It’s no secret Lincoln wants to return to more traditional names, but the Continental might not be the first model to herald that change after all.
According to a new report from The Truth About Cars, the American automaker will revive the Lincoln Aviator, a Ford Explorer-based SUV discontinued in 2005. This means the SUV, not the Continental luxury sedan, will be the first effort on Lincoln’s part to ditch the “MK” model naming scheme.
The Aviator is also expected to serve as Lincoln’s replacement for the MKT, which also means the boxy Ford Flex also sees a bit of an uncertain future. The Truth About Cars also suggests the the next-generation Lincoln Navigator (and its platform-mate, the Ford Expedition) will follow in the footsteps of the Ford F-150 and will utilize an aluminum body, as well as a new 10-speed automatic transmission.
Upon reaching out to Ford for a comment, company spokesman Stéphane Cesareo didn’t shed any light on the Aviator, but suggested Lincoln will “expand in the segments that we participate in by adding two new nameplates to the Lincoln brand” but didn’t provide any further details.
