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Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The Lincoln Corsair competes in the Compact Premium SUV market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 55 percent of new Lincoln Corsair buyers are male (vs. 62 percent for the segment), and the median age of a new Corsair buyer is 68 years (vs. 55).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the Corsair in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Corsair ranks 10th out of 15 Compact Premium SUV models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes a Corsair Grand Touring equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $65,970, including the $1,395 destination charge.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The 2023 Lincoln Corsair's most substantive change is the addition of Lincoln BlueCruise 1.2. Formerly called Lincoln ActiveGlide 1.2, the system is similar to the BlueCruise self-driving system offered on several Ford brand vehicles, including the Ford F-150 Lightning battery-electric pickup truck. In its new 1.2 form, the Lincoln BlueCruise system adds a lane-change assistance feature that will perform a hands-free lane change when the driver signals the desire to do so by tapping the turn signal stalk. The system will suggest a lane change in slow traffic, but it won't initiate the maneuver without the driver's consent.
Another 1.2 enhancement is in-lane positioning. Designed to make the hands-free on-highway experience feel more like a human is driving, it adjusts the Corsair's position in the lane if a vehicle is in the adjacent lane. For example, if the Corsair is in the left (passing) lane with a semi-trailer truck in the right lane, it positions the Corsair slightly to the left of center in its lane, giving a bit more room to the big truck next to it. While not necessary for safety, it does build driver confidence in the BlueCruise system.
In another effort to build the driver's belief in the system, the BlueCruise 1.2 system slows the Corsair as it approaches a sharp curve in which the pre-set speed might be too fast. Again, this mimics the behavior of a human driver. The system alerts the driver that the speed change is about to occur, which is also helpful in keeping the driver comfortable with the system's operation.
Developing a comfort level with the system is the biggest hurdle to using BlueCruise 1.2 on an everyday basis. In my test, over hundreds of highway miles, it performed the tasks mentioned above effectively and without incident. At the same time, it didn't engender complete trust that the system will always do the right things at the right time. Letting the system execute a lane change on its own in traffic moving at 70 mph takes a leap of faith. That leap of faith is threatened when the system doesn't execute the maneuver as you would if you were actively steering and accelerating.
Typically, the system drives more conservatively than you might. At the same time, BlueCruise's lane-centering functions appear to allow the vehicle to move closer to the outer edge of the lane in a curve before beginning to turn than I am entirely comfortable with. This is not to imply it is unsafe. Still, at the same time, on the broad high-speed curves of California 101, I sometimes felt like I needed to steer the Corsair myself rather than allowing the in-lane drift to extend farther than I wanted it to before the Corsair started to turn.
In the 2023 Lincoln Corsair test drive, the crossover indicated when hands-free BlueCruise 1.2 driving was available with a bold instrument panel message. This message flashes after BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm lane lines are visible, the driver has eyes on the road, and other required conditions are met. After the driver engages BlueCruise, additional graphics confirm that choice. In some instances where hands-free driving becomes inappropriate, the system notifies the driver and, figuratively, hands back the steering wheel. Because of this, it is mandatory to pay attention to the road ahead at all times. While one develops an acceptance of this over time, when first using the system, you can feel as if you are monitoring the skills of a novice driver, ready to step in suddenly if fate dictates.
Ford engineers are aware of this and are constantly working to make drivers of BlueCruise-equipped vehicles like the 2023 Corsair more comfortable with the overall experience. Over-the-air (OTA) updates might enable the BlueCruise 1.2 system in the Corsair to offer a more refined on-road experience in the future. The automaker is already using OTA updates to identify additional sections of divided highways where one might use BlueCruise. Currently, more than 130,000 miles of divided highways already qualify for BlueCruise use.
Beyond BlueCruise 1.2, Lincoln also equips the 2023 Corsair Grand Touring with new ADAS designed to prevent collisions. Part of Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 technology, Intersection Assist 2.0 leverages the forward-facing camera and radar to detect if an oncoming vehicle could cause a crash as you make a left turn at an intersection. The intersection turn assistance system will sound a warning and flash an alert if it detects a potential collision. It will also apply the brakes automatically to prevent or mitigate the effects of a possible crash. It essentially extends Lincoln Co-Pilot 360's forward-collision warning with automatic braking.
