2023 Lincoln Corsair & 2023 Mercedes GLC

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're shipping out in a sales worthy luxury Ute, the new Lincoln Corsair... We'll share some bright ideas on restoring your headlights... We'll hone in on the highly-efficient next-gen super truck... Then, kick back in the smooth-riding Mercedes-Benz GLC 300...

So, come drive with us, next!

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First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: The Lincoln Corsair name may not be familiar to a lot of people, but this small luxury utility successfully set sail for the 2020 model year.

Well now, Lincoln is on a mission to increase its profile, and hopefully pirate a few more buyers from other luxury brands.

That means a pretty extensive update despite just a few years on the market.

So, let's see if it's enough for this tech-savvy Ute to add more wind to its "sales."

♪ ♪ While, the Lincoln Corsair has held Lincoln's position in the small luxury crossover segment since just 2020, the Corsair name has existed in the Ford family since the 1950s.

But, after being attached to the replacement of their MKC, it immediately became Lincoln's best-selling model.

2023 updates are intended to extend that run.

Now, you could make the argument that that's strictly because it's a small 5-passenger crossover and that's where the sales are these days.

But, the fact that it was a major improvement over its predecessor counts a lot as well.

Lincoln has been making premium luxury "the" priority of late, so if you haven't been in one in a while, you'll be wowed by what you see, even here in this entry level vehicle.

Available Grand Touring trim delivers a near flagship-level experience, and the huge panoramic vista roof really opens up the interior.

Just about every makeover includes bigger screens these days, and among Corsair updates for '23 is a new standard ultrawide 13.2 inch touchscreen.

It's still mounted on top of the dash, but takes up much more real estate than before.

Just below it is a new control pod housing that protrudes almost shelf-like from the lower dash, and also includes switches for controlling the transmission.

Driver info is displayed on a very clear and comprehensive 12.3 inch digital cluster, also standard.

Front seats are sumptuously comfortable, with a multitude of adjustments for finding proper positioning; great comfort in the rear seats as well, with plus legroom for a compact.

Grand Touring offers another unexpected surprise, a plug-in powertrain.

It's a 2.5 liter I4 based PHEV with standard all-wheel-drive and a combined output of 266 horsepower.

It has up to 27 miles of EV driving available, and even though it works with a CVT, there are paddle shifters on the wheel for holding it in a specific ratio.

A 250 horsepower 2.0 liter turbo-4 remains the standard engine; it's mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, with all-wheel-drive a $2,300 option.

The Sport package's 295 horsepower 2.3 liter turbo is no longer available.

Another significant update for '23, the Corsair now gets ActivGlide 1.2 hands-free driving assistance, which is Lincoln's version of Ford's BlueCruise and works at speeds up to 80 miles per hour for hands-free driving on select interstates.

We stayed fully engaged in the driving process at our Mason Dixon test track, and while there wasn't a very aggressive launch or overwhelming sense of electric-aided power, it left the line quickly enough to get us to 60 in 6.8 seconds.

Power delivery stayed consistent down the track, with simulated shifting in the CVT realistic enough to fool people into thinking it's a traditional automatic.

It was a very smooth and quiet quarter-mile trip, ending in 15.2 seconds at 91 miles per hour.

With the luxury experience being the top priority, our expectations were low heading into the handling course, but this Escape-based utility performed quite well.

The suspension firmed up nicely when pushed hard, keeping body roll to a minimum.

The amount of feedback through the chassis and steering wheel was quite sports car-like.

I guess that Excite drive mode is there for a reason.

Braking performance was quite fine too; with consistent smooth stops averaging only 110 feet.

There is also updated styling for '23; the front adding a larger grille and wing-shaped daytime running lights, and of course, there are new wheel options.

Grand Touring's grille is unique with a splash of blue added as a clue to its PHEV status.

The charge port door mounted below the driver's side A-pillar is a more obvious indicator.

Cargo space is hindered with the addition of PHEV hardware, but only slightly, losing less than 1 cubic-feet for a total of 26.9, expanding to 56.2 with the rear seatbacks folded.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the PHEV are 78-Combined for MPGe and 33-Combined for gasoline only.

With minimal plug-in time, that's what we saw, 33.2 miles per gallon of Regular.

And, it earns a great Energy Impact Score, using just 4.1 barrels of oil yearly, with 2.0 tons of CO2 emissions.

