2025 Lincoln Aviator Preview: More Tech for More Money

Competes with: Acura MDX, Audi Q7, Genesis GV80, Infiniti QX60

Looks like: You’ll need to see this one and the 2024 model side by side to tell the difference

Powertrain: 400-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6; rear- or all-wheel drive; 10-speed automatic transmission

Hits dealerships: Summer

It’s been a couple of years since Lincoln last updated its luxurious, stunningly good-looking Aviator three-row SUV, so the time has arrived for a quick face-lift and interior redo of the Ford Explorer-based model. Arriving in the summer but open for orders today, the 2025 Aviator gets a mildly updated look up front, some new wheels and a couple of new colors. But the big changes come inside, where an updated interior with new materials and colors is joined by an all-new multimedia system. Add to that the first appearance of Lincoln’s BlueCruise hands-free semi-autonomous driving system and you’ve got a nice little update for Lincoln’s popular SUV.

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Still Looks Good

Styling changes to the 2025 Aviator are subtle and minimal — but it didn’t need much to keep it fresh. The changes are all up front and meant to help accentuate its width. There’s a new grille inspired by the Lincoln star logo, new LED headlamps and LED daytime running light strips that can also be set up for a sequential animation when the vehicle is powered on or off remotely. In the lower part of the bumper, new air curtains help guide airflow through the front wheel arches, presumably for better cooling and efficiency.

On the Reserve and Lincoln Black Label trim levels, an Illumination Package is now standard, bringing a host of features like pixel LED adaptive headlamps, speed-dependent and curve-adaptive lighting, an illuminated Lincoln star logo on the grille and Lincoln dynamic signature lighting.

A new Jet Package is also now available on all trims, bringing unique wheels to each trim level. The Premiere gets 21-inch bright machined-aluminum wheels with dark-alloy-painted pockets, the Reserve gets 22-inch black-painted aluminum wheels, and the Black Label gets 22-inch Ebony black bright-machined wheels; all are equipped with all-season tires. All Jet Package variants also get blacked-out trim, such as the grille insert, fender and door badging, front and rear door spear trim, window surrounds and roof rails. Some parts get painted body color, however, including the front and rear lower bumpers, door cladding and wheel-well trim.

Also new for 2025 is another package: the Lincoln Black Label Special Edition, which adds a black painted roof, black 22-inch wheels, adaptive suspension and all the blacked-out trim from the Jet Package. Two new colors also are available for the top Black Label trim: Cenote Green and Whisper Blue Metallic.

Nothing New Under the Hood

Mechanically, the Aviator carries over from the 2024 model year unchanged. The only powertrain available is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 making 400 horsepower and 415 pounds-feet of torque. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and sends power to the rear wheels (all-wheel drive is optional on Premiere and Reserve trim levels and standard on the Black Label). An adaptive suspension is now standard on all models, and the optional Air Glide suspension can lower the vehicle upon parking for easier ingress and egress.

New Digs, New Tech

Inside, however, there’s been some significant changes to the equipment, if not the styling. The 2025 Aviator gets the new Lincoln Digital Experience, an Android-based operating system that integrates Google apps, connectivity and control systems into the entire vehicle; it’s displayed on a new, larger 13.2-inch touchscreen and is paired with a new 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster display. Google Maps replaces the native navigation system. The focus here is on voice control — Lincoln really wants you to talk to the car to manage everything from apps to the temperature, using a lot of integrated controls like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Voice Assistant. Don’t worry if you’re an Apple person: Apple CarPlay will still be allowed and integrated into the system, as well (unlike some automakers across town).

The new system allows you to download apps from the Google Play store and can function like your own personal electronic device even when your phone isn’t connected. Stream audio, watch videos (when parked), surf the web (again, when parked), even participate in video conference calls (once again, only when parked). A 5G connection is required for most of it, and a paid Lincoln Premium Connectivity plan will maximize speed and function for the system.

The other new technology news for the 2025 Aviator is the first-ever appearance of the hands-free BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving system. The system can only be activated on specially mapped highways, but it allows the car to take over steering, braking and acceleration while the driver takes their hands off the wheel. Lane change assist is also included, allowing the vehicle to change lanes autonomously when the driver uses a turn signal, provided sensors detect a clear path. Buyers will automatically get four years of the service included at the time of purchase; the system is subscription-based thereafter. And the best news of all? It’s standard on all Aviators now.

Aside from the new tech, there are some new color and materials choices in store for the Aviator. The Reserve trim gets four interior colors: Onyx, Light Space Gray, Harvest Bronze with Onyx accents, and Hot Chocolate with Onyx accents. The Black Label trim also gets some interesting looks, such as the new Invitation theme: Black Onyx leather seating with Khaya open-pore wood trim, with all manner of laser-etched decoration throughout. The Flight interior theme also returns for 2025, with a Luggage Tan and Ebony color scheme with dark engine-turned appliques that mimic the look of early airplane cockpits.

Rounding out the interior features is the continuation of the Revel Ultima premium audio system, featuring an available 28-speaker system. The 30-way power seats are also again an option on the new Aviator.

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Big Price Jump, But Big Amenities, Too

The starting price for the Aviator takes a major jump for 2025: nearly $5,000, according to the company. That puts the new base price for an Aviator Premiere trim at just shy of $60,000. That’s a pretty big hike from the starting price of a 2024 model, but the big news is that there’s a lot more standard equipment on the Aviator now: adaptive suspension, BlueCruise plus four years of service, a panoramic moonroof, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a trailer tow package and more. All of that makes the big price jump much more palatable.

The 2025 Lincoln Aviator’s ordering books are open right now at Lincoln dealers across the country, with deliveries expected to begin sometime in the summer.

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