Much was made of Lincoln’s revival of the Continental nameplate on its new flagship sedan. It was just the start: Lincoln is discarding its confusing alphanumeric naming scheme and switching to real names again, both new and old. Another nameplate being dusted off is Aviator. This Lincoln will undoubtedly be more successful than the Continental, and Lincoln hopes it’ll be more successful than the last Aviator.
Alas, for all the buzz it received, the Continental is another sedan in a crossover-hungry market and, although its ATP is higher than that of the old MKS, it’s selling about as well as its maligned predecessor. As the Aviator is a three-row crossover in a market clamoring for them, it has what it takes to become one of Lincoln’s best sellers.
Lincoln has released photos of the “production preview” 2019 Aviator ahead of its debut at this week’s New York International Auto Show. They’re not calling it a concept, indicating this is effectively production-ready and few changes will be made ahead of its launch. Good. The Aviator is stunning, looking suitably upscale and just a tad athletic without looking too aggressive; in that respect, it’s reminiscent of the shapely Range Rover Velar. To quote David Woodhouse, Lincoln’s design director, “We don’t want to be about attack, we want to be about seduction. We want to be more about Monica Bellucci than Predator.” Brilliant quote.
The Aviator will debut Ford’s new, unibody rear-wheel-drive platform, dubbed CD6, which will also underpin the next Ford Explorer. Full technical details are forthcoming but the Aviator has been confirmed to use two engines: a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder and a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder plug-in hybrid, making the Aviator Lincoln’s first plug-in hybrid.
There will also be a third row of seating available, allowing the Aviator to replace the MKT and neatly slot between the Nautilus (formerly MKX) and Navigator; Lincoln also has another new crossover in the works. As with the rest of the Lincoln range (bar the moribund MKT), Black Label variants will be available. There will also be the same sumptuous, 30-way adjustable massaging seats used in the Continental and Navigator and the new Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 safety suite. Yes, the name seems very appropriate.
It’s a nice touch, bringing back the old Aviator name. Alphanumeric names can be used successfully and even those that are roundly criticized on the internet – e.g. those of Infiniti and Cadillac – make sense. Lincoln’s, however, never had any easily identifiable hierarchy or meaning. After the Continental, the next Lincoln to be named is the revised MKX. For its mid-cycle enhancement, it becomes the Nautilus—hey, it turns out there were still some nice names that hadn’t been trademarked! The MKC is also receiving a mid-cycle enhancement, also with the new Continental-inspired grille, but is keeping its alphanumeric moniker as a new generation is rapidly approaching. The MKZ, similarly, didn’t receive a name at its mid-cycle enhancement but will likely receive one in its next generation.
Let’s rewind 15 years to 2003, long before Lincoln entered the Chinese market (and by doing so, hopefully guaranteed its future). In that year, the first Aviator was launched as the Navigator’s smaller companion. The Navigator may have been a thinly veiled Ford Expedition in its first generation but, for its second generation, it was refreshingly handsome and upscale, inside and out. It needed to step up its game: despite being inferior in some respects, the Cadillac Escalade had quickly wrested dominance of the full-size, domestic luxury SUV segment the Navigator had created.
While the Escalade and Navigator were profitable and popular – for the time being, at least, in the Lincoln’s case –both Ford and GM recognized the need for smaller companions for these luxury frigates. The two companies took remarkably different approaches: Cadillac spawned the SRX crossover from its unibody Sigma sedan platform, while Ford took its body-on-frame Explorer and gave it a heavy makeover.
Sadly for the two domestic automakers, neither proved to be the sales sensations they’d hoped for. The SRX was critically acclaimed but buyers never warmed to it as much as they did the BMW X5 and Mercedes ML, perhaps because of its wagon-esque styling. The Aviator sold about as well as the SRX at first but by its third year, sales had fallen off much more than its crosstown rival. Ever since its launch, rumors had swirled the Aviator would have a short life and the Lincoln’s third year would prove to be its last.