Corsair pricing starts with Premiere trim at $40,125, Reserve starts at $44,510; both with optional all-wheel-drive, which is included with top Grand Touring for $55,320.

Making something that was already good meaningly better is always a winning strategy in our books, and that's what Lincoln has done with their entry-level crossover.

First when launching the Corsair, and even more so now with the much-improved 2023 version.

Lincoln is clearly getting more wind in their sails once again.

♪ ♪ Heavy duty trucks transport about 70 percent of our goods and materials around the country and account for 10 percent of all miles driven on US highways.

The bad news is, most big rigs travel about 6.0 miles per gallon of fuel, so the need to improve truck efficiency is more crucial than ever.

Well, the US Department of Energy has come up with a way to find those answers.

♪ ♪ Kicking off in 2010 and now entering its third iteration, SuperTruck is a Department of Energy-funded research program aimed at helping truck makers achieve ambitious gains in freight efficiency, or ton-miles per gallon, for the next generation of big rigs.

SuperTruck 2, which is now wrapping up, focused on diesel engines, which still, and will, power most trucks for the near future.

Several teams were able to incorporate 48-volt mild hybrid systems to enable idle reduction, power the hotel loads, or driver comfort systems, and convert belt-driven accessories, like steering, to electric power, eliminating drag on the engine for more efficient operation.

SuperTruck 3 will explore electric and fuel cell power trains over the next few years.

DEREK ROTZ: As we move forward into research, we're looking into zero emissions, and the benefits of working with the Department of Energy is not only getting a, a 50/50 cost share to allow us to share the resources on these high risk - high reward technologies, but it also opens us up to the possibility to work with the national lab systems, the university systems, and those folks that have been looking at those cutting edge-- edge technologies for years.

JOHN: The result has been a super-charged R&D effort that is already paying huge dividends.

One SuperTruck 2 team has achieved 16 miles per gallon, 10 more than the current on-road average, and all are on track to surpass the 100 percent freight efficiency goal, some reaching as much as 170 percent improvement.

DAREK VILLENEUVE: We've looked at all aspects with an eye towards production.

We don't want to develop things off in a science box that had no means, we really want to look at things that did have a good chance for production.

JOHN: Looking at all of these futuristic designs, it's obvious that lightweighting and aerodynamics play a big part.

Technology like rearview cameras and extensive wind tunnel testing has found ways to make the big box less boxy, minimize body gaps, and improve airflow.

KEITH BRANDIS: When you look at aero, it takes a number of factors that we have to stretch, if you will, and that was the whole purpose, was to see how far we could go with extreme aero, and you'll see all the skirting along the side of the vehicle, but also to lower the vehicle and use low profile tires, to eliminate the amount of air that builds up around the front air dam.

JOHN: Both Peterbilt and Kenworth's extreme aero designs build around a center seating position to allow a narrow nose.

While, Navistar's sleek rig includes a curved trailer roof to maximize clean airflow across the full length.

With aerodynamic gains now almost exceeding the realm of what's possible, looking forward the R&D focus will shift back to the power train, and the target of zero emissions.

DEREK: So...

So, decarbonizing commercial vehicles is no easy task.

Uh, we've been at diesel for over a century now, we've kind of perfected it.

Going into these zero emissions technologies is a whole new field, so--so it's learning about new technologies, new technical fields such as electro-chemistry, um, things like that are new to this industry, and those are some of the barriers we need to be able to overcome.

JOHN: Here is where collaboration and innovation come into play.

All of these manufacturers are up for the challenge and optimistic that zero-emission trucks will be viable not too far down the road.

MAARTEN MEIJER: Solutions that we see as opportunities are the fuel cell electric vehicles, the hydrogen combustion engine vehicles, and the hybrid powertrains using the more traditional diesel engine concept, but switching to an e-fuel approach.

JOHN: So, what's the bottom line of all this effort?

Supertruck-developed technologies can save nearly 6 billion barrels of oil by 2050.

To the average truck owner, that could ring up $35,000 a year in fuel savings!

And that adds up to environmental and financial savings that benefit all of us in the long haul!

You know, driving requires most, if not all of your senses, your sight being chief among them.

But even with 20/20 vision, a less than optimum pair of headlights can put you in the dark.

