Compact on the outside, indulgent on the inside—the 2025 Lincoln Corsair PHEV redefines what a smaller luxury SUV can be.
There are plenty of luxury compact crossovers out there. Some are barnburners, ready to turn every trip into a lap around Sebring, like the Genesis GV80 Coupe. Others are rolling five-star luxury hotels, decked out in the finest materials and creature comforts, like the Infiniti QX80. There are even those whose tech packages wouldn’t be out of place aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise or U.S.S. Voyager. But what if all you want is just a comfortable machine that you can take nearly anywhere without it making a fuss? Since the 2021 model year, Lincoln has had an answer to this question: the Corsair.
The Corsair shares a platform with the Ford Escape, so it’s an ideal size. It can fit the family, but it’s not big enough to land a plane on like the Navigator is (which shares a platform with the Ford Expedition), but not so small that you’re feeling the squeeze. Both singletons and families will have a long list of reasons to love it.
After reviewing the 2025 Corsair in its plug-in hybrid form, the Grand Touring, one worth $54,365 starting MSRP ($67,802 as-tested) on the showroom floor, it’s a shame they’re not more mainstream. Here are my thoughts after my week-long affair.
This story is 100% human-researched and -written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
For The Price, The Lincoln Corsair Has Lots of Competition
Lincoln’s entry-level luxury crossover won’t hurt your bank account if you want something straight off the lot. Piling on the options to make the most of your purchase might leave your wallet aching, of course, but if you’re shopping for a 2025 Lincoln Corsair, you’re not likely to worry about such things. Here’s where you’ll start with your compact Lincoln before adding in the $1,495 destination charge:
Premiere: $39,735
Reserve: $46,895
Grand Touring (the only hybrid of any sort in the 2025 Corsair lineup, by the way): $54,365; $67,820 as-tested with destination charge
At those prices, the Corsair sits next to the Acura RDX, the BMW X3, the Cadillac XT4, the Lexus NX, and the Genesis GV70. So, there’s plenty of competition to go around. However, the main selling point Lincoln has over the Acura, Cadillac, and Genesis is the fact that it’s a PHEV. Those three don’t have any hybrid options.
READ MORE: Lincoln: Nautilus Versus Corsair, Take Your Pick
The Corsair is Plenty Powerful, Thanks to its PHEV Powertrain
While the gas-only 2025 Lincoln Corsair models use a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission to move either the front or all four wheels, the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring is a plug-in hybrid backed by a 2.5-liter inline-four with two electric motors and a 14.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
The electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT) sends all 266 hybrid horses to all corners of the luxury compact crossover. It’s not going to burn it down off the line, but it doesn’t need to; comfort is the name of the game here, after all. Though, it was nice to have the power willing and ready if (and when) you need it.
READ MORE: Green and Spacious: The Best 7-Seater Hybrid SUVs, From Luxury To Affordable
Stopped for Cupcakes, Stayed to Recharge
That’s actually what I do whenever I have a plug-in in my driveway, as I have no ability to charge at home, nor is my home truly suitable to welcome a charger to make life easier when it comes to these things. Luckily, my small Virginia town has a few free Level 2 chargers available, including a pair at the local cupcake shop provided by the county’s chamber of commerce.
If you’re starting at zero charge with the 2025 Corsair in its Grand Touring PHEV form, it’ll take 3.5 hours to fully charge the battery on a Level 2 charger or 240-volt household-style power outlet; on a regular 120-volt outlet, that time jumps to 10 to 12 hours.
Those Electrons Don’t Stick Around For Too Long, Though
Once fully charged, though, the Corsair Grand Touring will run silent for 27 miles before the gas engine returns from its break. You can also switch off the battery to save those electrons for later. Alas, those electrons didn’t stick around for long during my final days with the plug-in hybrid, as most of my driving was in-town, taking Mom to work in the early mornings. It was painful to watch that charge vanish into thin air so quickly, especially when competitors like the Lexus RX 450h+, BMW X5 xDrive50e, and Mercedes-Benz GLE 450e all offer so much more electric-only range.
When the tiny battery is in play, the 2025 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring delivers an EPA-combined estimate of 76 MPGe. When on the 2.5-liter inline-four alone, that drops to a combined 33 MPG. After a week of driving this luxury compact crossover, I managed a final combined total of 39.7 MPGe over 135 miles on the road. Not too bad, but I’m sure if I had a charger at home, that final estimate would’ve been higher. If you don’t have a way to charge at home – the main use case for plug-in hybrids and EVs alike – I’d opt for the gas-only Corsair models.