It was a surprisingly short run for what was a surprisingly good luxury truck. Critics were impressed with how Lincoln had managed to finesse the humble Ford Explorer; while its silhouette may have been almost identical, the Aviator was extensively overhauled.
The interior was richly appointed in leather with genuine wood trim, as well as plenty of then-trendy “satin nickel” trim. The dashboard had a distinctively retro, dual-cowl design like the Navigator, the audio controls (or optional navigation system) hidden behind a sliding door in the dash. There were even classy, Lexus-like electroluminescent gauges.
The interior alone was worth the extra $4k over a Mercury Mountaineer Premier, which had a comparatively dour cabin. You also couldn’t get features like HID headlights, cooled front seats, or second-row buckets on the Mountaineer or Explorer, while you could on up-level Aviators. The only black mark against the Aviator’s interior was the lack of power reclining front seats.
Inside and out, the Aviator was like a 7/8ths copy of the Navigator. As my colleague Edward Snitkoff pointed out, that strong visual link between models is commonplace with luxury brands nowadays but could’ve hamstrung the Aviator at the time. Even Lincoln advertising at the time played up how similar the two looked and it’s possible some buyers decided to pony up the extra $8k and get the bigger Nav. If you’re buying a flashy, chrome-laden SUV, why not go all the way? The Nav also had even more trick features, like a power tailgate and power retracting running boards.
It’s not as though the Aviator was much more economical than the Navigator, managing a dismal 12/17 mpg in RWD guise while the Navigator was rated at 11/15 mpg. The smaller, lighter Aviator was certainly more peppy though, thanks to its standard DOHC 4.6 Modular V8. Similar to the V8 in the Mustang SVT Cobra, the Aviator produced a considerable 63 more horsepower and 18 more pound-feet of torque than the V8 Explorer/Mountaineer, for a total of 302 hp at 5720 rpm and 300 ft-lbs at 3250 rpm. That meant it reached 60 mph in around 7.5 seconds, which was quick for its time. The Aviator was much more of a Hot Rod Lincoln than the bigger Nav; its drivability was aided by a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic.
While the Aviator’s off-road performance was hampered by the lack of a low-range transfer case, the truck impressed on the road. And really, that’s probably where most of these luxury trucks were driven. Critics lauded the Aviator for its capable handling, the Explorer platform having received extensive suspension tuning for this application with new shocks and springs. Steering had more feel, Lincoln opting for a variable-assist, variable-ratio unit from ZF. Lincoln engineers had done a remarkable job with the humble Explorer, transforming it into something that could run with luxury import SUVs.
But there were a lot of luxury import (and domestic) SUVs vying for buyers’ attention. Some buyers might have gravitated towards the larger Nav but others may have left Lincoln showrooms, if they visited one at all. The Aviator undercut the Mercedes ML500 by around $4k but the ML320 undercut the Aviator and offered more snob appeal, if less power and scarcely better fuel economy. While the Aviator was no shrinking violet, the BMW X5 offered the closest approximation of sport sedan handling in the segment; the Cadillac SRX and Infiniti FX were similarly well-endowed. The Aviator wasn’t unique in offering a third row of seating (see: ML, SRX, GX) and almost everyone else had a more fuel-efficient base six-cylinder (see: RX, X5, MDX, et all).
Aviator concept (top), MKX (bottom)
Large, thirsty V8 SUVs were still very much in vogue in North America in the early 2000s but Lincoln decided to change the trajectory of the Aviator. Lincoln’s version of the upcoming Ford Edge was intended to continue using the Aviator nameplate, and indeed the concept that previewed it wore Aviator badges. But in December 2005, in the wake of sagging sales, Lincoln decided to switch to alphanumeric names. It seemed an abrupt decision considering the mid-size Zephyr sedan was already at dealerships but even that model received a three-letter designation after just a year.
Like the Aviator, the MKX shared its body with its Ford counterpart. Like the Aviator, too, it had more luxury features. But the MKX’s interior was a retrograde step, Ford investing less money in distinguishing the MKX from the Edge. It also was nowhere near as pretty as the cabin in the Aviator concept. The MKX sold a little better than the Aviator but well below the numbers posted by the conceptually similar Lexus RX.
