2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV review | Car News

•    Auto123 reviews the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV.

•    The Grand Touring plug-in version of the compact crossover has solid qualities.

Predictions of its demise have been predicted for some time now, but the plug-in hybrid hangs in there for now, for those ready and willing to put in the time recharging their vehicle on a near-daily basis to get anywhere between 40-60 km of electric driving range back.

Among those PHEVs on the market currently, the Lincoln Corsair’s Grand Touring edition is probable not the first that comes to mind. But this compact crossover is worth consideration if that’s the segment you’re shopping in.

What’s new for the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV?

The 2023 Corsair gets some colour options for both outside and in, and the Sync 4 and Co-Pilot360 2.1 suite of drive-assist systems are included standard. The multimedia screen is now 13.2-inch, and it’S accompanied by a 12.-3inch digital gauge cluster. The rear seats are adjustable frontwards-backwards, which is really nice for improving comfort on longer road trips.

What’s important here in this PHEV though is what’s different from the regular Corsair. This model switches out that model’s 2.0L turbo for a 2.5L 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle gas engine working with two electric motors: a 96-kW electric motor connected to the front wheels and a 50-kW unit on the back ones. Power is managed via a CVT (continuously variable transmission).

Combined output from this powertrain is 266 hp (16 more than the base-model Corsair, 29 less than the Corsair Reserve’s 2.3L engine).

Official range for the Lincoln Corsair PHEV and its 14.4-kWh battery is 43 km, so a good distance short of the 70 km or so delivered by the Toyota RAV4 Prime, the leader in that category.

Exterior of the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV

Other than an extra port for the charging, there’s no visible difference between the regular and the PHEV Corsair. This is a handsome, well-proportioned SUV not radically different from the majority of compact crossovers out there. From the reasonably sized front-grille to the thin headlights to the relatively low-and-wide stance of the vehicle, the Corsair is done in good taste. The back end is more anonymous and could use a few design flourishes, but it’s still in good taste.

Interior of the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV

Here’s where the Lincoln earns its keep as a luxury model in contrast with the Escape with which it shares many basic elements. There’s a refined air and high-end elements not found in the Ford, and the seating is exceptionally comfortable. The slightly squatter stance of the SUV compared to others has not really impacted the interior, which provides good headroom in front and only slightly less in back. Seating position for the driver is relatively high so provides good visibility. An optional 24-way power -adjustable driver’s seat makes it virtually impossible not to be comfortable.

At 762 litres, the cargo space behind all the seats is average for the segment, but remember you can slide the rear seats forward to gain more space, and the 1,591 litres plus you get with the back seats down is pretty ample for most needs. The Corsair PHEV is rated for 3,000 lb of towing.

Driving the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV

This premium SUV is built, as mentioned, on the same basic foundations as the Ford Escape, and while it doesn’t exactly drive like an Escape, it’s not a performance SUV by any means. Off-the-line acceleration is fine, the horses on offer enough to handle the weight of the vehicle. Ditto for highway passing; you won’t feel the need to time your passes carefully. Just remember the CVT equals some screeching when you push the accelerator hard.

On the other hand this is too sedate to deliver much driving excitement. It’s just not designed to do that, preferring to focus on comfort and refinement – and that it does quite well. Not for nothing Lincoln uses the term “sanctuary” liberally in its marketing for this model.

The squat stance helps minimize roll as does the presence of electric motors that lower the centre of gravity. That makes this a relatively spry model to do winding roads in. But don’t expect too much for the relatively light steering. It’s perfectly competent but it won’t talk to you that much about the road below.

The final word
The key when it comes to PHEVs is how disciplined drivers are about plugging the thing in nightly, and how assiduous they are about keeping the vehicle in electric mode (especially when it’s optimal to do so, like in city traffic, and then switching to gas on the highway, and so on and so on). Fail to do that, as I suspect most drivers will after a while, and you still get significantly better fuel economy than the gas-engine-only Corsair, but it just won’t be as big a difference-maker.

Long story short, the range you get from the Corsair PHEV is not much and requires work. Otherwise this is a very comfortable vehicle offering decent roominess and a premium interior environment, as you’d hope to get from a Lincoln. It’s not as exciting as its German rivals – its underpinnings are the same as the Ford Escape, remember – but it compensates with other, more sedate qualities.

Pricing for the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV

The 2023 Corsair base version is priced at $48,900 CAD, while the Reserve gets an MSRP of $53,400. As for the Corsair Grand Touring PHEV, it comes in at $59,900 or more. This is the gateway model into the Lincoln brand, of course, and its pricing actually places the PHEV quite competitively versus the competition.

Competitors of the 2023 Lincoln Corsair PHEV

BMW X3
Lexus NX 450h