In August last year, Ford announced that the Escape would be discontinued alongside its Lincoln Corsair cousin, and many theorized that these would be replaced by new EVs. But according to the Autoblog spies, we’re looking at a new combustion Corsair undergoing testing in Sweden, and they say it will return to the U.S. market in 2027. But while the recently discontinued Corsair was produced at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant, this one, say our spies, will be imported from China, despite tariffs. If so, it means that Ford is not ready to lose Lincoln‘s second-best seller, and it’s taking drastic action to maintain sales momentum.
2027 Lincoln Corsair Won’t Be a Radical Redesign
SH Proshots/Autoblog
The development mule in these new spy shots is only wearing camouflage on its front and rear ends, which indicates that this is likely to be a facelift of the existing Corsair design, not a full revision. The camouflage is still quite effective, however, with the imposing central grille hidden beneath mesh and the front and rear fascias disguised under trippy camouflage. Despite this, the headlights appear to still be narrow, horizontally aligned elements, and at the back, the taillights are also thin clusters. It remains to be seen if these taillights will be connected once more, but overall, this prototype seems broadly unchanged from the current crossover.
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The more meaningful changes will likely be to the cabin, where a large new center screen is reportedly coming. This may mark a diversion from the setup in the Nautilus, which has a small center display and a full-width display panel spanning the entire dash below the windshield, but our spies claim that the Lincoln Digital Experience System, as it’s called, is coming to the crossover. It’s difficult to tell from these images, and there’s still camouflage draped over the dash, but we hope to have more revealing pictures before long.
Combustion Continues for 2027 Corsair
SH Proshots/Autoblog
Whether the 2027 Corsair’s interior is significantly revamped or not, what’s under the hood is expected to remain mostly the same, with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder expected to soldier on, potentially with more than its current 250 horsepower. Our spies also report that a 1.5-liter hybrid powertrain will replace the 2.5-liter hybrid we’ve been accustomed to, but as with anything, we’ll have to wait for official announcements to be sure. Yes, Lincoln already imports the U.S. market’s Nautilus from China, and yes, the Corsair has been a strong seller that dealers are sad to lose, but with an ever-changing automotive landscape, it’s smart to treat the return of the Corsair to American shores as just a rumor for now. In the meantime, Ford is offering attractive incentives to retain Escape and Corsair customers.
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