Instead of simply calling its future plug-in hybrids a PHEV or hybrid, Lincoln has decided to go a completely different route. Lincoln will use the “Grand Touring” name for its plug-in hybrids, which means that the Aviator PHEV will actually be called the Aviator Grand Touring.

2020 Lincoln Aviator

Why did Lincoln decide to use the Grand Touring or GT name for its plug-in hybrids? Lincoln’s marketing chief Robert Parker recently told Automotive News that it decided to go with the GT name, since it is “the purest definition of Grand Touring” because the hybrid drivetrain “makes the vehicle more exciting to drive.”

2020 Lincoln Aviator

Instead of focusing on the efficiency of the plug-in hybrid powertrain, Lincoln is hoping the Grand Touring name will hint at the added performance that the powertrain provides. The 2020 Aviator Grand Touring is the most powerful version of the new SUV with its 3.0L twin turbo V-6 hybrid powertrain that generates 450 horsepower and 600 lb-ft. of torque. The non-hybrid Aviator has 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft.

Source: Automotive News