Lincoln Might Resurrect the Aviator

2015 Lincoln Navigator (Credit: Lincoln )

Lincoln is doing all sorts of interesting things these days, or at least is talking about doing some interesting things. On top of debuting a concept Continental and toying with the idea of dropping the baffling MK- naming scheme in favor of real model names, the luxury brand might also be weighing bringing the Aviator back.

Before anyone starts breathing into a paper bag, know that many have questioned the veracity of this claim. The Truth About Cars originally broke the story, admitting that the source of the juicy rumor was a little questionable.

Apparently, Lincoln is supposed to be working on a new SUV that’s been codenamed Aviator. That’s not much of a codename, because you can’t get more obvious than that. The unnamed source also claims that the Aviator project is for a model that would be built on the same platform as the Explorer, which is completely not shocking.

As Autoblog has pointed out, there could be something to the rumor. Ford has trademarked the name “AV8R,” adding some outside evidence that could indicate where Lincoln might be headed. Some have even predicted that the luxury brand will beef up its currently pathetic SUV and crossover offerings, because those types of models are big money makers.

Of course, most of this is pretty wild speculation. While it’s possible that Ford and Lincoln have “leaked” the information to the media as a way to gauge the public’s warmth toward the return of the Aviator nameplate, it’s also just as likely that someone is making up stories to feel popular. Lincoln is saying that there’s no official word on what future vehicles are coming, other than confirming that by 2020 it will add at least two new models to the lineup.