Available in the aftermarket for years, Lincoln has now made heated wiper blades an option on its 2020 Aviator—and we're sure more models will follow suit.
Anyone who lives or regularly drives in areas that experience freezing temperatures during the winter will know how annoying, and sometimes dangerous, it is to have a windshield freeze up while behind the wheel.
While normal wiper blades tend to skim over the ice, Lincoln's heated blades, known as the VisioBlade system, heats up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit to melt away any ice. The heated blades are also helpful at the start of the journey as they can clear a windshield that's been caked with ice overnight. According to Lincoln, the blades can defrost a windshield in just four minutes, versus the 15 minutes it typically takes using traditional defrosters.
Lincoln VisioBlade on the 2020 Aviator
The blades also have nozzles that spray washer fluid when you want to clean a dirty windshield. According to Lincoln, mounting the nozzles on the blades instead of at the front of the windshield results in better distribution and as a result more efficient cleaning of the windshield, since they spray directly in the path of the blades instead of the whole windshield. You could end up using up to 50 percent less washer fluid than a traditional system, according to Lincoln.
The heated blades are part of an Elements Package which costs $1,000 and also includes a heated steering wheel and heated rear seats. Heated seats for the driver and front passenger are standard on the Aviator.
The 2020 Lincoln Aviator is priced from $52,195, including destination, and comes standard with a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 delivering 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard but adding all-wheel drive for an additional $2,500 is definitely worth considering for owners who regularly drive in freezing temperatures.
