Lincoln has joined the big boys’ club with a new
suspension technology debuting in the 2020 Aviator, which promises to deliver a
refined ride even when going through bad potholes or speed bumps. Developed in-house, the Adaptive Suspension
with Road Preview is an optional extra that uses the forward-facing camera,
scanning the road 15 m up ahead for deviations and adjusting the
settings faster than a blink of an eye.
The air suspension features 12 sensors that monitor
the motion, body movement, steering, acceleration and braking, reading the road
500 times per second and making up to 100 adjustments each time. When it senses
deviations between 2 and 8 inches (51-203 mm), including frost heaves and speed
bumps, it preps the suspension by making it as comfortable as possible.
Moreover, the advanced pothole mitigation can detect
when a wheel falls into a hole or rut, stiffening the shock absorber to reduce
the amount of drop. Each wheel responds independently to the road conditions. With the optional Air Glide
Suspension, which replaces hard coil with guided air springs, Lincoln’s
three-row SUV becomes even more comfortable.
The Aviator will go on sale this summer, with an
MSRP of US$ 51,100 in the Standard grade. The Reserve and Grand Touring start at US$ 56,190 and US$ 68,800, respectively, and the Black Label will set you back US$ 77,695, without a US$ 1,095 destination and handling fee.
