Used 2020 Lincoln Corsair

#9 in Best Small Luxury SUVs of 2020

The 2020 Lincoln Corsair is an all-new compact luxury SUV that replaces the Lincoln MKC. The head-turning Corsair is the latest model to receive Lincoln’s new “Quiet Flight” design treatment, which features the brand’s new signature grille, full-width taillights and an “S-section” side panel contour. The design accentuates the Corsair’s stance as one of the lowest and widest SUVs in the segment.

The new Corsair comes with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), plus a turbocharged 2.0- or 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Corsair, available in Standard and extra luxurious Reserve forms, competes with a host of other compact luxury SUVs, but the Acura RDX and Lexus NX are foremost among them.

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KBB had the opportunity to drive a Corsair Reserve, an all-wheel-drive model equipped with the 2.3, and an AWD Corsair Reserve fitted with the smaller 2.0-liter engine. Our impressions:

Both engines are so quiet inside the cabin that it’s hard to tell they’ve started, in part because there’s no tachometer displayed on the digital dash in the Corsair’s Normal driving mode. More significant, all the new Corsairs benefit from a dual-wall firewall that helps keep engine sound completely out of the cabin. This is something Mercedes has done for years, and we’re glad it has been adopted by Lincoln.

Both of these engines can be felt, however. They provide the Corsair with a confident, relaxed momentum, and their power is sent to the wheels via a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, thankfully not a continuously variable automatic. You can tell the 2.0 isn’t quite up to the power of the 2.3, but it by no means felt lacking in any way.

It might be easiest to let your wallet decide: The 2.3 is an $1,140 option on the 2020 Lincoln Corsair Reserve.

While driving the 2.3 Corsair, the mode we liked best was called Excite, what most companies would call Sport. The suspension firmed up a bit for better body control in the twisty bits, but it does so without compromising the ride in an adverse way. We also like the quickened response of the gearbox, and how it would hold a lower gear while descending grades to make life a little easier on the Corsair’s 4-wheel disc brakes.

All told, we’re impressed with the way this new compact Lincoln SUV drives. It has great balance and confidence-inspiring steering feel. About the only thing we’re not enamored of is the digital instrument panel, which looks way too plain in Normal mode, but was undoubtedly chosen to emphasize the technical nature of this new Lincoln (and look like its larger Lincoln siblings). To us, there’s nothing “unluxurious” or low tech about real analog gauges with real pointers.

Nevertheless, this is a minor nit to pick on an otherwise impressive new Lincoln that will appeal to a customer looking for a luxurious and practical vehicle that’s small on the outside, but big in the areas of style, safety, tech and performance.

Inside, the new Corsair’s dash uses a wide horizontal design to emphasize space and a sense of calm. A dual-wall dashboard in the engine compartment does a superb job of isolating the cabin from engine noise, while six unique symphonic chimes (recorded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, no less) add to the Corsair’s upscale demeanor. We like how the 5-passenger interior’s second row can be slid fore or aft up to six inches, allowing owners to choose between extra rear-seat legroom or additional cargo capacity.

With premium materials available in vivid colors, the 2020 Lincoln Corsair offers a sumptuous cabin design. Leather seats and door panels can be had in Beyond Blue (blue-and-white contrasts), Cashew (tan and black), or Medium Slate (soft gray with ebony accents). The Corsair’s horizontal cabin design allows for a cantilevered center console with generous storage below.

Lincoln’s new compact luxury SUV features a digital dash like that used on the Navigator, Nautilus and Aviator. It animates to showcase the transitions between each of the Corsair’s five driving modes (Normal, Excite, Slippery, Deep Conditions and Conserve), but we’re not sure if the large TFT screen, which looks almost barren in Normal mode, is better than a set of traditional analog gauges. On the other hand, we like the Corsair’s high-tech steering wheel, which offers thumb pads for cruise control and menu navigation, as well as a new dedicated button on the steering wheel rim to engage spoken commands.

One size down and sporting one less row of seats than Lincoln’s big new Aviator SUV, the Corsair is a handsomely scaled-down version of its big brother. It’s definitely a Lincoln, there’s no doubt about that, and the range of color choices includes several metallic finishes that include the Corsair’s signature hue, Flight Blue.

PHONE AS A KEY
Advanced tech plays a key role, literally, in the Corsair’s luxury pedigree. Lincoln’s new “Phone As A Key” technology allows drivers to lock and unlock the Corsair, open the liftgate, and start and drive the vehicle with just their smartphone. Your phone, in effect, becomes the key fob. The seats, mirrors and audio preferences adjust automatically when a drivers enters the Corsair.

SMART TECH
In addition to Lincoln’s “Phone As A Key” technology, the 2020 Corsair features a 14-speaker Revel premium audio system, wireless charging for mobile devices, standard Wi-Fi and SYNC 3 with AppLink to synchronize mobile phone controls with the Corsair’s 8-inch touch screen.

As a compact luxury SUV carrying the Lincoln name, the new Corsair is very well equipped. The front-wheel-drive Corsair Standard is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, and the abundant luxuries include dual-zone climate control, active noise control, and 10-way heated front seats along with Sync 3 infotainment and a “floating” 8-inch touch screen.

What’s more, all 2020 Corsairs are blessed with a push-button starter, hill-start assist, a power liftgate and LED headlights.

Some options on the 2020 Corsair are well worth considering. These include the turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-4 engine for the Reserve model (which offers considerably more power at only a tiny hit to fuel economy) and the 14-speaker Revel premium audio system. Other extras to consider include the Corsair’s 24-way “Perfect Position” front seats (which offers extendable thigh-support panels for each of your legs), adaptive suspension, an excellent head-up display (HUD), Phone As A Key, wireless smart phone charging and a panoramic moonroof.

The Corsair’s base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder offering 250 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. An available 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder produces 295 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are smooth, and they send power through an 8-speed automatic transmission. Both are available with front- or all-wheel drive.

The front-drive 2.0-liter Corsair is rated by the EPA at 22 mpg City/29 mpg Highway/25 mpg combined. With all-wheel drive, those figures are 21/29/24, respectively.

With the 2.3 available only with all-wheel drive, the 2020 Corsair returns EPA figures of 21 mpg City/28 mpg Highway and 24 mpg combined, which means the extra power does not put a big hurt on fuel economy.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
250 horsepower
280 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22 mpg/29 mpg (FWD), 21 mpg/29 mpg (AWD)

2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4
295 horsepower
310 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21 mpg/28 mpg