Recently, Chinese media reported that Ford’s luxurious brand would launch Corsair’s midlife facelift in the first half of 2023. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant would follow in the year’s second half, and all ongoing Lincoln models released in China will have a PHEV version.

Lincoln currently produces four models in China – a sedan called Z (previously Zephyr) and three SUVs – Aviator, Corsair, and Nautilus. Corsair was the first Lincoln manufactured in China. It has been made in Chongqing by the Changan-Ford joint venture since 2020.

In late 2022 a few images of the made-in-China Corsair 2023 were revealed by the Chinese regulator under the Ministry of Information (MIIT). MIIT must approve all cars before they are released on the Chinese market, and they publish the list of cars ready for approval each month. Automakers don’t like it as it reveals their secrets before the official debut, but we don’t mind.

From the regulatory pictures, we see that Lincoln prepared some updates for the upcoming Corsair. The front is very similar to the Z, with a prominent front grille, a unique dot-matrix design, and LED lights stretching across. The headlights are connected on both sides, giving the car a more angular appearance, and the openings on either side of the vehicle give it a sportier look.

Additionally, the car has hidden A, B, C, and D pillars that create an illusion of a floating roof, giving the China-made Corsair a sleek look from the side.

The size is 4612/1887/1630mm (length, width, height), and the wheelbase is 2711mm. In inches, it is 181.57″/74.29″/64.17″, respectively, and the wheelbase is 106.73″. The car is powered by a 2.0T turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 261 HP and a top speed of 220 km/h.

According to a report by Sohu, the facelifted model will be launched on the Chinese car market in the first half of the year.

Lincol is a latecomer in China

Lincoln made its first foray into China’s auto market in 2014, well behind its luxury rivals. Despite being a latecomer to the world’s largest vehicle market, Lincoln has made China a vital component of its growth strategy. In 2021 they sold more vehicles in China than in the U.S. for the first time.

In 2021 Lincoln sold over 91,000 vehicles in China, which marks a 48% increase from the previous year. In contrast, Lincoln’s U.S. sales fell 18% in 2021, reaching 86,929, the lowest annual sales figure since 2013.

In the US in 2021, Lincoln sold around 27,000 units of Corsair. However, they sold over 45,000 Corsairs in China in 2021, which might explain why the Chinese version has undergone more extensive revisions.

In 2022 Lincoln sold 74,879 cars in China. Half of the sales were made by Corsair, which sold 37,085 units. Nautilus was second with 17,169 units, and the third was the Lincoln Z sedan with 11,369 units.

Interestingly, almost all sold cars were ICE. The Corsaire PHEV sold only 1250 units, which is unusual for the Chinese market, where PHEV and EV penetration is about 25%.

The luxury brand under Ford Motor plans to open 30 experiences stores in China this year.

Editor’s comment

Will we see the midlife facelift of Corsair in the US also, or will it stay in China only? It will likely be the latter one, but we will find out the answer at Shanghai Auto Show in April.