The stylish Corsair is the latest entry in the small luxury SUV segment that shares a platform with the Ford Escape. Yet the more upscale Corsair won’t be confused with the Ford, thanks to its well-appointed cabin, comfortable ride, and lively powertrain. The pricier Lincoln fulfills on the premium promise, delivering refinement throughout.
Interior fit and finish, with plenty of chrome and glossy black trim, is appropriately upscale. The driving position is aided by a "floating" center stack, which is not only a neat styling detail, but frees up right knee space so the driver feels less hemmed in. We weren’t unanimously enamored with the front seats however, because they don’t provide even support. Broad-shouldered drivers will find the seat too confining. The backseat provides ample room and can be moved forward or backward to increase legroom or cargo space.
The Corsair has some of the same stylistic quirks found on other Lincolns, which makes some controls tricky to use. For instance the cruise control setup is not lit up until drivers activate it. The push button gear selector can’t be operated by feel alone. The lumbar support adjustment must be made through the infotainment screen. The voice control button on the left side of the steering wheel can be accidentally activated. At least the Sync 4 infotainment system is easy to use.
The Corsair’s smooth ride and quiet cabin pamper passengers. The SUV’s responsive handling makes it a pleasure to drive on curvy roads. The standard 250-hp engine and eight-speed automatic transmission deliver plenty of power. The compact SUV pulls away from a stop with hardly any hesitation with that base engine, then accelerates decisively with ample power for most situations. We measured 23 mpg overall on regular. A 266-hp plug-in hybrid is also available.
Every Corsair comes with advanced safety systems, including forward collision warning (FCW), automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning (BSW), lane departure warning (LDW), lane keeping assistance (LKA) and adaptive cruise control (ACC) with stop and go function.