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2015 Lincoln Navigator puts on a brave face, offers EcoBoost V6 only

Lincoln has finally given its SUV a facelift after seven long years.
Seven years is a long time. For the auto industry, though, seven years is an absolute eternity. Most vehicles receive clean-sheet redesigns within the span of seven years, usually getting a facelift of some sort after year three or four. Not Lincoln.

Five vehicles named Top Safety Pick+ including new Civic, MKZ

In an attempt to help push vehicle safety to a higher level, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety created a stricter Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, which incorporates a brutal small overlap test and requires cars to get Good ratings in four out of the five categories (and no less than Acceptable in the fifth). Joining the list of the safest cars of 2013, the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ, Honda Civic (sedan and coupe) and the 2014 Mazda6 have all received the coveted TSP+ rating.
The Mazda6 and Lincoln MKZ have both been completely redesigned, and both received Acceptable ratings in the small overlap test. The Honda Civic, coming off its emergency refresh for 2013, is the first small car to be subjected to the small overlap test, and IIHS says that one of the car's many upgrades includes a stiffer front structure allowing it to receive Good ratings in all categories. Similarly, the XC60 gets all Good ratings thanks to, according to IIHS, Volvo updating the airbag software allowing the side airbags to inflate during the small overlap test.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has not yet been subjected to the small overlap test, so it must make do with just a Top Safety Pick rating until the IIHS tests small utility vehicles, which is expected to happen later in the spring.

Lincoln Aviator to return as a concept in New York

The keen Canadian eyes at Autoguide spotted on Lincoln Canada's Twitter feed that the Lincoln Aviator will be resurrected at the 2018 New York Auto Show in two weeks, albeit in concept car form. Given that today's Continental and Navigator were previewed with thinly veiled concepts, it's therefore safe to assume that we'll eventually see a production Aviator. According to Automotive News back in 2016, Aviator should be a three-row crossover based on the next-generation Explorer. So essentially, it will replace the MKT, which was last seen picking people up at your local airport and essentially nowhere else. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. For those of you who don't recall, this would not be the first Lincoln Aviator. The original sold from 2002 to 2005 was also based on the Ford Explorer, and although relatively well-received by car reviewing types at the time, it never caught on with the buying public. Its failure is still a bit surprising given the similar SUV fever of that era. The resurrection of the Aviator name also coincides with the return of Continental and the introduction of Nautilus, which replaces the MKX. However, have no fear MK enthusiasts, the MKZ and MKC still live on. You can be in charge of letting people know just exactly which cars those are. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.