by Wallace Wyss –
Once upon a time Porsche purists would have been horrified to think a Porsche SUV would come along to save the marque. Now maybe a Lincoln SUV will do it for Lincoln.
The Star will be an all-new nameplate for the Lincoln brand when it hits the market in 2025 but in all likelihood not all of the features of the show car will be on the production model.
First of all the price they are talking now is $70,000, but that could be just the base Standard, and there will be a mid-range Reserve, and finally the Black Label, sort of like Rolls Royce has their black badge label which offers more performance and personalized features. Actually they already have an SUV in this price range–The 2022 Lincoln Navigator can run as high as $107,330 for a Black Label Navigator with a full load of options.
Actually when I said it reminds me of a Range Rover that’s a compliment because the 2022 Land Rover Range Rover starts at $105,350, though the right trim with the right options can see that price soar higher, even as high as $183,150.
Lincoln showed this SUV on looks, no details of the power plant but likely to be from the Ford Mustang Mach E — dual electric motors and a range of battery sizes from 75.7-kWh to 98.8-kWh and up to 459-hp and standard all-wheel drive. An adaptive suspension is likely to be standard and would be appropriate for a luxury car.
Inside, comfort goes beyond what’s available now such as 30-way adjustable Perfect Position seats even including massage functions for the driver and front-seat passenger. And name brand leather like Bridge of Weir. The shifter is back to push-button.
Like a lot of Concepts there’s a full-width infotainment display as most functions have to be done through the screen. It wouldn’t be luxury without the almost mandatory Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-dash navigation and on-board Wi-Fi. For a premium stereo system Revel was mentioned as an optional feature.
DESIGN CRITIQUE
SIDE Strong Range Rover influence–very clean and powerful. No clue from the pictures as to where the door handles are. (You always wonder, in an emergency, how are the rescuers gonna open the door?)
FRONT Perforated nose with vertical emblem looks sort of Oldsmobile-ish, Clean but not as strong as the side view.
REAR Thin blade taillights not new but nicely integrated. Overhanging rear roof seems to be on many SUVs now to prevent sun from overheating the interior.
INTERIOR The full width screen. There’s no going back to dials and manual switches so consumers will have to live with more and more functions controllable only through the screen.
IN SUM At first glance, I can’t see anything worth $90,000, no breakthroughs in performance, comfort or design. But if they can roll 500 miles on a full charge, and show us more increased liveability, (perhaps planning for an autonomous future, rear bucket seats that can be moved to face other directions, bigger viewing screens in the rear) then maybe they can justify that price.
American society has changed what it wants in cars. Basically they don’t want cars, they want SUVs and pickup trucks. And the automakers are scrambling to come up with what the public wants on electric platforms. We have to see more of what Lincoln plans for this SUV before we roll out the welcome mat….
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Wallace Wyss comments on cars on Autotalk, broadcast weekly from KUCR FM Riverside.
Photos compliments of Lincoln.
“INTERIOR The full width screen. There’s no going back to dials and manual switches so consumers will have to live with more and more functions controllable only through the screen.”
This consumer will not. I have a Mk 7.5 VW GTI for a daily driver. I would buy a MK 8, Golf R in a heartbeat if it wasn’t for the all digital dash. I’ve already cursed the MK 7.5 for the lack of a mute button on the steering wheel, but at least there are up/down volume controls there and a knob on the dash. The MK 8 relegates this function to an imaginary slider on a center-mounted touch screen. Same with the climate controls.
Who in their right mind wants to take their eyes off the road to adjust the volume on the radio or the AC? Interestingly, VW locks out some functions on the current touch screen when the vehicle is in motion because they don’t want you looking at the screen. Go figure.
Agreed! The move to all functions on a touch screen is problematic. I had a 2011 Range Rover that I just traded in and miss the knobs already (now have a used 2020 Range Rover Sport with many functions on screens). Takes getting used to. Also traded in my wife’s very high mileage Mercedes S class on a used 2020 S with lowish miles. Decided to go for the used 2020 vs. a new car due to the gigantic center stack screen used for many functions, similar to a Tesla. The used 2020 S retains the same dash as our prior S and is much more user friendly and retains the nice analog clock in the dash (missing in the new cars). It will be interesting to see how many people adopt the push by manufacturers for a more digital future.
I occasionally drive a test car. Some of them have so many gadgets the owner’s manual would be two in. thick. So i try to operate various functions instinctively, but with mixed results. Like those cars with Sirius radio i pick a channel like Beatles when I first get into the car but then I lose the channel but with no knob or switch i am totally dependent on the screen to find how to get back to the channel i wanted. Sure if you own the car you would get used to it but what about those renting a car at an airport? They don’t have time to read a manual if they re on the way to a meeting, How insolent of the auto industry to make all these controls accessible by screen only without asking us–the consumers…..