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2020 Lincoln Aviator Black Label Interior Driveway Test | The best American luxury

It seems safe to say that Lincoln has finally managed to brush off its "fancy Ford" reputation. Nothing illustrates this better than Black Label, Lincoln’s range-topping trim level that elevates its various models' style, status and, of course, price. We recently found ourselves with a 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring (the plug-in hybrid) in Black Label trim, and decided it was time for a deeper look at what this trim gives you in LincolnÂ’s three-row crossover. In case youÂ’re new to Black Label, youÂ’ll need to know that Lincoln organizes the options into “themes.” For the Aviator, you have the choice of Flight (tan and black), Destination (a deep red featured in our Black Label Interior Tour video), and the Chalet (brown and cream) theme fitted to our test car. HereÂ’s how Lincoln describes it: “Chalet offers Espresso and Alpine Savannah leathers and deep Silverwood appliques, with touches designed to awaken the senses.” The colors and trims used are supposed to remind of long weekends in the Swiss Alps. ItÂ’s all a bit colorful and over the top, but Black Label is supposed to be exactly that. Despite being festooned with modern tech and features, the Aviator is remarkably old world in styling. Lincoln isnÂ’t trying to be a sporty American BMW like Cadillac has. Instead, Lincoln created its own identity and brand of American luxury, differentiating itself from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Lexus and others in doing so. Lincoln put together an interior layout that makes sense and doesnÂ’t alienate older, less tech-inclined buyers (you know, the demographic who not only typically buy Lincolns, but high-priced luxury cars in general). Sure, thereÂ’s a big 10-inch touchscreen perched above the air vents, but there are also physical buttons for all your climate controls and audio controls. You can adjust these systems through the screen, as well, but we think easy and safe toggles like these still deserve a place in cars. TheyÂ’re especially welcome when surrounded by expensive-feeling trim and backed by the pretty Silverwood.  WeÂ’re less fond of the button gear shifter, but at least itÂ’s not confusing and is something anybody could learn to live with. It also does a decent job of staying out of the way and leaving more space for storage. Lincoln gives you plenty of that in this crossover, too. A couple premium pull doors in the center console open to reveal USB ports, cupholders and a place to slot your phone.

Ford hybrids getting update to improve fuel economy

Ford has announced that it is introducing "calibration updates designed to improve on-road fuel economy for owners of the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid, 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid."
We can speculate that these changes are at least due in part to lawsuits over mileage claims of hybrid vehicles. The automaker is enhancing 2013 models starting in August by raising their electric cruising speed to 85 miles per hour from 62 mph, optimizing the use of active grille shutters and the climate control system, shortening the engine warm-up period by 50 percent and reducing electric fan speed to minimize the fan's energy consumption.
It bears mentioning that Ford is doing pretty well in the US electrified vehicle market this year. The company claims to have grown its share in the segment by 12 points to 16 percent while taking a high number of Toyota Prius trade-ins in the process. Conversely, Toyota has experienced a five-percent drop in new-Prius sales over the same period. Additionally, Ford states that it has increased its share of the US vehicle market by one percent this year, more than any full-line automaker.

Ford recalls 1.48 million F-150s for transmission, plus other models

Weeks after recalling more than 800,000 F-Series pickup trucks for a fire risk, Ford has issued another separate recall for approximately 1.48 million 2011-2013 F-150s for a transmission fault. The six-speed automatics could unexpectedly downshift into first gear without warning. Ford and Lincoln tangentially issued much smaller recalls for the Mustang, Continental, Nautilus, and Navigator. According to Ford, some 2011-2013 model year F-150 pickups with six-speed automatic transmissions could "experience an intermittent loss of the transmission output speed sensor signal to the powertrain control module." This could potentially cause the trucks to temporarily downshift, which could be dangerous if it occurs while driving. Of the 1.48 million affected trucks, 1.26 million are in the U.S. while 221,000 are in Canada. Thus far, Ford knows of five reported accidents involving the issue. To remedy the problem, owners can take their trucks to dealers to update the power control module software. Ford also issued recalls for about 4,350 2019 Mustangs, Lincoln Nautiluses, and Lincoln Navigators in the U.S. and Canada due to a possible fault with the instrument clusters. Although there have been no reports of accidents, Ford says the instrument panel clusters assemblies might be blank or not turn out when the vehicle is started. Additionally, Ford issued a third recall for 28,200 2017-2019 Lincoln Continentals in the U.S. and Canada. Ford says silicon contamination might build up inside the door latch motor, causing it to malfunction. As a result, the door latch might not always fully engage, and the doors could possibly open unexpectedly. Despite no reports of accidents, Ford will remove and replace door latch assemblies on all doors for those affected by the defect. If any of these apply to a vehicle you own, contact Ford to discuss whether it is included in any of these recalls and have the vehicle checked out at a Ford dealership.