Audra Fordin stopped by to share a DIY remedy to this common problem on MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ AUDRA FORDIN: Being able to see clearly at night or in poor conditions is absolutely vital to your safety, as well as the safety of others.

And that responsibility, comes down to your headlights.

Headlights were originally made of glass, and they were really easy to keep clean.

But, modern plastic headlights can fog up and turn yellow- like this!

I call this cataracts, and just like your actual eyes, this reduces your visibility and can cause blurred, and dimmed vision on the road.

Headlight cataracts can be caused by a number of factors: moisture, road damage and, of course, the most common is exposure to the sun's rays.

Regardless, there are ways to fix or temporarily relieve the issue, like headlight polish and a restoration kit.

Every kit is going to have a different set of materials and directions; but, here's the general overview.

First, if the headlight is not off your car, mask around the area around that headlight.

It is always good practice to keep chemicals from painted parts of the car-- and from yourself!

Wear gloves and maybe even an apron.

Next, clean the headlight area of any major dirt and debris.

Use soapy water, bug and tar remover-- whatever works.

There are two ways to approach polishing the lights: I like to start with plastic polish.

You can apply this with a buffer, or a microfiber cloth or a handheld pad.

For more stubborn areas, you can move up to wet sanding with very low abrasive sandpaper discs, we're talking 3000, 5000, up to 10,000 grit.

The higher the number, the less aggressive the sandpaper is.

Now, spray down the lens with the soapy water.

Using the sanding pad to buff the surface, starting with your lowest number and working upwards.

After a few rounds of this, you'll apply a polish or clarifying compound and give it a final buff.

This is where the results really start to shine through... you should end up with something like this!

Nice and clear, ready for the road.

Keep in mind, this won't be a permanent fix.

Over time, UV and other elements will take their toll again, and the headlight lens will eventually need to be replaced.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us, right here at MotorWeek.

JOHN: Time to see what's new with another round of Quick Spins!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: We're so used to traveling far and wide to bring you the latest First Drives; but, we certainly don't mind playing a home game from time to time.

And that's exactly what we did when Hyundai invited us to sample the all-new 2024 Kona, waiting just a short jaunt down I-83 in Baltimore's historic Fells Point.

The Kona Electric is also making its return and we'll have more on that soon.

This time we spent our day with the new internal combustion model, so we'll focus on that.

All 2024 Konas ride on a 104.7 inch wheelbase, carrying a total length just over 171 inches, growing about 2.0 and 6.0 inches respectively.

And we're happy to report that the increased length means increased interior volume: 25.5 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the second row, expanded to 63.7 cubic-feet seats down.

The rest of the interior is simplistic in design, yet, properly appointed with a 12.3 inch infotainment screen and a matching digital gauge display.

Under the hood, entry-level SE and SEL trims receive a 2.0 liter inline-4, rated at 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque.

The sporty N-Line and top-trim Limited gain a 1.6 liter four, turbocharged for 190 horses and 195 pound-feet.

The 2.0-liter is paired to a CVT; the 1.6, a true 8-speed automatic.

Front-wheel-drive is standard across the board, with HTRAC all-wheel available for an extra $1,500.

So, I'm driving the 1.6 liter turbo-4 and this is the more powerful powertrain that you can get here in the Kona.

It also has a new 8-speed automatic and it's pretty noticeable how smooth it can shift.

I have to press a little bit on the throttle in order for it to go but when it does, it goes.

Although bigger, cruising in and out of Charm City was a breeze in these charming subcompact utilities.

And buyers will be happy to hear that competitive pricing remains a key characteristic.

Internal-combustion Konas will start around $25,000, working up to the mid-30's.

They're available at Hyundai dealers now, with Kona Electrics arriving later this year.

GREG CARLOSS: Toyota is no stranger to the current trend of taking everyday models and giving them an off-road attitude.

Or, at least, making them look the part; an ethos that has been more-or-less applied to the new 2023 RAV4 Woodland Edition.

Toyota is touting it as their first hybrid off-road special edition SUV, and as such it comes outfitted with a genuine TRD-tuned suspension to smooth out bumpy trails.

While, it retains the standard Hybrid's 8.1 inches of ground clearance, that's still above average for its compact class, and the on-road experience remains comfortable.

Contact is made through Falken WILDPEAK all-terrain tires, wrapping 18 inch bronze wheels.

