Review: Comfy Lincoln Corsair PHEV is no racecar, but you’ll save at the pump

Review: Comfy Lincoln Corsair PHEV is no racecar, but you’ll save at the pump,The Corsair PHEV emphasizes comfort and calmness and lower fuel costs than alternatives that deliver a sportier engaging drive

Review: Comfy Lincoln Corsair PHEV is no racecar, but you’ll save at the pump

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If you believe governments and the automakers, the age of the battery electric vehicle (BEV) is imminent and inevitable. But even if charging infrastructure can keep up, there are other potential roadblocks, like the availability of raw materials to make batteries and clean electricity to charge them all.

For those who are EV-tempted but hesitant, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are a toe-in-water compromise. There are currently about 30 to choose from in Canada, including the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring (GT), a plug-in version of the brand’s compact luxury crossover.

We reviewed the Corsair when it launched in 2019, but this is our first acquaintance with the plug-in version. In place of other Corsairs’ turbocharged two-litre (Standard trim) or 2.3-litre (Reserve) gasoline engines, the flagship Grand Touring combines a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle gas engine with a 96-kilowatt electric motor driving the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission.

A second 50-kilowatt electric motor on the rear axle provides all-wheel drive, while Lincoln says the 14.4-kilowatt-hour battery is good for 43 kilometres of pure-electric driving before the gas engine has to kick in.

The Corsair Grand Touring isn’t a performance flagship; its 266 combined horsepower tops the base gas version’s 250, but trails the 2.3′s 295. But there’s a powerful payoff at the pumps: The GT rates 3.1 litres equivalent per 100 kilometres in electric mode and 7.1 in hybrid mode, versus almost 10 for the gas-only models.

For the 2022 models, the Corsair starts at $44,700 for the base model and $59,700 for the Grand Touring. Our test sample wore $14,550 worth of options. Still, the Corsair isn’t pricier than other plug-ins in its segment. The Lexus NX 450h+ asks about the same and the European luxury SUVs start at about $65,000 (though some qualify for the full $5,000 federal zero-emissions vehicle rebate while others, including the Corsair, get only $2,500).

The 43-kilometre electric range splits the difference between the BMW X3′s 29 kilometres and the Lexus’s 61. During our week’s test, we tried to drive electric as much as possible, recharging every night, always using pure EV mode, and shutting down the heat.

Despite all this, the gas engine almost always fired up for a while at the start of each trip. On one typical day of errand-running with multiple stops, the initial charge lasted 49 kilometres – but that included four kilometres with the engine running.

The only trip we managed that really was 100-per-cent pure EV was a mostly freeway and net-uphill trip that used up a full charge after 36 kilometres.

Considering our test took place in mid-January, we’ll call the 43-kilometre claimed range attainable – not always, but often enough, depending on your driving patterns.

After six days of maximizing EV mode, the trip computer showed 72 per cent driven in EV mode and overall fuel consumption of 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres.

On the last day, we set out with a full charge, but this time alternated between Normal and Excite drive modes. After 35 kilometres of quite spirited driving, including freeway speeds, the trip computer showed that even in hybrid mode, 18 of those kilometres had been electric.

Tech specs

2022 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring

Looks

The Corsair is shorter in length than most of its peers, but also built lower and wider. On (optional) 20-inch wheels, it has a good stance, its visual length enhanced by crisp body-side lines, full-length side glass and the cantilevered rear lip spoiler.

Interior

The Corsair may stand a little lower than its peers but, more than most, it enables an SUV-traditional high-and-mighty seating position for those who want it. Alternatively, the optional 24-way (yes, 24) seats promise to accommodate a near-infinite variety of body builds and preferred postures. The steering column is power-adjustable too.

The overall decor is traditional luxury, though if the wood trim is genuine, it certainly doesn’t look it. By today’s standards, the free-standing screen is small, but that grows to a 13.2-incher for 2023. A 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster features Lincoln’s signature Calm Screen that blacks out information it doesn’t think you need.

A fore-aft adjustable rear seat provides above-average legroom and seating comfort in the back, when fully extended.

Performance

A Lincoln tag line is Powerful Calm, but the Corsair PHEV is skewed more to the second word. It handles competently enough, but the chassis clearly – and successfully – prioritizes ride comfort. The gas engine’s voice has a gruff timbre, but it’s muted in volume, and in routine driving, the CVT keeps the revs low while shifting more like a conventional automatic. Only when accelerating hard do you get the constant high-revving drone typical of CVTs.

The Corsair claims better energy- and fuel-efficiency numbers than its European rivals, but takes a second or two longer to reach 100 kilometres an hour. The Lexus, meanwhile, is also quicker than the Corsair (though no match for the quickest Europeans) and has better efficiency numbers. But the Corsair is the only one that doesn’t require Premium gas.

Technology

Many of today’s taken-for-granted advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), such as adaptive cruise control and lane-centring, required a $3,000 option package on our 2022 test sample; likewise, “basic” luxuries such as a wireless charging pad and heated steering wheel are buried within another feature-heavy $4,900 package. For 2023, more advanced safety features become standard and hands-free technology for highway driving (Lincoln Co-Pilot 2.1 Drive) is available – but at a steep price.

Cargo

The Corsair’s cargo volumes are in the ballpark with the competition, and you can consider the official seats-up 761 litres as a minimum; you can make additional room for bulky items by sliding forward the rear seats. Tow rating is up to 3,000 pounds with the available tow package.

The verdict

Among its small luxury crossover peers, the Corsair PHEV emphasizes comfort and calmness (the word “sanctuary” appears a lot in Lincoln’s marketing) and lower “fuel” costs than alternatives that deliver a sportier, more engaging drive. It looks good, too, and has a hospitable rear seat. And the price is right, if you can manage without all the expensive options.

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