The upcoming Lincoln Aviator will be offering a very potent plug-in hybrid powertrain offering 450 horsepower and a whopping 600 pound-feet of torque. But what will Lincoln call this Aviator model? Most competitors use something like E-Hybrid, PHEV, or a 'e' to the end of the model. According to Automotive News, Lincoln will be using the Grand Touring (GT) to designate electrified variants.

"Quite simply, it came down to, what does it do? And what it does is that it makes the vehicle more exciting to drive. It's the purest definition of Grand Touring," said Robert Parker, Lincoln's marketing chief.

Lincoln went through various names, "including variations of the letter E," in internal discussions and focus groups before landing on Grand Touring.

"Consumers may have liked the word but didn't know what it meant. If I have to go spend money to describe to customers what a new word means, I've taken money away from promoting Aviator," explained Parker.

"You can talk yourself into these letters and conventions, but when you go out into the consumer space, they're very confused. EcoBoost wasn't new; direct-injection technology was around in the late '80s, but nobody seemed to find the magic until EcoBoost."

We'll see if this works out for Lincoln when the Aviator begins hitting dealers next summer.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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The idea is sound; but using GT for an Aviator PHEV is a non-starter.  Try something that actually says or implies "environmentally friendly".

20 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

The idea is sound; but using GT for an Aviator PHEV is a non-starter.  Try something that actually says or implies "environmentally friendly".

Maybe they are thinking GT--Green Touring.

23 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

The idea is sound; but using GT for an Aviator PHEV is a non-starter.  Try something that actually says or implies "environmentally friendly".

Aren't people tired of that crap though? The actual term Grand Touring works exactly here.

I think some people see/read GT and think "sporty" when a true GT vehicle isn't necessarily sporty but powerful and can eat up miles very easily. 

26 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

The idea is sound; but using GT for an Aviator PHEV is a non-starter.  Try something that actually says or implies "environmentally friendly".

I think this might explain why Lincoln decided to use GT,

Quote

"When we do the research, rejecters of the technology are afraid they're giving up power," Lincoln President Joy Falotico said. "We took that very seriously."

 

Awesome, I think that GT is the right approach for a powerful PHEV.

With as much torque as its got, GT is absolutely the right name. 

They're trying to make these oddballs more palatable for normal, productive members of society.  Like putting sugar on top of cough syrup on the spoon.

So, Mustang GT and Aviator GT?  

I do give credit to Lincoln for trying here, with a rear drive chassis, big power and torque.   This shows the guts that Cadillac, Acura and Lexus lack.  Question is what will a Aviator GT cost?  We've seen Kia or Hyundai/Genesis try tho sell an expensive vehicle, and no one showed up to buy it.

14 hours ago, smk4565 said:

So, Mustang GT and Aviator GT?  

I do give credit to Lincoln for trying here, with a rear drive chassis, big power and torque.   This shows the guts that Cadillac, Acura and Lexus lack.  Question is what will a Aviator GT cost?  We've seen Kia or Hyundai/Genesis try tho sell an expensive vehicle, and no one showed up to buy it.

In fairness, no one shows up to buy Audi A8s or BMW 7-series or Lexus LSes either. 

Mercedes GT cars aren't even labeled  GT cars while their sports car is labeled "GT". 

35 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

Mercedes GT cars aren't even labeled  GT cars while their sports car is labeled "GT". 

A bit of a conundrum they have there...