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2021 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring brings plug-in hybrid tech to the small crossover

LOS ANGELES — When the new Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair were launched, the Corsair was strangely lacking a hybrid variant like the cheaper Ford. The reason for this is that Lincoln was preparing a slightly more advanced hybrid for the small luxury crossover. The 2021 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring elevates itself over the Ford by bringing plug-in capability and a different kind of all-wheel drive. At the front of the Corsair, the powertrain is the same as the Ford Escape. It's a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-4 and an electric motor powering the front wheels. But at the back, Lincoln has added another electric motor with a single-speed transmission to power the rear wheels, just like Toyota has been doing in the all-wheel-drive versions of the Toyota Prius, RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus UX250h. In addition to giving the Corsair four driven wheels, it brings total horsepower up to 266 ponies, an increase of 66 over the Ford. Having this rear motor opens up lots of freedom for how much power is given to the rear wheels, and a Lincoln representative said that the rear can go into a coasting or free-wheeling state when cruising for efficiency. Supplying electricity to the Corsair Grand Touring is a floor-mounted 14.4-kWh battery pack. Lincoln estimates it will provide enough power for the Corsair to drive about 26 miles on a charge. Neither the battery nor the rear motor take up any interior space, so rear passenger and cargo capacity remain the same as the regular Corsair. Charging can be done at Level 1 or Level 2 chargers, with the former taking 10 to 11 hours and the latter taking 3 to 4 hours. DC fast charging is not available, something that's featured on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Hybrid mechanical bits aside, the Corsair Grand Touring is just like any other Corsair. The only indicators that it's a hybrid are the unique grille, 20-inch wheels, blue badging and additional door for the charging plug. The Grand Touring comes standard with Lincoln's cell-phone key system, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and automatic high-beams. Automatic parking, a head-up display and adaptive cruise control are all options. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but will likely revealed closer to the on-sale date in the summer of 2020. Looking at the price structure for the Aviator, which also has a Grand Touring plug-in hybrid variant, the Corsair Grand Touring could be priced above the current range-topping Reserve trim.

12 best hybrid SUVs for 2022

If you're searching for the best hybrid SUV, the truth is there actually aren't that many choices. While there's an endless sea of those powered solely by gasoline, those that add batteries and superior fuel economy to the mix are few and far between. The very good news, however, is that the choices you have are actually excellent. The top-selling and top-rated Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 are not only available as hybrids, for instance, but are actually at their most appealing as hybrids.  Luxury hybrid SUVs are a different story. While Lexus offers each of its crossover SUVs as a conventional hybrid, those of other brands are by and large plug-in hybrids that provide a relatively brief amount of all-electric propulsion, superior fuel economy and higher prices that are somewhat countered by EV tax rebates. We include both conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids in the below list of best hybrid SUVs. All are listed alphabetically within each category. Best small hybrid SUVs   |   Best midsize hybrid SUVs Best luxury hybrid SUVs   |   Best luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs Best small hybrid SUVs Honda CR-V Hybrid Why it stands out: Best-in-class back seat space; hybrid's distinctive EV-like power delivery; middle lower LATCH anchorCould be better: Antiquated and glitchy tech interface; a bit dull Hybrid fuel economy: 38 mpg combined (AWD only) Read our 2022 Honda CR-V Review Consider the CR-V the baseline for any compact SUV search. Objectively speaking, it's tough to beat due to its massive cargo capacity, voluminous back seat, well-balanced driving dynamics, competitive pricing and features, strong safety ratings and well-regarded reliability. In terms of its hybridness, we like that Honda's distinctive hybrid system sees most of its propulsion handled by the electric motor (the engine rarely powers the wheels directly), resulting in a more EV-like, torque-rich power delivery and a less obtrusive gas engine. For the vast majority of compact SUV buyers, and especially families, the CR-V Hybrid checks every box.    Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Why it stands out: Beautiful interior; excellent infotainment and safety technology; traditional automatic transmissionCould be better: No spare tire; styling a tad outrageous Hybrid fuel economy: 37-38 mpg combined (AWD only) Plug-in hybrid electric range: 33 miles Plug-in hybrid fuel economy: 80 MPGe Read our 2022 Hyundai Tucson Review The Tucson is the new kid in town and it's made quite an entrance.

Lincoln Corsair reportedly getting a PHEV among three engine options

What's a Lincoln Corsair, again? That would be the forthcoming replacement for the current Lincoln MKC compact crossover, and we know little about it besides its name change and the fact it'll be related to the also-redesigned Ford Escape. However, The Truth About Cars says it saw paperwork Ford filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration detailing Corsair powertrain options. These VIN decoder documents reportedly indicate three available engines, including, most notably, a plug-in hybrid. TTAC, which didn't post the documents, indicates the hybrid's heart will be a 2.5-liter Duratec four-cylinder – such an engine currently power base models of the Ford Escape and Fusion. All-electric driving range is unknown, but the Fusion Energi can go 25 miles, and crossover competitors do anywhere from 22 to 26 miles on EV power. What we do know is that all PHEV Corsairs will come with AWD. This would be the first time we've seen mention of a Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid, but the idea isn't far fetched. The new Lincoln Aviator will offer a plug-in hybrid version, and we know there's a traditional hybrid version of the related Ford Escape crossover on the way. Spy shots of that vehicle from earlier this month didn't show the plug-in port where Ford likes to put it, on the left front fender. We expect a different powertrain in that model and we also wouldn't be surprised if there's an Escape PHEV as well. The other two powertrains will reportedly be the MKC's 2.0-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder as the base, with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost continuing to be an optional upgrade. TTAC also says the VIN document indicates that trim configurations have changed to simply offering standard and Signature trims (from the MKC's standard, Select, Reserve, and Black Label levels). This is hard to believe given that every other Lincoln offers a Black Label and is usually the model featured in promotions and official photography. There's still a lot to be learned about the Lincoln Corsair, including whether these VIN documents are accurate. We expect to know more later in the year. Given that the Lincoln Aviator was shown before its Ford Explorer sibling, we wouldn't be surprised if the Corsair made its official introduction first. Related Video: