Lincoln has unveiled the spectacular Star Concept, an all-electric SUV that hints at the design language of the brand's future EVs.
Ford's luxury marque pledges to deliver three new fully electric vehicles by 2025 and a fourth by 2026, estimating that EVs will make up more than half of its global volume by mid-decade. The first of these EVs will launch later this year and is expected to be Lincoln's version of the Mustang Mach-E.
The Lincoln Star is built on a flexible battery electric architecture enabling RWD and AWD configurations, but that's about all the automaker is willing to share for now; there's no info on driving range, power output, performance, dimensions, or anything of the sort really.
Sleek and smooth bodywork with lots of illuminated accents
The Lincoln Star Concept sets the stage for the brand's upcoming electric vehicles, introducing a new design language. It features a dynamic new face, sleek profile with a sloping roofline, sporty rear end, and a luxurious, innovative cabin offering a connected experience.
While the study launches a new styling language, Lincoln says it is an evolution of the Quiet Flight DNA, maintaining the brand's core tenets of beauty, human, gliding, and sanctuary.
The vehicle uses design, light, displays, scents and sounds to create an immersive experience for clients, whether it's parked or in motion. The design team, led by FoMoCo's new design boss Anthony Lo, used light in a new way, introducing illuminated crystallines as well as backlit doors, seats, and exterior features.
The latter include the new Lincoln star on the fascia that lights up like a jewel as part of the Lincoln Embrace welcome sequence, the vehicle-wide headlights, taillights, and panels with dynamic lighting, as well as other illuminated elements including the roof and wheel arch contours.
Other striking exterior details include the sculpted hood, transparent A- and D-pillars, suicide doors that render the B-pillars obsolete, lack of door handles, and massive aero-style wheels.
Gallery: Lincoln Star Concept
The luxurious and interactive interior is the real star
Inside, the flexible EV architecture has allowed designers to reimagine the additional space, with the most obvious feature being the ultra roomy rear passenger area. There's a clear distinction between the first- and second-row areas, with the seats being different in both shape and color; even the floors are contrasting.
Passengers in the rear of the Lincoln Star Concept benefit from extra-spacious wraparound seats offering a reclined lounge posture, individual lounge leg rests, and curated storage for devices and slippers. Integrated between the back seats are the controls for rejuvenation moods (more on that later) and a luxurious glass beverage chiller.
The transparent pillars, along with a full skylight with digital shade contribute to an open, airy feel, while the coast-to-coast curved horizontal display at the front creates a digital panorama in which content flows seamlessly into an integrated center control screen, then into the second-row screen. The lounge-style cabin also introduces new materials such as alternatives to leather and chrome, in addition to several unique finishes.
Passengers benefit from three rejuvenation moods that form part of a new Lincoln Embrace sequence that combines sounds, scents and lighting throughout the cabin. Built around the body's natural circadian rhythm of morning, day and evening, they're called Coastal Morning, Mindful Vitality, and Evening Chill (check them out in the video below).
Yes, it has a frunk; correction, the mother of all frunks
Another benefit of the flexible EV architecture is the Lincoln Star Concept's massive frunk visible through the hood thanks to electro-chromatic glass. The hood remains horizontal when open, and the faux grille moves forward like a drawer to allow access to the frunk. At the back, access to the trunk is also done via two moving parts, with the tailgate splitting into a conventional upper part and a lower half that pivots down and can even transform into an outdoor seat.
Finally, the Star Concept introduces the new Lincoln Intelligence System digital assistant on steroids, which enables connected vehicle-to-vehicle and infrastructure capabilities, as well as next-generation driver-assist features such as Help Me See and Park for Me.
"Electrification is removing many traditional vehicle design constraints, allowing us to reimagine what a vehicle can be. The Lincoln Star is a study of experiences and themes that push the boundaries of Lincoln design – and it's just the start."
Anthony Lo, chief design officer, Ford Motor Company
A promising start, don't you think?