Lincoln has used Ford platforms for myriad vehicles over the years, with varying degrees of effort invested in Lincoln-ifying them. Some transformations have been lazy, for example the Versailles. But even when Ford invests money in a unique engine, suspension tuning and an appropriately upscale interior, there’s no guarantee of success. Ford had made a convincing luxury SUV out of the Aviator but it wasn’t enough to make a difference in a cutthroat segment. Let’s hope the new Aviator soars.
Curbside photos taken in Washington Heights, Manhattan, NY in 2013-14 and 2017; parking lot photos courtesy of Edward Snitkoff.
Related Reading:
Lexus GX 460 (or LX): The Jeep Grand Wagoneer Of Its Time
Automotive History: Mercedes W163 (1998-2005 M-Class) – Conceived in Germany, Born In America
The new Aviator looks exciting and I hope it is a success.
The old one remains appealing to me as an older used vehicle. I still cannot look at one without recalling a story from my oldest son who worked at a country club golf course a few years ago. A middle age woman asked him to take her golf bag to her car. “It’s a black SUV”.
My son asked if she could be more specific, because roughly half the cars in the parking lot were black SUVs. “I didn’t think you would know what a Lincoln Aviator is” was her response. My son’s thought (which he knew enough to not say out loud) was “Yeah, but I can read.”
I wasn’t aware that the Aviator will debut a new platform… and a rear drive one at that! It could well provide the basis for much-improved driving dynamics vs the current crop of front-drive platform CUV’s. I hope so and we’ll see.
The name of the platform is interesting, traditionally Ford’s names related to the size/segment but an Explorer is nothing like a C-segment car (ie VW Golf/Jetta size), so perhaps there will be a smaller SUV to come?
Finally, Lincoln seems to be onto something! I think the new Aviator looks great, and has all the earmarks of a breakthrough success, assuming it is priced right. It is certainly sized right for the core of the SUV market (the Navigator is too big for many people), it is handsome and well-proportioned, and the interior is gorgeous. I’ll also gladly take the name, even if “Aviator” isn’t necessarily one of Lincoln’s best. But I am really, really glad to see something coming from Lincoln that looks to be fully competitive with the best choices in the luxury SUV market.
I knew a family who had the Explorer-based Aviator, and I think it was well done for what it was–certainly as good as the transformation between the Expedition and Navigator. I was surprised it didn’t sell better–maybe it was because it did look so similar to its bigger SUV sibling.
Those new Lincoln snouts look droopy to me. Not a fan. The rest looks OK though.
The divided gill face they had used before always read as “Oldsmobile” to me, so I think it’s an improvement.
I do think looking too much like a mini ‘gator hurt the sales as the ‘gator was just “a few dollars more per month” and had more presence. The other thing to keep in mind is that gas was just around $1/gal at the time, so the fuel cost difference wasn’t going to be that big. So for “just a few dollars more per month” you might as well go all the way. Having the biggest SUV in the drop-off/pick-up line at the school was very desirable among those with a penchant for conspicuous consumption at the time.
It will be interesting to see how this new Aviator does in today’s market, personally I’d prefer seeing a standard hybrid version in addition to or instead of the plug-in unless that plug-in has a 50mi range. The Fusion and C-Max Hybrids sold/sell much better than the Energi versions, though in some circles having the plug is seen as more “premium”.
That Lincoln Continental is a breath of fresh air after a decade of Angry Grills. I would be sorely tempted by a gently used one on a dealer’s lot in 2024 when I turn 60. I’m wanting more comfort on the highway, and if my past experiences with Lincolns is any guide, it’ll do just that. I’d better get the extended warranty tho.
I know that feeling well, i’ve been driving a bimmer for the last four years and feeling it. it’s a thrill to drive but i decided i need something smoother……..i found a 1988 cadillac sedan deville 1 owner car with 63,000 miles on it. Cady rides really smoooooooth!!!
They do ride smooth, I drove my mother’s 89 deVille for awhile after she passed.
