2023 Lincoln Corsair Gets Bigger Grille And Touchscreen, Loses An Engine

Over the past decade, the Lincoln brand has gone through a fundamental shift. The lineup has gone from slightly fancier Fords to vehicles that don’t look or feel anything like their corporate siblings. Here in North America at least, there are no more sedans and the brand is selling better than ever, especially in China which this year surpassed the home market. The best selling Lincoln in the four SUV lineup is now the entry level Corsair and it’s getting a refresh for the 2023 model year.

The exterior changes are fairly limited although less subtle than the updates to the full-size Navigator earlier this year. The most obvious is the new grille which is substantially larger than before and no longer sunken into the fascia. The basic shape, which Lincoln design manager Rob Gilardi refers to as the “kings crown” first appeared in late 2021 on the Chinese-market Zephyr sedan.

Gilardi describes this as the new face of Lincoln, at least for its internal combustion models. Presumably we’ll see something similar on a mid-cycle refresh of the Aviator sometime in the next year and the new gas-power Navigator in 2024 before all of these models are eventually replaced by EVs sometime this decade. Those models will adopt the grille-free look that we saw this past spring on the Star concept. The biggest difference in the Corsair grille treatment compared to the Zephyr is that instead of a horizontal chrome bar running across the upper portion of the grille through the star logo, the bar is at the bottom.

Like current Lincoln models there is a matrix of the star outlines across the grille. We were shown two variations of this, one that is part of a Jet Pack black appearance package on the Standard trim and the bright satin version on the plug-in hybrid Grand Touring. These two trims plus middle Reserve trim carry over for the new model year. Aside from the grille and some new wheels and colors, the rest of the exterior remains essentially the same as 2022.

The interior changes are also mild but more functional. The previous 10-inch central touchscreen has been replaced with the same 13.2-inch unit now found in the Nautilus and Navigator. That bigger screen comes with electronics and software upgrades that include the latest Sync 4 infotainment system. That means it will have new features like the ability to show both navigation and media player controls side by side as well as embedded support for Alexa voice services.

While the upper screen has grown, Lincoln has paired back the cantilevered control panel that jutted out below the piano key style transmission selector keys. Previously the climate control switches lived below some buttons for hazard lights, camera and the volume knob. Sadly, those controls are now virtual buttons across the bottom of the larger touchscreen. While physical climate controls are always better than touch, temperature and fan speed can easily be managed by voice in Sync 4 and the system works fairly reliably.

There are also some revised materials and color combinations in the Corsair cabin, mostly aimed at achieving a more restrained appearance, with less saturated colors. On the Grand Touring we saw, there is an aluminum panel with a diamond pattern across it. Some of the diamonds are translucent and backlit but there is a randomized pattern to which are lit, trying to evoque stars in the night sky.

The one other notable change to the 2023 Corsair is the discontinuation of the 295-hp 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The base 250-hp 2.0-liter engine remains for the Starndard and Reserve trims. Those that want a performance boost will have to opt for the 266-hp plug-in hybrid powertrain in the Grand Touring. The PHEV uses the same 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four cylinder engine and front hybrid drive unit used in the Escape hybrid and plug-in hybrid but add an electric motor on the rear axle for on-demand all-wheel-drive. The 14.4 kWh lithium ion battery that sits under the rear seats provides an EPA estimated 28 miles of electric driving range on a charge.

The updated 2023 Lincoln Corsair will go on sale in early 2023.