There are a lot of great things to say about the 2022 Lincoln Aviator. This SUV is competing in a crowded and very competent class and what may be most impressive is how well it distinguishes itself from everyone else.

When you have an SUV segment that is selling as well as it has for a decade, with little indication of it slowing down, everyone jumps in to make their own variant (sometimes whole families of them). However, not everyone succeeds in doing it well. Oftentimes, there is success in simply copying others — and that happens a lot. That is not the case for the 2022 Lincoln Aviator.

Outside

On the outside, the Aviator exhibits a marvelous penchant for capturing modest design cues and building upon them from the front grille to the rear tailgate treatment. With everyone seemingly trying to outdo the other with bulbous fender flares, gaudy-big grilles, and chrome-like accents that scream “look at me,” Aviator is more timeless in its approach. It feels classy and refined.

The classic silhouette starts at the far-forward wheel well and climbs up the sculpted hood across the slightly-raked windshield to the peak point at the A-pillar, where it slowly slides down to the rear. I love the minimal treatment of the brake light bar that traverses across the entire rear gate. I guess I love this exterior design for what it is not — a follower.

Inside

The Aviator’s cabin offers a plush and contemporary feel. Comfortable and accommodating power seating (30-way adjustments) may be the point where everything emanates out, but the real star of the show for me was the overarching fit and finish of the interior, which was premium in every sense.

With 18.3 cubic feet of space behind its third-row, 41.8 cubic feet with those seats folded, and 77.7 cubic feet with all the seats folded, the Lincoln Aviator has one of the largest cargo capacities in the luxury midsize SUV class. I found the PowerFold third row to be a quick up-and-down solution for interior configurations. The Aviator can seat seven passengers and still have a bit of room for storage. Being a modern family mover, you don’t have to look far for USB charging ports (there are 8).

Look for a minimalist dash treatment that is made possible, in part, due to the loss of a shifter anywhere in the console. The PRNDL functioning is handled with large buttons within easy reach of the driver. My tester featured fine leather across the dash, as well as tasteful wood and chrome accents. Not too much, just enough to elevate the presence of plenty of soft-touch surfaces. The 12-inch gauge cluster is positioned for easy viewing, while the 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system is also within easy reach.

The Aviator has comfort in mind at every point of the interior. Whether it’s the amazing massaging heated/ventilated front seats, the six LED accent color options for nighttime cabin flair, or the heads-up display that makes keeping your eyes on the road much more convenient, the Aviator is a pleasure to drive on short or long trips. Another great feature was the Auto Air Refresh that recirculated air to revitalize the cabin and minimize outside odors.

Lincoln Co-Pilot 360, the suite of tech and safety features, are standard equipment for all Lincoln models and includes a backup camera, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane departure warning with lane-keeping assistance, automatic high-beam headlights and a driver monitoring system. Lincoln owners can choose to use all or some of these systems and can program alert and response sensitivity, to personal preferences.

Performance

With a curb weight between 4,600 and 5,400 pounds, the Aviator is a big SUV. Most Aviator owners will opt for the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6, which delivers a robust 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. If interested, the new Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid adds a 75-kw (100 hp) electric motor, bringing total system output up to 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque.

The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with standard rear-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive. With 18 city/26 highway fuel economy, the Aviator offers an impressive towing capacity of up to 5,673 lbs.

My Aviator offered pre-set Drive Mode options (impacting steering, suspension, and powertrain) which were created to adjust to distinct styles of driving, as well as environmental conditions. The seven on my Grand Touring Edition drive modes (up to seven in the Aviator Grand Touring model) are controlled by a knob at the center of the console.

The 2022 Lincoln Aviator has a base price of $51,465 but it can easily climb to close to $80,000 for the fully-loaded Black Label trim. For most of us, somewhere in the middle of that range is easy to find and probably more practical.

John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years’ experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.