Cars have been about technology as much as mechanics for a long time. But the trend has never felt as real as it does now, when Lincoln introduces a car with a keyboard.
Lincoln’s press release introducing the 2025 Lincoln Aviator is five pages long. About three and a half pages cover cabin technology. All of three sentences discuss the car’s engine, transmission, and suspension. And yes, a keyboard – Bluetooth – ships with the car.
The Aviator has always been the Ford Explorer’s grad-school twin. That’s not changing with this latest update, which is not a full redesign. It’s more of a digital glow-up.
The 2025 Lincoln Aviator starts at $59,890 including destination fee, and is slated to arrive this summer.
Let’s Dispense With the Mechanical Details
It gets the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine from the upper trims of the Explorer, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It’s available in rear- or all-wheel drive, and buyers can add an optional Air Glide Suspension if they want to feel the road as little as possible. That’s about as much attention as Lincoln gives the car’s mechanical parts, so we’ll stop there and get to what’s changed.
Bigger Grille Ties the Look Together Better
The 2025 Aviator wears a larger grille than the model it replaces. We can say that about nearly every redesigned SUV in recent years – no one has yet pushed back on this trend – but it genuinely does improve the Aviator’s looks. Thinner LED headlights include a more dramatic swoosh (can we call it a swoosh? Nike, call Lincoln if you don’t like it) beneath that now pokes into the larger grille.
That’s almost it for exterior changes, though Lincoln says a greeting animation will play across the lights as you approach the vehicle with the keys.
Lincoln saves most of the ink for cabin description, so let’s dive in.
Apple, Google, Amazon… They’re All Here
Aesthetically, the cabin design theme changes little. A few knobs and buttons have disappeared. But it retains the piano-key shifter that tells you you’re in a Lincoln.
The central touchscreen is now 13.2 inches in landscape orientation. It’s not the massive, multi-screen array of the new Lincoln Nautilus, but it’s likely less expensive.
It runs the operating system the company is calling the Lincoln Digital Experience. That includes nearly every car integration available from any tech company – wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, Google Assistant, and Alexa are all built in.
When parked, the screen runs the Vivaldi web browser and, Lincoln says, will soon add Chrome. YouTube and Amazon Prime Video are included. “To stay productive on the go and never miss a work call, clients can stay connected with leading video conferencing apps coming soon, which enable audio access while driving and display the incoming video feed of participants while parked,” Lincoln says.
5G wireless is standard but requires a connectivity plan.
All three rows get USB outlets. Heated, ventilated front-row seats and a heated steering wheel are standard, even on the base trim.
Luxury automakers are constantly at war for the best audio system. Lincoln brings 28 speakers to the fight with the available Revel Ultima 3D system.
4 Years Of Hands-Free Highway Driving
Lincoln has made Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free highway driving system standard on all trims. Consumer Reports calls the BlueCruise the best hands-free system on the market. Refreshingly, Lincoln includes use of the system for four years in the purchase price. That beats the 90-day trial on the 2025 Explorer.
