Lincoln details Aviator's pothole-cushioning adaptive suspension

An optional camera-based system reads the road surface up to 50 feet ahead to prepare for height deviations.

Lincoln has detailed the adaptive suspension technology that makes its debut in the all-new Aviator, the brand's first vehicle to get a camera-based system to read the road ahead.

The basic adaptive suspension system employs input from 12 sensors to adjust the dampers on the fly based on vehicle motion, body movement, steering angle, acceleration and braking. Pothole mitigation senses when the wheel is dropping into a severe dip, quickly stiffening the shock to reduce the amount of drop and lessen the harshness of the tire strike.

The optional Road Preview technology adds a forward-facing camera that looks ahead up to 50 feet and detects height deviations such as speed bumps and frost heaves. Adding Air Glide suspension achieves the highest level of comfort, replacing the coil springs with air springs that enable a range of ride-height adjustment.

The 2020 Aviator is scheduled to land in showrooms this summer.