Great to see a plugin hybrid from Lincoln. I wonder what the electric range will be.
Green Car Reports wondered if Lincoln would get a version of Ford’s pure-electric “Mach 1” crossover said to come out in a year or two, especially to serve the EV-hungry Chinese market.
Lincoln finally found their calling in life- the American Range Rover. The Navigator’s working well for them, and I think this one will too. Of interest, the Escalade outsold all luxury cars combined last year (luxury being defined as a MSRP of over $75K). Just an indicator of where those luxury car dollars are going to as the entire market shifts to SUV’s.
What are your numbers on that? The site gmauthority.com says 2017 Escalade sales in the US were 22,994. CarSalesBase.com says 2017 Tesla Model S sales alone were 27,060, based on Tesla’s quarterly reports.
goodcarbadcar.net- final ’17 sales figures.
I should have corrected that statement (not enough coffee this morning) to read “Cadillac Escalade and Yukon Denali Sales. Both have MSRP’s well over $75K.
Large luxury cars:
79,780 (Tesla S recorded 28,800 of those sales, making it the top luxury car model).
Over at GM:
121,936 Escalades and Denalis. 37,694 Escalades, 49,183 Yukons and 35059 Yukon XL’s.
Not included in those numbers are the 155,474 lower trim Suburban/Tahoe/Yukons, all of which stickered for at least $60K. Toss in another 53,000 or so Expeditions and 10,000 or so Navigators, and we have a market segment exceeding 300,000 units/year for vehicles selling for $60,000- $100,000 a pop. In my own mind, that’s flat astounding. It also explains why any luxury sedan (whose name isn’t “Tesla”) is facing some fierce headwinds.
It’s amazing how GMC has turned into a mainstream brand.
It’s amazing how GMC has turned into a mainstream luxury brand.
Minor correction (grins)
I find it kind of funny how Ford’s designs are blatant ripoffs of designs from car companies they used to own, Aston Martin and Range Rover.
The 4.6 DOHC in the Aviator is actually the exact same all aluminum longblock as used in the 2003-2004 Mach 1 automatic and Mercury Marauder. The Cobra version was supercharged when the Aviator was concurrent to it, with an iron block and stuff.
I know this all too well, the source for the DOHC I installed in my Cougar was from an Aviator 🙂
I wouldn’t say Ford is blatantly ripping off other designs, but they have been translating their language into something different for decades now. Just look at how much the Audi 5000 influenced the Taurus.
It’s awesome you put that 4.6 in your Cougar. I bet the thing flies.
True, but the Taurus at least took it a step further than Audi and went with the distinctive flush grille, and alltogether different taillights, it strikes me more as inspiration than imitation. The Aviator even has the little upper fender/door trim the Range Rover does!
And thanks, it’s not 2018 muscle car fast, but it’s a blast to drive, especially with the 5-speed 🙂
Oops, forgot to attach the Range Rover image. I think both are good looking mind you, but I never would mistake a Audi 5000 for a Taurus the way I mistake this from an Aviator
Hmmm…you may have a point. Although pretty much every automaker copies off one another now. I don’t think its as big of a deal as it used to be.
Thirty? Seriously? What are the thirty ways?
They must be Shades of Grey.
James P. Sullivan couldn’t get enough of multiple-way seats in Mike’s new car…
There’s an Aviator down the street from where I live, it’s even the same color as the one pictured.
Why didn’t the 1st generation sell better? For starters, you could never be sure without looking at the badges if you were looking at a Navigator or an Aviator. I also wonder if a part of the problem was that the Aviator was a step too far….perhaps Ford should have stopped with the Mountaineer? Each “clone” of the Explorer was a weaker version of the original.
The newer version? Looks great, though I would like to see the interior in the other available colors.
This is the first I’m hearing of the new Aviator, but my goodness it’s beautiful! Like, I would actually consider buying one, which is a lot considering I’ve never been interested in a Lincoln at all before.
The original Aviator, notwithstanding its differentiated cabin and greater amount of luxury features, was a classic example of failure of badge engineering. Versus German and Japanese competitors, the Aviator couldn’t come close to their refinement, its utilitarian Explorer underpinnings all too evident behind the thin disguise of chrome, body cladding, and satin-nickle interior trim.
