2020 Lincoln Aviator Gets 450+HP Plug-In Hybrid and Points To Ford's Future
All Lincoln Aviators for North America will be equipped with the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 found in the MKZ and Continental. That variant of Ford’s “Nano” family generates 400-hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. The new Aviator Grand Touring is where things start to get interesting. The Grand Touring model is Lincoln’s first plug-in hybrid and the most powerful production model ever from the brand.
All of the previous Ford and Lincoln hybrid hybrids utilized a two-motor power-split hybrid transaxle similar to that found in the Toyota Prius but the Aviator has something quite different. Ford had already previously announced plans to offer hybrid versions of the F-150 and Mustang from 2020 onward. John Davis, chief program engineer for the Aviator declined to discuss if this is the same system that will appear in the pickup and sports car, but it seems likely that it is.
Referred to as the modular hybrid architecture, the new system is based on the existing 10-speed automatic transmission already offered in the F-150 and Mustang. An electric motor is added between the torque convertor and gearbox to provide electric drive and regenerative braking. This approach leaves open the possibility to use different sized motors for different applications and Davis declined to give much detail on the Aviator setup other than to say it would generate more than 450 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque.
