Lincoln Star Concept Previews Upcoming Lincoln EVs

• The Lincoln Star Concept gives us a hint at what to expect from future Lincoln EVs.
• Exterior is a bold statement from a typically conservative automaker.
• The cabin is more fanciful, but there are some features that could realistically appear in upcoming Lincolns.

The Star Concept is an all-electric two-row crossover roughly the length of a midsize SUV. If the Star Concept looks a little familiar to you, you're not alone. The downward-swept roofline evokes the Land Rover Range Rover's profile, while the back end's full-width taillight bar and pinched design aren't too dissimilar from the Kia EV6's.

But there are also unique aspects of the exterior design — even ones not necessarily shared with other Lincolns. Check out the LED light signature, for example, which extends across the front end and even reaches up in between the hood and fenders. The illuminated Lincoln logos on the front and side are incorporated into the bodywork rather than being stick-on appliques. The LED strips on the wheel arches might be a little too outgoing for the relatively reserved Lincoln brand, but they do make the Star Concept immediately recognizable at night, as do the backlight vertical bars on the front grille and rear hatch.

You'll find other interesting — and uniquely concept-y — design elements with all of the Star Concept's doors, hatch and hood opened and expanded. For instance, the entire hood lifts up, rather than being hinged at the front or rear, and the front grille slides forward, creating a sort of storage tray in the frunk. This setup doesn't seem especially practical for loading and unloading cargo, but it is certainly eye-catching. The hood features an electrochromatic glass top, which can turn from transparent while you're driving to opaque while the vehicle's parked to keep prying eyes from seeing what's underneath. The rear hatch is split-opening, so the lower portion, which folds down, can be used as a picnic bench should you be so inclined.

Radical interior is a little more far-fetched

While many aspects of the Star Concept's exterior could be adapted for a future electric Lincoln, the cabin is less realistic. We've seen swiveling front seats before in concept cars with fully autonomous driving capability, but that feature is years away. The pinstripe LED lights on the floor of the front seat are also pie in the sky, as are the floor-mounted pedals and 3D-printed metal veneers on the front pillars. The rear-hinged doors and absent middle pillar are concept-car stalwarts that rarely make it to a final production vehicle.

There are elements that could work on a real-life car, though some are daring for Lincoln. The rear lounge seats, for instance, can be found on high-end SUVs like the Lexus LX 600 Ultra Luxury, Mercedes-Maybach GLS and Bentley Bentayga. Ditto the Champagne cooler between those seats — range-topping Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Maybach models have had these for years. Even the custom briefcases that stow in the rear doors have been preceded by umbrellas in various Bentleys and Rolls-Royces. A fragrance atomizer fills the cabin with perfume — a feature we've seen on some Mercedes and BMW models. And while the vehicle never made it to final production, the Byton M-Byte also had a dashboard-spanning digital instrument panel/entertainment screen.

Edmunds says

The Star Concept's exterior previews the design of upcoming Lincoln EVs and is relatively realistic. However outrageous the Star Concept's interior may be, there are some aspects that Lincoln could adopt if it's willing to go in a more luxurious direction. At the very least, the cabin shows us what Lincoln aspires to offer in the future.