The Lincoln Aviator is a

mid-size Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...

luxury SUV A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars. The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...

with three-row seating marketed and sold by the

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

brand of

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

. One of four SUVs offered by Lincoln, the Aviator is currently in its second generation, slotted between the

Lincoln Nautilus The Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV marketed and sold by the Lincoln brand of Ford Motor Company. As Lincoln is phasing out its use of "MK" model names, the MKX adopted the Lincoln Nautilus nameplate as part of a mid-cycle update ...

and

Lincoln Navigator The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV marketed and sold by the Lincoln brand of Ford Motor Company since the 1998 model year. Sold primarily in North America, the Navigator is the Lincoln counterpart of the Ford Expedition. It is the h ...

in size. The first generation of the Aviator was produced from the 2003 to 2005 model years as a rebadged version of the

Mercury Mountaineer The Mercury Mountaineer is a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was sold by Mercury from 1996 until 2010. Sharing many of its features with the Ford Explorer, the vehicles were virtually identical in terms of hardware. Externally, ...

(itself based on the

Ford Explorer The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...

); following the

Lincoln Versailles The Lincoln Versailles is a mid-size luxury car that was marketed by Lincoln from the 1977 to 1980 model years. The first Lincoln introduced outside of the full-size segment, the Versailles is a rebranded version of the Ford Granada and Mer ...

and

Lincoln Blackwood The Lincoln Blackwood is a luxury pickup truck that was marketed by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company for the 2002 model year. The first pickup truck marketed by Lincoln, the Blackwood was derived from the Ford F-150 SuperCrew and the Li ...

pickup truck, the Aviator was one of the shortest-produced vehicles ever sold by Lincoln. For the 2007 model year, Lincoln expanded its use of crossover SUVs; the five-passenger

MKX Homeobox protein Mohawk, also known as iroquois homeobox protein-like 1, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''MKX'' (mohawk homeobox) gene. MKX is a member of an Iroquois (IRX) family-related class of 'three-amino acid loop extension' ...

offered a similar exterior footprint, while the MKT (introduced in 2009) offered the three-row seating of the Aviator. For the 2020 model year, the Aviator made its return to the Lincoln model line (again based on the Ford Explorer). For the first time in a Lincoln-brand vehicle, the Aviator is offered as a

plug-in hybrid A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a hybrid electric vehicle whose battery pack can be recharged by plugging a charging cable into an external electric power source, in addition to internally by its on-board internal combustion engin ...

, along with

Android Auto Android Auto is a mobile app developed by Google to mirror features of an Android device, such as a smartphone, on a car's dashboard information and entertainment head unit. Once an Android device is paired with the car's head unit, the syst ...

. The first-generation Aviator was assembled at the now-closed St. Louis Assembly in

Hazelwood, Missouri Hazelwood is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, within Greater St. Louis. It is a second-ring northern suburb of St. Louis. Based on the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 25,485. It is located north of St. Louis-L ...

, alongside the Explorer and Mountaineer. The second-generation Aviator is assembled at

Chicago Assembly Chicago Assembly (sometimes referred to as Torrence Avenue Assembly) is currently Ford Motor Company's oldest continuously operated automobile manufacturing plant. It is located at E. 130th Street and Torrence Avenue in the Hegewisch section of Chi ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

alongside the Explorer and the Ford Police Interceptor Utility. __TOC__

First generation (UN152; 2003)

The Aviator was launched for the 2003 model year, slotted below the Navigator. As with the Explorer and Mountaineer, a three-row seating configuration was standard; in contrast to the Explorer and Mountaineer, a six-passenger configuration was standard, with bucket seats and a center console in the second row (a second-row bench seat was available as a no-cost option). Alongside the choice of

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

(4WD) configuration and towing packages, the Aviator was offered with relatively few options. In addition to all the standard features, options included heated/cooled front bucket seats, xenon (HID) headlights, 17-inch chrome wheels, and a DVD-based navigation system. These options were late availability in 2003 on the premium model and 2004 (''Ultimate''), 2005 (''Elite''). Shared with the Mountaineer, the Aviator was equipped with dual front/side airbags, side-curtain airbags, and stability and

traction control A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...

Chassis

Sharing its chassis with the third-generation Explorer, the Aviator is derived from the body-on-frame Ford U1 platform. Sharing its wheelbase with the Explorer/Mountaineer, the Aviator is fitted with four-wheel independent suspension. A standard towing package was fitted to all 4WD Aviators with a heavy-duty towing package optional on either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or 4WD models.

Powertrain

In place of the

SOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

two-valve version of the 4.6 L ''

Modular Broadly speaking, modularity is the degree to which a system's components may be separated and recombined, often with the benefit of flexibility and variety in use. The concept of modularity is used primarily to reduce complexity by breaking a s ...

'' V8 shared with the Explorer/Mountaineer and other Ford trucks, the Aviator was fitted with the

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion c ...

four-valve version of the engine, shared with the Mustang Mach 1 and

Marauder Marauder, marauders, The Marauder, or The Marauders may refer to: * A person engaged in banditry or related activity ** Piracy ** Looting ** Outlaw ** Partisan (military) ** Robbery ** Theft Entertainment * ''Marauder'', the second novel in the ' ...

. Producing and of torque, the DOHC V8 engine in the Aviator came with two more horsepower than the 5.4-L V8 in the Navigator (though with less of torque). As with the Explorer/Mountaineer, rear-wheel drive was standard, with Lincoln offering all-wheel drive as an option; all versions were equipped with a five-speed '' 5R55S'' overdrive automatic transmission.

