The 2020 Lincoln Aviator lands at dealerships this summer, and that means we should get the chance to drive the new midsize luxury SUV pretty soon. While we wait, Lincoln continues to gradually trickle out details, announcing official EPA fuel economy numbers for the standard 2020 Lincoln Aviator.
The Aviator with the non-hybridized twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine is EPA-rated at 18/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined when paired with rear-wheel drive. Those numbers are in lock step with competitors like the Audi Q7 (19/25/21 mpg), Acura MDX (19/26/22 mpg), and Volvo XC90 T6 (19/26/22 mpg). That would be impressive, except those are the ratings for the all-wheel-drive models. The all-wheel-drive 2020 Lincoln Aviator is rated 17/24/20 mpg.
But it’s important to keep in mind that the Aviator makes significantly more power than its midsize rivals. Its dual-snail V-6 churns out 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, compared to 316 hp and 295 lb-ft for the twin-charged Volvo, 329 hp and 325 lb-ft for the Audi with the supercharged V-6, and 290 hp and 267 lb-ft for the naturally aspirated V-6 Acura. The Aviator comes standard with a 10-speed automatic transmission.
We learned earlier this year that the Aviator will start at $52,195 including destination, which undercuts comparably equipped competitors. But just like any luxury vehicle, the Aviator can be optioned to the moon. The Black Label Grand Touring trim, which comes with the 450-hp, 600-lb-ft plug-in hybrid drivetrain, can exceed $90,000 when all the boxes are checked. Lincoln says fuel economy for the plug-in model will be announced closer to its launch in late summer.