By Adrian Padeanu , Motor1.com The 2020 Aviator is far from being the first production vehicle to feature an adaptive suspension that scans...
The 2020 Aviator is far from being the first production vehicle to feature an adaptive suspension that scans the road up ahead to preset the vehicle, but it is the first Lincoln to use this clever tech aiming to maximize comfort on all surfaces. Hot on the heels of last week’s predictive suspension launch for the Audi A8 fullsize sedan, Ford’s luxury SUV also utilizes a similar system.
How does it work? There are literally a dozen sensors permanently monitoring everything from the body’s movement to the vehicle’s motion while also keeping a close eye on whenever the Aviator accelerates or slows down. The highly advanced sensors can read the parameters 500 times per second and work together with a front-mounted camera that scans the road surface almost 50 feet (15.2 meters) ahead.
Officially known as the Adaptive Suspension with Road Preview, the system can detect a variety of height deviations that are 2 to 8 inches (5.1 to 20.3 centimeters) high. Whenever it sees a height deviation such as a speed bump or a frost heave, the SUV’s clever computers pre-adjust the suspension to ensure a ride as smooth as possible even on uneven surfaces. The built-in sensors and the front camera can work together to enable automatic suspension adjustments up to 100 times per second.
Lincoln’s vehicle dynamics technical specialist, David Russell, mentions the sensors are so fast that they trigger suspension adjustments faster than the blink of an eye with more than 23,000 inputs of data per second. The high-tech system is also good for detecting whenever an individual wheel is falling in a severe dip, and when that happens, the shock absorber is automatically stiffened to reduce the amount of drop.
As you may recall, the 2020 Aviator is optionally available with an Air Glide Suspension for greater comfort by replacing the standard hard coil springs with air springs. As it is the case with the aforementioned Audi A8, the suspension lowers itself automatically when you’re about to enter the vehicle or use the trunk. It also incorporates an Aero Height suspension preset maximizing efficiency and performance when going over 70 mph (113 kph) by lowering the ride height, while the Deep Conditions presets jacks up the suspension to the maximum for better ground clearance.
Lincoln’s shiny new three-row luxury SUV goes on sale this summer from $52,195 including fees, but go crazy with the configurator and you’ll hit $91,145 for the fully loaded Aviator Black Label Grand Touring hybrid.
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