I had a chance to ride in one of these circa-2008 when I received a ride home from a track meet from a teammate’s mother. Even though it was just a few years old then, the light-colored leather was cracking all over and the abundance of cheap-looking and feeling “satin-nickle” (painted plastic) trim was flaking in numerous spots. It didn’t feel very much like a luxury vehicle. In many ways, the original Aviator was the Versailles II.
But seriously, that new Aviator is stunning!
I love the fact that Lincoln is moving away from the alphabet soup model names. I just wish they hadn’t chosen to dredge up this awful handle in the process. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always felt Aviator to be an utterly ridiculous name for a car—what in the world does this thing have to do with aviation? Or more specifically, with a person who flies airplanes? It’s obvious to all that they chose this name only because it ends in the same four letters as Navigator, and that’s just dumb. Having done some work with Ford in the past, I can well imagine the meeting where the brain trust at head office came up with this one, back when they were planning the launch of the ’03:
Ford Golf Shirt #1: “What about… Aviator?”
Ford Golf Shirt #2: “It rhymes with Navigator!”
Ford Golf Shirt #1: “Done. Where to for drinks?”
“Continental” is a beautiful car name. “Aviator” is a Leonardo DiCaprio movie.
Now that we have the Aviator and the Navigator, maybe next we’ll get the Lincoln Communicator?
*Pilots are taught that in an emergency they should “aviate, navigate, communicate.” Full disclosure: I’m not actually a pilot, just an aviation buff.
Lincoln Nautilus is next up to bat.
I think the Aviator name is awesome. I don’t know why; I don’t care if the name makes any sense; it just sounds cool to me.
I am right there with you.
This luxury SUV trend is not going away. It reminds me of the 1930s when owners started driving their own cars and were no longer chauffered. That led to the extinction of such cars as the K Lincolns which opened the door for a new halo model like the original Continental. We are witnessing another reinvention of the luxury vehicle. It looks like Lincoln is up for the challenge.
Another set of Lincolns I don’t give a rats ass about. Hope someone else does.
Honestly, if it wasn’t for the front end, I would really like the new Aviator as well. Certainly one thing that Lincoln is stepping up, is their interiors. Those interiors that the new products have look really well done, especially the seats, which I’ve often said if there were a way to rip them out and put them in something else of my choice, I would do it in a second.
The problem with the original Aviator and probably the reason why it wasn’t successful was that it looked too much like the Navigator. I mean, they’re so blatantly similar in appearance it’s hard to differentiate between the two if you didn’t get a tape measurer and compare the lengths of the two vehicles.
I also learned today that the first MKX crossover was originally a concept to keep the Aviator nameplate going, that’s surprising. Which on that note, am I the only one to like the original MKX from a styling point? I mean, it’s not the greatest looking vehicle the company ever produced, but it is one of the better styled crossovers that has a certain charm of its own.
I just bought a lightly used 2009 MKX with only 47k miles, and love it for its styling inside and out (and I am only 40). I know the weak point with it (AWD) is the PTU, but I agree with you that the styling does have a charm of its own 🙂
Very sharp. Glad they’re switching back to RWD. Hopefully the 4x4s will have a proper 2 speed transfer case! I believe the Navigators do.
Attractive machine as far SUVs go, this new Aviator. Can’t say that SUVs/CUVs get my blood going, but this new one as you say looks to ape Range Rover in both looks and image, which isn’t a bad thing at all. We’ll have to see if it moves the sales needle any for Lincoln.
Don’t forget the Mercury Mountaineer. It was a rebadged Ford Explorer that came out in 1996 during the first SUV boom. And it was the first SUV to be sold in Lincoln-Mercury showrooms. Unlike the Lincoln Aviator, The Mountaineer lasted until Ford shut down the Mercury brand in 2010.
Actually Mercury bit the dust at the end of the ’11 model year and the Mountaineer died at the end of ’10 when the Explorer went to the D3 platform for 2011.