Blind-spot collision-avoidance assist is another added Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 feature. It begins to function if the Corsair driver has already missed alerts from the blind-spot warning system. Prompted by the views from its rear-facing cameras, it identifies a potential collision with a vehicle in the blind spot and provides a steering "nudge" designed to persuade the driver that a lane change at the time is a poor decision.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
Beyond the ADAS enhancements, the 2023 Lincoln Corsair benefits from an improved infotainment system. The most obvious change is substituting a large 13.2-inch touchscreen for the previous display. The bigger screen makes the graphics even sharper and easier to see and select. The Sync 4 operating system includes wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Sync AppLink. Enhanced voice recognition with access to cloud-based natural-voice commands is available. So is cloud-based navigation with real-time traffic and weather. Lincoln Enhance delivers software updates over the air. The system also offers Alexa Built-in with complimentary Alexa connectivity for three years.
During the lengthy test drive, the Corsair's infotainment system proved extremely easy to operate. Integration with AppleCarPlay was seamless, and the Sync system demonstrated the ability to "talk" to the Apple system and use that information. Pairing the smartphone and the infotainment system—sometimes a tripping point—was a non-issue. And connections when re-entering the vehicle were equally simple. The Alexa-based voice commands went exactly as expected.
Another change to the 2023 Corsair is the standardization of the previously optional 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster. The cluster is configurable and proved useful because of its legibility during the stint in which I tested Lincoln BlueCruise 1.2. My favorite feature was the integrated head-up display. It conveyed a lot of information—speed, time, temperature, range, and directions—in a concise presentation right in the driver's field of vision.
Compared to the technology upgrades, the interior and exterior design changes to the 2023 Lincoln Corsair are minor but still welcome. A new, more prominent grille is the most significant exterior revision. In the Grand Touring trim, it incorporates a satin metallic foil treatment with blue accents, which coordinated nicely with the test vehicle's new Whisper Blue exterior color. Crystal red is another neat exterior paint now available. The 2023 Corsair also features redesigned wing-shaped daytime running lights.
Inside, Lincoln designer Kemal Curic's goal was to give the new version of the SUV a more youthful glow. To that end, Lincoln added two new interior design themes: smoked truffle and eternal red. Smoked truffle is the color of a, well, truffle that has been smoked. Eternal red gives Corsair buyers the option of a deep red interior with Pista aluminum accents. That said, the test vehicle's ebony/truffle interior was tasteful, rich, and well-finished.
Photo: Jack R. Nerad
The 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV is a full-featured 5-passenger luxury crossover based on the same platform as the Ford Escape compact crossover. Lincoln designers and product planners have done an excellent job using that platform to create a well-differentiated vehicle from the mass-market Escape. One crucial strategy in that effort is to fill the Corsair with high-tech features like Lincoln BlueCruise 1.2.
With other niceties, including Active Parking Assist 2.0, rain-sensing windshield wipers, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and 14-speaker Revel premium audio, the Corsair Grand Touring trim tested had an intimidating price ($65,970).
After a lengthy test that included well over 500 miles of highway driving, the 2023 Lincoln Corsair impressed not only for its wealth of features but also for its stellar driving dynamics. Self-driving aside, this vehicle tracks well, steers directly, and brakes reliably. Where many luxury vehicles offer "soft" springs that allow plenty of body float, the Corsair delivered a comfortable, quiet ride that, at the same time, was well-controlled.
With a range of more than 400 miles on a tankful of fuel and some EV-only range as well, the 2023 Corsair should get an EPA MPGe rating of 78 or more. All this makes the 2023 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring an impressive traveling companion.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and sport utilities for over three decades. He managed the editorial efforts of Motor Trend magazine and Kelley Blue Book and is currently the host of the SportsMap Radio Network program America on the Road, available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, and other outlets.