The raised black roof rails provide more options when packing for weekend campsite excursions, and once on site, a 120 volt inverter in the cargo bay can power light appliances.

Beyond that, the rest of the changes are mostly aesthetic- black badges, dual black-chrome exhaust tips and mud guards to protect one of three available paint options.

Inside, expect unique all-weather floormats underscoring the fabric-trimmed seats.

Upfront is a 7.0 inch digital information display paired to some analog gauges, and an 8.0 inch infotainment screen with smartphone integration.

Reminiscent of our 2019 Long-Term RAV4 Hybrid, power delivery is excellent, quiet and smooth.

Under the hood is a 2.5 liter inline-4 paired to Toyota's Hybrid System and a CVT automatic, using a rear axle-mounted electric motor for all-wheel-drive.

It all adds up to a 219 combined horsepower.

And it also adds up to a starting price of about $35,000 with delivery.

The 2023 Toyota RAV4 Woodland Edition is available now, and we suspect it'll go fast given the popularity of Toyota's RAV4 lineup and the continuing fervor of post-pandemic adventuring.

And we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a relative newcomer to the compact luxury crossover scene, arriving in 2016 as a more modern and stylish replacement of the boxy and bulky GLK utility.

And now that it's on to a 2nd generation it appears to be really hitting its stride.

So, let's see if we can keep pace with an all-new GLC.

♪ ♪ Trying to keep up with all the new SUVs these days has become a full-time job.

But around here we're not afraid to put in the work, and by work we mean driving this 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 for a couple of weeks so we can tell you all about it.

If your first impression is this 5-passenger utility looks bigger than before, you're right, 2.4 inches longer but on the same 113.1 inch wheelbase.

Most of that added length dedicated to the rear, making the proportions a bit more SUV-looking, but more importantly adding significantly to cargo space.

It's up 2.5 cubic-feet over last year to 21.9, and a max of 56.3 cubic-feet with the 40/20/40 split rear seatbacks folded.

All accessed through a standard power liftgate.

Up front, headlights are slimmer than before and now connect directly to the wide grille which features a very prominent Mercedes logo with sidebars.

Eighteen inch wheels are standard, 19s and 20s available.

Things are much more of a departure inside; it doesn't feel any more spacious, but materials are softer and more luxurious, and the overall vibe more elegant, with flowing natural grain walnut wood dash trim and lots of content even in our mid-level Exclusive outfitted tester.

And certainly, more high-tech looking with an 11.9 inch MBUX central touchscreen straight from the flagship S-class.

Behind that wheel is a tablet-style 12.3 digital display for instrumentation with options for Sporty, Classic, or Understated themes, plus further customization from there.

Powertrain freshness comes in the form of a 2.0 liter I4 turbo with a new 48 volt mild-hybrid system adding a bit of additional torque, but primarily in place to boost efficiency and smooth out the operation of the stop/start system.

Output is 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

Being based on the C-class sedan means rear-wheel-drive is standard, with 4MATIC all-wheel-drive available; both working through a 9-speed automatic.

At the test track, our 4MATIC tester delivered a nice kick of power off the line, pushing us to 60 in 5.9 seconds.

Gear changes were not quite as smooth as the typical Mercedes-Benz, but they were quick and kept the power flowing throughout the 14.4 second quarter-mile which we finished at 97 miles per hour.

It felt quite smooth and very stable at high speeds too, while light and nimble at slower speeds through our handling course.

There was a fair amount of body roll, and we'd definitely appreciate some additional feedback from the vehicle; but as long as we kept steering inputs more fluid than aggressive, the GLC was plenty capable for a compact SUV marketed strictly on its luxury merits, not as a performance vehicle.

Like, most Mercedes vehicles, the GLC is available in Premium, Exclusive and Pinnacle versions, which are more themes than trim levels, as all are well equipped and priced relatively close, starting at $48,250 for Premium, and topping out at $52,700 for Pinnacle.

4MATIC all-wheel-drive is an additional 2-grand.

So yes, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 is indeed bigger than before, but more importantly it's also vastly better.

Last gen saw a major departure for the exterior, and for this gen, the interior has caught up, as here, Mercedes-Benz has managed to deliver flagship levels of luxury in an already worthy compact SUV.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time!

We'll charge up the revamped Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback EV, then get down with a small sedan with bigger style, the Nissan Versa.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek !

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

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