Body

As with the Mountaineer, the Aviator derived its body construction from the third-generation Explorer, sharing its body structure, doors, and roofline with both model lines. The Aviator adopts a number of styling cues from the second-generation Navigator, which gave it the nickname "Baby Navigator", with visually similar front and rear fasciae, lower door panels/running boards, grilles, and headlamps, and license-plate surrounds. The Aviator was styled with a Lincoln-specific dashboard, adopting a design nearly identical to the Navigator. Styled similar to later-1960s Lincolns, the rectangular-designed dashboard of both models featured an instrument cluster with electroluminescent gauges and needles. The primary visual difference between an Aviator and a Navigator is the lettering on the radio cover panel; an Aviator is lettered "LINCOLN", with its Navigator counterpart lettered "NAVIGATOR". As with the Navigator, the Aviator was given model-specific seats and leather, with American walnut wood trim on the doors and steering wheel.

Trim

At its 2002 launch, the Aviator followed the trim nomenclature of the LS and Navigator, with a ''Luxury'' base trim and ''Premium'' top-level trim. For 2004, the ''Premium'' trim was renamed ''Ultimate'', matching the Navigator and

Town Car The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to ...

. For 2005, the ''Luxury'' trim became the sole offering, with previous content remaining available as stand-alone options, including a rear-seat DVD player. An ''Elite'' option package was offered, which bundled all features of the ''Premium''/''Ultimate'' trims; the package offered a DVD-based navigation system.

Kitty Hawk Special Edition

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company, Lincoln created a "Kitty Hawk" limited edition of the Aviator; it was the official vehicle of the 2003 EAA Countdown to Kitty Hawk. Along with special Kitty Hawk badging and trim, the limited-edition vehicles were fitted with special wood trim, which is mink Zebrano, argent painted and chrome grille, and a rear spoiler, chrome exhaust tip, chrome wheels, xenon (HID) headlamps, black premium leather heated/cooled seats with Kitty Hawk logo embossed on front seatbacks, black carpet floor mats with stitched Kitty Hawk logo, available only in black exterior color.

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 seemed to have been 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 the fact that it was priced similar to the larger and relatively popular Expedition. ''

Car and Driver ''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was fou ...

'' 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. 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)

Replacement

Coinciding with the model cycle of the Ford Explorer, 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 of the Aviator. 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 The Ford Edge is a range of crossover SUVs manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for the 2007 model year, the Edge is the first mid-size CUV marketed by Ford in North America; the model line is currently in its second generation. ...

CUV. The second-generation Aviator was to skip the 2006 model year entirely, released as an early 2007 vehicle. During 2007, Lincoln phased in a rebranding of its model line, adopting an "MK" model nomenclature for all vehicles (with the exception of the

Navigator A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation.Grierson, MikeAviation History—Demise of the Flight Navigator FrancoFlyers.org website, October 14, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2014. The navigator's primar ...

and the

). 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, slated to enter production in 2019.“Lincoln amps up design with Aviator reboot”
from The Detroit News (March 28, 2019) While not officially announced as a replacement for the MKT, the Aviator is marketed above the

Nautilus The nautilus (, ) is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina. It comprises six living species in t ...

and below the standard-wheelbase Navigator. A more detailed production was later introduced at the

Los Angeles Auto Show The Los Angeles Auto Show is an annual auto show held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in early December. The LA Auto Show is an OICA sanctioned international exhibition. It is open to the public for ten days each year, filling of exhibit s ...

on November 28, 2018. Lincoln confirmed that the Aviator was to go on sale in the summer of 2019 as a 2020 model in North America and China afterward. Lincoln notes that it will be marketed as a midsized SUV. With and of torque and all of the power and torque coming from a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with a hybrid system, the Aviator Hybrid's output makes it on par with likes of other midsized performance SUVs such as the

BMW X5 The BMW X5 is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by BMW. The X5 made its debut in 1999 as the E53 model. It was BMW's first SUV. At launch, it featured all-wheel drive and was available with either a manual or automatic gearbox. The second generatio ...

xDrive 50i ( and ), and the

Porsche Cayenne The Porsche Cayenne is a series of mid-size luxury crossover sport utility vehicles manufactured by the German automaker Porsche since 2002 (Type 9PA or E1), with North American sales beginning in 2003. It is the first V8-engined vehicle built b ...

E-Hybrid ( and ).

Vehicle 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 Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...

(FWD). The second-generation Aviator shares its platform architecture with the sixth-generation Explorer. While again mechanically related to the Explorer, the Aviator is to be given its own body design. Adopting design cues from the

Continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' ( ...

and Navigator, the Aviator adopted conservative exterior styling, to contrast from a "visual attack" (seen on competing vehicles). No specific engine or transmission details were announced as part of the unveiling; the production Aviator will offer

(PHEV) capability as an option, the first Lincoln vehicle to do so. Making their way into the production vehicle, several technological features made their debut on the 2018 prototype Aviator. Tying the vehicle camera system with the continuously controlled dampers, ''Suspension Preview Technology'' looks at the road ahead for surface irregularities (i.e., potholes), preparing the suspension for impact and its effect on vehicle ride. ''Phone as a Key'' allows an Aviator to be driven without keys; the technology allows the smartphone of the owner to serve as the vehicle

key fob A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or b ...

, with the door-mounted keyless entry keypad allowing access in the event of phone battery failure (the interior is designed with wireless charging for smartphones). A number of safety technology features are 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. Lincoln designers worked with the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current music d ...

to compose 25 unique sound effects to be used for the

door chime A doorbell is a signaling device typically placed near a door to a building's entrance. When a visitor presses a button (control), button, the bell rings inside the building, alerting the occupant to the presence of the visitor. Although the fi ...

and other indicator alerts for the Aviator. File:2020 Lincoln Aviator, rear 9.16.20.jpg, Rear view

Sales

References

External links

*
2005 Lincoln Aviator press kit (Ford Media)
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Aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

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