The 2023 Lincoln Corsair heads into its next model year with a notable refresh inside and out.
Lincoln’s best-selling vehicle gains a number of items, but it also loses a big one: the previously optional 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. Due to low take rate, Lincoln is dropping its most powerful engine from the lineup, making the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 250 horsepower the only pure-gasoline version of the 2023 Corsair. Lincoln says the 2.0-liter is updated and changed for emissions reasons, but it returns the same output and fuel economy as before. The Grand Touring PHEV carries over unchanged, so it’s still rocking the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder and single electric motor for a combined 266 horsepower.
The exterior changes are largely contained to the Corsair’s new face. It gets a totally new grille that is much larger than before. It features a wavy surface, and for the PHEV, it has a metallic foil surface with blue accents to denote its hybrid status. The lower front bumper is revised to accommodate the new grille design, and new wheel options are available across the board. No changes are made to the rear. Lastly, two new color options are available: Crystal Red and Whisper Blue. The blue is new to Lincoln, and seeing it in person, it skews more towards periwinkle than blue — we like it a lot.
As for the interior, Lincoln has redesigned the center stack with a new 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen taking center stage. It runs Sync 4 technology, can be updated via over-the-air updates and features Amazon Alexa. You’ll be able to monitor the Corsair’s new Auto Air Refresh system (an optional feature) via the infotainment system, too. It features a laser sensor and unique cabin air filter that constantly monitors the cabin air quality and is capable of refreshing the air in the cabin 1.5 times per minute. A 12.3-inch instrument cluster also runs new software for 2023, and it comes standard in the Corsair now.
The new center stack designdeletes the large array of climate and media controls that were previously there, which Lincoln says was for the purpose of promoting a more airy cabin and a feeling of spaciousness. A volume knob is still present, but the vast majority of the functions previously controlled by buttons and knobs can now be found in the big, new touchscreen. Yes, that means the climate controls are now integrated into the touchscreen. Lincoln also says that customers want more tech, which apparently was interpreted as wanting to change the cabin temperature with a touchscreen. Less controversially, Lincoln expanded the lower media bin for greater storage capacity with this newfound space, but the result is largely just a more airy cabin.
Trim and colors get a step up for 2023, as the dash trim can now be had with a backlit applique that features a perforated star pattern — it’s meant to look like a constellation on your dash. New color “themes” (as Lincoln likes to call them) include Eternal Red and Smoked Truffle. The red features aluminum accents and is a deep, rich shade of red. Meanwhile, the “Truffle” is a neutral combo of light brown and gray.
The last big update of note for the Corsair is the addition of Lincoln’s Active Glide. It’s Lincoln’s brand name for Blue Cruise used in Ford products, and it was initially launched in the Navigator for Lincoln. The version coming to the Corsair is the same updated version that Ford just announced last week — it adds auto-lane changes, better lane-positioning tech and slows down for curves predictively.
Lincoln says that ordering for the updated Corsair is available via its website now. You should expect to see the updated 2023 models hit dealerships in early 2023.
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