READ MORE: EV Charging’s Dirty Little Secret — Why It Can Cost As Much As Gas, And How to Pay Less
Place Those Hands in the Lap of Luxury (Yours)
Out on the open road, the 2025 Lincoln Corsair in all trims and powertrains (including our Grand Touring PHEV example) will let you place your hands in the literal lap of luxury: yours. That’s all thanks to Lincoln’s BlueCruise hands-free driving system. All you need to do is activate lane-keeping assist on the steering wheel, take the on-ramp onto the nearest U.S. or interstate highway, and in a few seconds, the Corsair will take over driving duties.
All Lincoln needs is a clear view of the lines on the road, and your eyes upon it; the steering column has a camera that looks to see if you’re doing your part, and it will alert you when you’re not before handing the wheel back to you.
This wasn’t my first time with BlueCruise, having used it to go to and from Louisville back in 2024 with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. Though I didn’t go as far as I did back then, it was still nice to let the Corsair do some of the driving around my usual big driving loop to one of my photo spots. It can do the same for you, too, over 97% of all controlled-access roads in the United States and Canada.
READ MORE: Ford Blue Cruise 1.5 Does The Driving When You Don’t Want To
The Driver’s Seat is Arguably the Best Seat in the House
Whether the 2025 Lincoln Corsair is doing the driving or you are, the experience behind the wheel is going to be the same: quiet and comfortable. Genuine leather upholstery covers every one of the five seats for all occupants, with both front passengers enjoying 10-way power-adjustable seating. Alas, my mom didn’t find her seat very comfortable, saying it felt hard. And that’s with everything set to the softest setting possible for her. She also wasn’t into the split bottom, which can be individually raised or lowered for comfort. Mom would’ve likely been happier in the seat of a 1985 Lincoln Town Car than in a modern Lincoln’s seat.
For me, my only issue with the Corsair’s interior was the placement of the seating controls, which are on the doors instead of the seats themselves. I just couldn’t overcome the muscle memory from all of the cars I ever drove. The optional ventilation in the front seats was quite welcome in the mid-summer heat, though. Taller occupants may need to stretch their legs more often than not, unless they push their seat back six inches to gain more legroom.
READ MORE: These Parent-Approved Road Trip Playlists, Podcasts, and Audiobooks Make the Miles Fly By
The Cargo Space is Fair, But You Lose Some From the Battery
The 2025 Lincoln Corsair can hold a fair bit of groceries, luxury goods from the lifestyle center, and high-end electronics. How much it depends on whether your Corsair has a lithium-ion battery pack taking up some space or not, though. For the gas-only models, there are 27.6 cubic feet of space behind the second-row 60/40-split bench for the weekend shopping trips.
That space more than doubles to 57.6 cubic feet with the seatback set down. Meanwhile, the Grand Touring PHEV loses a smidgen of space due to the aforementioned battery, but nothing too serious: 27.0 cubic feet with the seats up, 56.2 cubic feet with the seats down.
READ MORE: Want a Hidden Gem That Whispers Quiet Luxury? Take the 2025 Lincoln Aviator For a Spin
Lincoln Didn’t Skimp on Safety
Even at the base level, the 2025 Lincoln Corsair pulls out all the stops. As far as safety features go, you’ve got quite the list already, including rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and driver-attention monitoring (this is that bit that also allows BlueCruise to work, by the way). There are a handful of available features for added safety, too, like BlueCruise, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a head-up display, and parking assistance.
The luxury tech festival continues with a 13.2-inch touchscreen housing Lincoln’s SYNC 4 infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Lincoln’s in-house nine-speaker premium audio system (a Revel 14-speaker system is available), Amazon Alexa, and available wireless device charging. And to “top” it all off, there’s a panoramic moonroof for all five occupants to enjoy those sunny skies all year round.
READ MORE: Driver Assist and Safety Features, or ADAS, Detailed By the Most Popular Car Brands
There’s a Lot to Love About the Corsair
A week with the 2025 Lincoln Corsair in its Grand Touring plug-in hybrid form was quite good in some ways, a bit of a pain in others. On the pain side of things, it wouldn’t work for me as a replacement for my now-classic 1997 Toyota RAV4 solely because I’d need to charge that battery pack to really get the most out of it as far as the gas pump goes. Since I can’t do that all at home, my only option is to spend some time eating cupcakes while the Corsair uses the free Level 2 charger out front. Those cupcakes are a bit expensive, so I’d have to pass on this alone.
Aside from this one nagging issue, though, and Mom’s own issues with the front seat, the 2025 Corsair is quite the luxury compact crossover. Others are faster or have better electric-only range, able to tackle corners like a Formula One machine while overwhelming one and all with their stunning technological prowess. But Lincoln knows that American-style luxury – comfort above all else – is its greatest strength. You’re not missing out on anything by opting for the Corsair as your first luxury vehicle.
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