling on its larger 19- or 20-inch wheels (18s are standard), the Corsair floated over the glass-smooth byways of Northern California with competence and cushy grace, its steering aloof in feel yet precise, and its body control reasonably in check on curvy back roads. That healthy degree of compliance in the Corsair's suspension translates to a similar amount of isolation when traversing the Third World goat paths of the Midwest, although its larger, optional wheels do occasionally clomp over pavement imperfections and frost seams on the highway.

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LOWS: Operation feels uninvolved, headline options are limited to pricier Reserve models.

A firm brake pedal and confident responses to directional changes lend the Corsair a reassuring if lazy comportment on the road. Switching to its Excite driving mode (there also are Normal, Conserve, Slippery, and Deep settings) slightly stiffens the dampers and the effort of the electrically assisted steering, although we couldn’t detect much difference aside from the sharper action that Excite mode brings to the throttle and the unobtrusive eight-speed automatic transmission. But it takes an emergency event to actually raise your pulse when piloting the Corsair, and even then, a phalanx of driver aids—such as standard forward automatic emergency braking, blind-spot detection, and lane-keep assist, as well as optional evasive steering assist—are there to help you from hitting trees and other vehicles. Pushed to their handling limit, both of our all-wheel-drive Corsair test cars—one riding on 19-inch wheels shod with 225/55R-19 Michelin Primacy Tour A/S all-season tires and the other fitted with 20-inch, 245/45R-20 Continental CrossContact LX Sport ContiSilent all-seasons—returned the same, modest 0.83 g of lateral grip around the skidpad and stopped from 70 mph in about 165 feet, which is respectable for the class.

Both on the road and at the test track, the difference in performance between the two engines essentially is a wash.

The Corsair Standard—that’s a trim level, not a benchmark—starts at a reasonable $36,940 and comes with a 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four carried over from the previous MKC; adding all-wheel drive is $2200 on all versions. Stepping up to the $43,625 Reserve model unlocks an optional 295-hp turbo 2.3-liter inline-four ($1140), which only can be had with all-wheel drive. Both engines quietly hum in the background, even at full throttle, and serve up ample low-end torque—310 lb-ft from the 2.3-liter, 275 lb-ft from the 2.0—for drama-free acceleration. Thanks in part to the Corsair weighing a claimed 100 pounds or so less than its MKC predecessor, even the standard engine can deploy adequate if uneventful grunt for passing maneuvers at highway speeds. Both on the road and at the test track, the difference in performance between the two engines essentially is a wash. Our 3988-pound 2.0-liter example reached 60 mph in 6.1 seconds, covered the quarter-mile in 14.7 at 93 mph, and accelerated from 50 to 70 mph in 4.4 seconds. The 2.3-liter model, which carried an additional 70 pounds, was but a tenth quicker both to 60 mph and from 50 to 70 mph yet gave up a tenth to its less powerful sibling in the quarter despite posting the same trap speed.

The 2.3-liter's EPA combined fuel-economy estimate of 24 mpg represents a solid 4-mpg increase over its comparable MKC predecessor. Front-wheel-drive 2.0-liter models receive a 2-mpg bump to 25 mpg. Figures are not yet available for the base engine paired with all-wheel drive, although it is safe to assume they will land in the middle of the 2.3 AWD and 2.0 FWD. The all-wheel-drive 2.0-liter Corsair averaged 22 mpg in our care and returned 30 mpg on our 75-mpg highway fuel-economy test. The results for the 2.3-liter model with all-wheel drive were slightly less in both measurements at 20 and 29 mpg, respectively, although the latter number is 1 mpg better than its EPA highway estimate.

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Refined and High Tech

For the Corsair, Lincoln would prefer you to "feel its power rather than hear it." And as sensory deprivation chambers go, at least of the compact SUV variety, the Corsair is a pretty good one. This Lincoln's isolation is comprehensive. There’s a sound-attenuating windshield and front side glass, loads of acoustic insulation, and active noise cancellation provided by the stereo. An insulated firewall between the engine and passenger compartment make the Corsair's powerplant sound as if it's 20 feet in front of the vehicle. Wind and road noise rarely intrude. Sound-level readings at a 70-mph cruise of 67 decibels for the 2.0-liter and 68 decibels for the 2.3 both are fitting for the luxury segment. For comparison, our long-term Mercedes-Benz E450 wagon generates 66 decibels at 70 mph.

