2023 Lincoln Corsair: Better Design, More Advanced Technology

Lincoln’s effort to assert, and fully embrace, its history as a no-compromise luxury brand has blossomed in recent years. From new, much preferred naming conventions (alphanumeric names have worn out their welcome BTW…are you listening Cadillac???), to substantially-improved exterior styling and interior material quality, Lincoln is a brand in ascension. The refreshed 2023 Lincoln Corsair reflects this momentum in styling, design, and technology upgrades.

The most obvious changes manifest in exterior design updates, including a larger grille featuring a new satin finish, along with blue accents in the top-of-the-line Grand Touring trim. New 20-inch wheel designs, featuring a black-and-bright aluminum finish, are part of the $2,000 optional Jet Package that includes black exterior trim with blue badges on plug-in hybrid models. Our Grand Touring test car was painted the new Whisper Blue color, an appealing, sea foam-like metallic finish providing great contrast against the black exterior accents.

Interior upgrades similarly involve new color choices, such as the Smoked Truffle seen on our test model, with Eternal Red also debuting for 2023. The standard infotainment screen size has grown, substantially, from 8.0 inches to 13.2 inches, and features Lincoln’s intuitive Sync 4 interface with steering wheel controls that make it easy to adjust settings without taking your hands off the wheel. A new center console and streamlined climate control panel below the dash improve the Corsair cabin’s appearance and functionality.

While the exterior and interior design features are appreciated, the most compelling upgrade to the 2023 Lincoln Corsair is harder to spot — improved driver-assist technology that lets the Corsair operate hands-free on certain highways. Formerly known as ActiveGlide, the updated Lincoln system is now adopting parent company’s name: BlueCruise. In its latest iteration, this hands-free tech can now change lanes, adjust speed ahead of tighter curves, and position the vehicle within its lane based on surrounding traffic circumstances, such as moving over slightly to give extra space when passing a large truck.

We experienced the tech on several highways in Southern California and were highly impressed with its capabilities. Hands-free lane changes and overall lane positioning were faultless, raising our confidence in BlueCruise even as we (of course) remained vigilant in paying attention to speed, traffic flow, and overall road conditions. The system undeniably lowered our stress level over the course of multiple days and more than 300 miles of travel between Orange County, Palm Springs and San Diego. It’s fascinating to watch drive assist technology evolve, and all indications suggest it will eventually lead to genuine self-driving cars.

Until then we’ll happily enjoy the assistance this technology provides, along with the new Corsair’s relaxed driving dynamics and quiet cabin. Our test car was priced at $58,810, and included not only BlueCruise but a head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats with 24 power adjustments, a heated rear seat, and a 14-speaker Revel audio system. The Corsair’s plug-in hybrid system combines a 2.5-liter engine with an electric motor to deliver 266-horsepower to all four wheels. It can go 28 miles on pure electricity and gets 33 mpg when operating in hybrid mode.

It’s the Lincoln Corsair’s combination of attractive design, placid demeanor and advanced features that give it a fighting chance in the highly competitive compact luxury SUV category. Rivals from Europe provide more responsive handling, but ride quality isn’t as relaxed as in the Lincoln. Some buyers will prefer that approach, but luxury shoppers seeking traditional luxury appointments and calm cruising will appreciate the Corsair’s version of luxury, especially if they want hands-free driving (and lane changes) to further reduce motoring stress.