The Ford Explorer has a fresh face, and now, so does the Lincoln Aviator. These two SUVs share a platform in the Ford family, right down to the 400-horsepower powertrain, interior layout, and available tech. But Lincoln injects a bit more luxury into the formula, punctuated for 2025 by multiple appearance packages and new tech systems that help separate it from its less expensive sibling.
The biggest update appears right up front. The Aviator's face gains a larger grille with headlights that that connect at its upper corners. There's a redesigned fascia below that, featuring vertically oriented corner vents. The new Explorer has a similar motif, though you can't get an illuminated grille badge on the Ford. Around the sides and to the rear you'll find the same Aviator bits as the outgoing model. This truly is a facelift, as the exterior changes all happen at the nose.
There's a similar theme inside, where you now get larger digital screens for the driver and front-seat passenger. The center display is up to 13.2 inches with the instrument unit sitting at 12.4 inches. If this sounds familiar, the new Explorer also rocks a 13.2-inch display, though the Ford's digital driver screen is ever-so-slightly smaller at 12.3 inches. The rest of the interior is the same as before, though Lincoln dresses it up with various color combos using artful names like Light Space Gray, Harvest Bronze, and Hot Chocolate.
While visual changes are minimal, technology is the big story for the 2025 Aviator. Offered for the first time is the Lincoln Digital Experience. This brings Google and Amazon functionality integrated into the Aviator's infotainment system, allowing native use of apps like Spotify, Google Maps, YouTube, and built-in web browsers for surfing the web (though Lincoln advises some of these features are only available when parked). Google Assistant or Alexa are on board and ready to help manage everything through voice commands. It's all customizable at the whim of the driver. Thankfully, you can still boot up Android Auto or Apple CarPlay if that's what you prefer.
BlueCruise is also new to the Aviator for 2025. Available on the Explorer, the hands-free driving system is standard across all Aviator trim levels. Lincoln Co-Pilot 360 is also standard, bringing a wide array of driver assists to the SUV. That includes things like lane-keep assist and a 360-degree camera, in addition to more advanced systems like evasive steering assist and reversing brake assist.
Beyond that, Lincoln gives customers a choice of multiple black appearance packages and a variety of wheel choices. There's also the Lincoln Black Label Invitation theme, something offered on the larger Navigator. In short, it features special color and interior details that, among other things, include laser-etched shapes on the dash. You certainly won't get that on an Explorer.
Gallery: 2025 Lincoln Aviator
"With the new Aviator, technology takes an even larger role in helping create a relaxing, luxurious space that our clients have come to appreciate and expect from Lincoln," Director Heidi Shaffer said in a statement. "With advanced, connected features like the Lincoln Digital Experience and BlueCruise hands-free driving technology, we are creating a new, digital sanctuary on the road."
The 2025 Aviator will go on sale later this year, and it won't be cheap. The entry-level Aviator Premiere starts at $58,495 – a year-over-year jump of $5,155. Mid-level Reserve starts at $67,495, while the range-topping Black Label is $86,995. Fully optioned with the mandatory $1,395 destination charge added in, the Aviator nears $100,000.
