Lincoln Aviator

It's subtlely different from the other Explorers we've seen

It'll be marketed as a GT hybrid performance package

And the PHEV version is even more potent.

New Aviator SUV to be revealed at LA Auto Show.

Reasons unclear, perhaps involving switch to new modular platform.

Ford's rush to double down on crossovers and SUVs could be why.

DETROIT/BEIJING — Ford Motor Co's premium Lincoln brand plans to build as many as five new vehicles in China by 2022, according to two U.S. sources, in a move to expand sales in the world's largest vehicle market that would also blunt the impact of trade U.S.-China trade spats.

Volkswagen is taking a hard look at a pickup truck, the Lincoln Aviator is back, and you love old Subarus (we'll explain). The New York Auto Show returned last week with flair and a wide range of promising reveals. Let's break down some of the big news, plus a few things you might have missed.

As we mentioned last night, underneath the new Lincoln Aviator "concept" there appears to be an independent rear suspension lifted right from the Ford Mustang parts bin. And while it's pretty cool on its face that Mustang rear-drive platform bits are being reused in the broader Ford universe, what this means for the next Explorer could be really cool.

At a studio in the Meatpacking District in Manhattan, after a walk through an "art gallery" full of inspiration for Lincoln's newest midsize, three-row Aviator crossover, we saw the company's future. That's not breathless hyperbole, either.

Lincoln execs don't see a rear-wheel drive niche model on the company's horizon. They first want to focus on the brand's rejuvenation through mainstream vehicles and increased sales.

Lincoln might bring back the Aviator name as a Explorer-based luxury crossover, according a recent rumor.