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 50 feet (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.
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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 system in Aviator is so advanced that its sensors speed-read the road ahead and adjust the system faster than a blink of an eye, with more than 23,000 inputs of data per second”, said Dynamic Vehicle Specialist David Russell. “Not every journey is smooth, but we can make the ride more refined so you can just sit back and enjoy it all.”
The Aviator will go on sale this summer, with an MSRP of $51,100 in the Standard grade. The Reserve and Grand Touring start at $56,190 and $68,800, respectively, and the Black Label will set you back $77,695, without a $1,095 destination and handling fee.