The new Corsair upgrades with next-generation Active Glide technology and refined design, strengthening Lincoln’s Small Premium SUV Segment
To celebrate the new launch of the 2023 Lincoln Corsair, we were invited by Lincoln to Detroit “Motor City”, Michigan where we had a first-hand introduction to the updated premium SUV.
The Corsair is an exciting entry to the Lincoln fleet and the most successful SUV for the brand. With this year’s launch, it continues to build on the line’s product momentum by marketing to align itself to trending tech and the younger consumer demographic.
Playing up the character of the refined Corsair
“Evolving the design of the popular Corsair was an exciting challenge, and our team accomplished this in a very unique and dynamic way,” said Kemal Curic, global design director of Lincoln.
The new prominent grille on the Hybrid Grand Touring model is a perfect example of this, updated with a wave surface, chrome finish, and blue accents that lean towards a more fashion-influenced aesthetic, somewhat similar to monogram patterns of high-end retailers. The Hybrid Grand Touring model also features new wheel options, like the larger twin 5-spoke which gives a new level of precision to the Corsair’s look yet maintains its fluidity, making a big personality change to the distinctive car.
Stepping into the cabin, it’s apparent that Lincoln carefully designed a more sleek, minimalistic approach.
“Refreshing colors and themes create an ambiance that shift the mood of the interior, creating a warm environment and a luxurious experience that is uniquely Lincoln.”
The refresh adds new colors: Crystal Red and Whisper Blue exteriors and Smoked Truffle and Eternal Red interior themes.
We were a huge fan of the Smoked Truffle interior colorway that translated from the leather to the stitching and throughout the vehicle. The warm and neutral tone of this color family coupled with choices like the wide glass sunroof make it inviting, contemporary, and spacious.
Tech: Star of the show
The new 2023 Corsair introduces a next-gen ActiveGlide 1.2 driver assist which includes lane-changing, in-lane positioning and predictive speed assist in addition to changes to the existing cameras, sensors, and electrical architecture. The Lincoln Active Glide gives the driver more flexibility and monitors their face and eyes to ensure that the driver is paying attention.
The climate buttons from the previous model have since been moved up to the screen to free up more real estate for personal items and wireless charging. With a streamlined console panel, the new Corsair now provides more space in the front seats, and gives opportunity to highlight the ambient light elements that are key the car’s design.
The new 13.2 inch screen is crystal clear, hi-res, and unerringly intuitive to use. It’s a breeze to multitask within applications like Spotify, Voice-to-Talk Alexa, and Navigation. In addition, Lincoln has elected the all-new adaptive cruise control to be a standard feature which has the ability to set a specific automatic tolerance on the road, enabling speed adjustments for turns and even roundabouts.
Depending on your climate region, the Auto Refresh feature might be a significant selling point, especially in areas prone to smog or forest fires, the feature allows the cabin to automatically refresh the air on a cadence of 1.5 times every minute.
With the updated model in Lincoln’s portfolio, the Corsair aims to build awareness and advocacy for the brand to cement itself as a competitive player in the hybrid and electric car space.
The 2023 Lincoln Corsair is now open to order at www.lincoln.com, and will arrive in showrooms in early 2023.