The lack of noise works well with the Corsair's updated and luxurious cabin. There are soft-touch surfaces, real wood trim, and an easy-to-use 8.0-inch touchscreen that tops a semi-floating center console layout. Plush and nicely dressed, the interior is Lincoln's greatest departure from its proletarian Ford roots, especially in one of three available two-tone interior color themes. The chrome "piano key" shift toggles on the center stack take some getting used to, as do the twin joysticks on Lincoln's latest multifunction steering wheel. But an optional 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and head-up display do bring lots of key information directly into the driver's field of view. The Corsair's tech factor is bolstered by its optional phone-as-a-key feature, which, using the Lincoln Way smartphone app, allows for the remote locking, unlocking, and starting of the vehicle without a key.

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The Corsair’s 10-way power-adjustable seats are quite comfortable, although more indulgent shoppers might appreciate the optional 24-way thrones that include a massage function. Back-seat riders also are treated to more accommodating quarters. The Corsair's slightly lower, longer, and wider overall dimensions versus the MKC result in an additional 2.5 inches of rear legroom, and the 60/40-split folding rear bench now slides fore and aft six inches, and it reclines. Under the hatch is a decent 28 cubic feet of cargo space, which means the Corsair can haul a full 10 cubes more stuff with its seats raised than a Lexus RX yet not quite as much as in an Acura RDX's 30-cubic-foot hold.

Keep It Simple

As with many new vehicles, though, the Lincoln Corsair's value quickly erodes as you pile on the extras. Most of the Corsairs intriguing features, including its more powerful engine, adaptive dampers, digital gauge cluster, and the phone-as-a-key system, are only available as options on Reserve models. For example, to get the 24-way seats requires a long list of additional tech, luxury, and active-safety items amounting to a $10,290 upcharge. The $59,660 asking price of our well-equipped 2.3-liter Reserve test car seems particularly egregious when a well-equipped and more engaging BMW X3 or Audi Q5 can be had for less. Merely competent on the road, the Lincoln Corsair's luxury proposition is most attractive when its order form is approached with modesty. Go crazy with the options and this Corsair will live up to its name and take your gold.

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Specifications Specifications 2020 Lincoln Corsair 2.0T AWD VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE AS TESTED

$54,375 (base price: $45,825) ENGINE TYPE

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement

122 cu in, 1999 cc

Power

250 hp @ 5500 rpm

Torque

280 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm TRANSMISSION

8-speed automatic CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink

Brakes (F/R): 12.1-in vented disc/11.9-in disc

Tires: Michelin Primacy Tour A/S, 225/55R-19 99V M+S DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 106.7 in

Length: 180.6 in

Width: 74.3 in

Height: 64.1 in

Passenger volume: 103 cu ft

Cargo volume: 28 cu ft

Curb weight: 3988 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

Rollout, 1 ft: 0.3 sec

60 mph: 6.1 sec

100 mph: 17.6 sec

130 mph: 37.3 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.8 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.4 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.4 sec

1/4 mile: 14.7 sec @ 93 mph

Top speed (C/D est): 130 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 163 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.83 g

*stability-control-inhibited C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 22 mpg

75-mph highway driving: 30 mpg

Highway range: 480 miles EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 24–25/21–22/28–29 mpg – 2020 Lincoln Corsair 2.3T AWD VEHICLE TYPE

front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE AS TESTED

$59,660 (base price: $46,965) ENGINE TYPE

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement

138 cu in, 2264 cc

Power

295 hp @ 5500 rpm

Torque

310 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm TRANSMISSION

8-speed automatic CHASSIS

Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink

Brakes (F/R): 12.1-in vented disc/11.9-in disc

Tires: Continental CrossContact LX Sport, 245/45R-20 99V M+S DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 106.7 in

Length: 180.6 in

Width: 74.3 in

Height: 64.1 in

Passenger volume: 103 cu ft

Cargo volume: 28 cu ft

Curb weight: 4058 lb C/D TEST RESULTS

Rollout, 1 ft: 0.3 sec

60 mph: 6.0 sec

100 mph: 17.3 sec

130 mph: 35.7 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.5 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 3.2 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.3 sec

1/4 mile: 14.8 sec @ 93 mph

Top speed (C/D est): 130 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 165 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.83 g

*stability-control-inhibited C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 20 mpg

75-mph highway driving: 29 mpg

Highway range: 460 miles EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/city/highway: 24/21/28 mpg Expand Collapse

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