Don’t forget the Mercury Mountaineer introduced during the first SUV boom in 1996. It was a rebadged Ford Explorer and was the first SUV sold in Lincoln-Mercury showrooms. Unlike the Aviator, The Mountaineer lasted until Ford shut down the Mercury brand in 2010.
The Continental badge is the most equitable name in Lincoln’s arsenal. That said, if the current Continental sedan flops, then it’s time to rethink the game. If the public wants SUV’S, CUV’S or whatever, then that is where the Continental nameplate needs to go. Reality check, the Continental Mark 1 and 2 were 2 door coupes. In 1961, the unthinkable happened. A 4 door sedan and convertible were named Continental. Guess what? It worked. Most every SUV, CUV, has an ass end that looks like a bread box. Wouldn’t a proper Continental spare be so appropriate? I think it’s time to rethink the game.
This is the vehicle that might bring Lincoln back into relevance. It looks great, in and out. It will be RWD, that will also help the Explorer. I liked the original Aviator and the last Explorer with IRS. Nice job Lincoln. Now switch the Continental to RWD also.
Anecdotally, the demographic that buys upscale SUVs does fly, as in possesses pilot’s licenses. Both owners and a senior manager at the small company my wife works for have licenses. They owned a very small plane for years, I think they now do a share in NetJets or something like that. If I understand correctly, they’ve upgraded their licenses to these bigger planes, but can only co-pilot. Or something like that.
Will the Aviator name be corny to that demographic, or picture perfect? Hard to say.
For what it’s worth, the owners are in their early 60s and have been all over in autos. When the first wave of success hit, one had a first gen FWD Continental. There were a lot of BMWs and Mercedes after that, but for the past dozen years it has been pick-ups and Escalades – boats to tow and big families and clients to take to dinner.
I wonder if there is a way to make this platform into the next Continental Sedan – if there is to be any chance of life for sedans. It may be time to reverse engineer the SUV into a sedan, but Ford may be gun shy here. They gave it a try with the 500 / Freestyle and got their hats handed to them, but execution was weak.
The current Continental is lovely, and depreciating like a rock. My wife and I considered a lightly use one on a recent car buy, but the end concern was the need to get wheels for our middle child in a few years – so we paid cash for a 2016 off lease mid trim Fusion as a near future hand-me-down.
If we had been more serious about the Continental, the trunk was a drawback. The best sedan trunk we looked at was the Avalon, something that appears it can actually do duty trips to, of all things, the Airport.
That may be one of the top failings of sedans today, they can’t get your family and luggage to the Airport, let alone a 10 hour drive to a distant city.
The Aviator is good looking and probably up to both tasks. I may be hunting Auto Trader for one in a few years if the towing capacity is decent.
“I wonder if there is a way to make this platform into the next Continental Sedan – if there is to be any chance of life for sedans. It may be time to reverse engineer the SUV into a sedan, but Ford may be gun shy here. They gave it a try with the 500 / Freestyle and got their hats handed to them, but execution was weak.”
The CD6 platform, which underpins the Aviator and will almost certainly be used on the upcoming Explorer, is a modular platform that is going to be the architecture for every Ford and Lincoln vehicle midsize and up. It can be AWD, FWD, or RWD. I suspect the next generation Continental will basically be the sedan version of the Aviator, and will grow in size to better compete with its competitors. It’s also getting suicide doors at some point.
Yes, I do see Range Rover styling in the new Aviator, and Lincoln certainly took a bold step with the new Continental too (to me it’s totally different from anything they did before). To me the original Aviator looked too much like an “Explorer in drag” to convince me – they did give it a beautiful interior, though!
The new Aviator is quite stunning. I think much of its appeal stems from completely abandoning any pretense of off-road prowess, ditching the usual SUV-inspired styling cues like huge wheelwells with cladding. It’s shaped like a crossover, but styled like a car. A very elegant car.
Please Lincoln offer the fully color-keyed burgundy or blue interiors in the Black Label versions as with the Navigator and Continental respectively. I’m so tired of grey or beige.