Lincoln Aviator SUV to Launch in 2019

Ford Motor Co took the wraps off a concept version of the upcoming Lincoln Aviator crossover/SUV this week at the New York auto show.

The new Aviator will share a rear-wheel-drive platform with the next-generation Explorer that’s also due next year. All-wheel drive will be optional. The same chassis also could eventually be used for cars and possibly even adapted to a front-drive configuration.

The long wheelbase platform will accommodate three rows of seating in the Aviator. The interior will feature Lincoln's 30-way adjustable seats in the front row and flexible second-row seats that can recline and slide forward for easy access to third-row seating.

Power for the Aviator will come from an unspecified twin-turbocharged engine, which media reports speculate will be a V-6 mill. A plug-in hybrid variant also will be offered.

The suspension preview system uses a camera to scan the upcoming road and automatically adjusts damping to best handle changing conditions.

The Aviator will get Ford’s new Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assist technologies. This includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, a lane-keeping system, reverse camera and automatic high-beam lighting. A new crash prevention system will apply the brakes if an obstacle is detecting while the vehicle is backing up.

The Aviator also will be the first Lincoln to have a "phone as a key" system that will allow owners to lock, unlock and start their vehicle via a smartphone app. If the phone's battery dies, a pass code can be entered on the exterior keypad to enter the vehicle, and the center touchscreen can be used to start the engine.

Exterior styling is highlighted by an updated mesh grille described as an inverse of that used by other Lincoln models. The carmaker says the rear-sloping design mimics the in-flight stance of planes.