Here's What We Know About the Upcoming Lincoln Corsair Plug-in Hybrid

author: Manish Kharinta   

The Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid

U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. recently unveiled the revival of its highly-anticipated and iconic Bronco nameplate. Ford seems to be on a hot streak as the car giant's luxury subsidiary Lincoln is also getting ready to follow up its Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid (PHEV) with the all-new luxury Corsair crossover PHEV.

We first got a glimpse of the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring during the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. The model was Lincoln's vision of a luxury compact luxury crossover. Reports suggest that Lincoln plans on introducing a PHEV variant of its luxury compact crossover SUV later this year.

As a result of the of Covid-19 pandemic, Lincoln announced that its all-electric SUV project has been terminated, which means that the sole electrified models from Ford's premium subsidiary will be Corsair and Aviator Grand Touring PHEV.

Rivian's skateboard platform was initially supposed to underpin Lincoln's canceled battery-only crossover project, as Ford is a major investor in the electric truck startup. The automaker invested $500 million in the EV company last year,  joining e-commerce giant Amazon and T. Rowe Price as major backers.

Rivian's models debuted a year ahead of Lincoln Corsair at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Lincoln's project with Rivian would have resulted in a Lincoln badged version of the Rivian R1S all-electric SUV. However, Ford and Rivian have confirmed that they still intend on co-developing EVs in the future.

Dual-powertrain and Drive Types

The PHEV drivetrain of the Corsair will get an independent electric motor on the rear axle. This motor will be used to give the upcoming Corsair PHEV an all-wheel-drive setup which will be the first of its kind in the segment. There will be no direct mechanical linkages to the battery-powered motor allowing it to operate as an independent unit.

Ford claims that its 2021 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid will get an EPA estimated battery-only range of 25 miles. 

Under the hood, the PHEV powertrain of the 2021 Corsair will comprise of a conventionally-powered 2.5-liter, four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle motor, which has been specifically engineered to be mated to a PowerSplit electric continuously variable transmission and a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

This is Lincoln's first-ever dual-powertrain technology and according to Ford, the plug-in hybrid drivetrain will deliver a combined peak power output of 266 horsepower. The driver can control power distribution by selecting different driving modes, including Normal, Excite, Conserve, Slippery, and Deep.

The PHEV will also get two additional electric driving modes called Preserve EV and Pure EV. In the preserve mode, the Corsair's high voltage battery pack is recharged on the go by deriving power from both engine and electric motors. In this mode, the battery pack can be recharged up to 75% capacity.

The Pure EV mode, as the name suggests, allows the driver to use Corsair's dual electric motors to operate the vehicle. The Pure EV mode also engages its hybrid system seamlessly once a driver exceeds the electric capacity of the drivetrain.

Features and Pricing

The Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring also comes equipped with "phone as a key" technology that allows customers to use the Lincoln Way mobile app to carry out functions like locking/unlocking the doors and starting the car.

The Corsair is the smallest crossover PHEV in Lincoln's current lineup and we expect its prices to start around $50,000. The company has not disclosed any details about the battery pack that will power Corsair's PHEV powertrain.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.