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Lincoln’s best-selling vehicle is its Corsair midsize SUV, so any updates to it need to be on point. There’s now an updated new 2023 Lincoln Corsair and the brand is making it clear that it wants to take on the best from Europe and Japan. Orders are now open for the early 2023 delivery of a new Corsair, but does it pack enough to take on the small luxury SUVs BMW X3, the Audi Q5, or the Lexus NX?

What did Lincoln add to the new 2023 Lincoln Corsair?

2023 Lincoln Corsair | Lincoln

The Lincoln Corsair SUV was launched in 2020 and it quickly became the brand’s best-selling SUV. Its first update comes for the 2023 model year, and with that, it gets a slight facelift and a major technology update. The 2023 version gets an updated grille, new LED lights, and a few more options. On the tech side, the big news is the addition of Lincoln ActiveGlide, which most of us know as Ford BleuCruse, that allows hands-free driving on pre-mapped highways. It also gets some of the stuff that you previously had to step up to the Aviator to get, like Auto Air Refresh, a 13.2-inch screen, and voice-activated SYNC 4.

A blacked-out package is also available, which Lincoln calls the Jet Appearance Package. The other notable addition is the plug-in hybrid variant, called the Grand Touring, which offers 266 horsepower, with all-wheel drive.

What does the Corsair have over the competition?

The black and red interior of the 2023 Lincoln Corsair.
2023 Lincoln Corsair interior | Lincoln

Audi’s Q5, BMW’s X3 and the Lexus NX all have giant grilles, and Lincoln joined that party with its own giant schnoz, albeit one with a bunch of chrome dots that Lincoln calls a waterfall. By the numbers, the Lincoln slots right in with its competitors, both on space and power. The new base engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged four, makes 250 horsepower. For comparison, the base 2022 Audi Q5 makes 201, the X3 makes 248, and the base NX  250 makes 203 horsepower.

On the space front, the NX has 46.9 cubic feet of space, the BMW X3 has a generous 62.7, and the Audi Q5 54.6. The Lincoln, again, slots between these with 57.6 cubic feet of space with the seats folded. All of these SUVs can be ordered with all-wheel drive and several, luxury touches, and each has a suite of drivers aids like lane-change assist and blind spot warnings.

You can get a new 2023 Lincoln Corsair for less than $39,000

The base mode of the Lincoln Corsair, the Standard, starts at $38,690. For that you get a 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the Co-Pilot360 tech, and get a heated steering wheel and more. The big options are the Collection I and II packages, which at $3,595 or $10,360 add a lot more to the Corsair, including a hands-free liftgate, a heads-up display, a panoramic roof, and more. The $43,075 Reserve adds a lot of convenience features, as well as larger wheels and premium audio.

The base Corsair undercuts the competition on price. The X3 starts at $45,400, the 2023 Audi Q5 starts at $43,500, while the NX has a base price of $39,500. The Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring could almost be a separate model. When you step up to the $53,385 grand touring, it turns into a plug-in hybrid version. It’s basically the same on the inside as the Reserve, except with a battery. However, reviewers like those at Motor Trend, didn’t fully connect with the plug-in version.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.