The Lincoln brand is back with a vengeance with new products like the Navigator, Corsair, and the upcoming Aviator. Lincoln hopes the Aviator will shake up the midsize luxury SUV segment and, so far, the specifications are looking optimal to do so. Pricing for the Aviator tops out at around $90,000 but starts at a more reasonable $52,195. The price is even more impressive when you consider the new Cadillac XT6, which is front-wheel-drive, is actually more expensive.

Lincoln's main rival from America continued to disappoint when the EPA revealed the fuel economy ratings for the XT6. Now the EPA has revealed the numbers for the Aviator and a direct comparison can be drawn.

So far, the EPA has only revealed ratings for the standard Aviator, so the figures for the upcoming hybrid model are still unknown. With its base 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, the Aviator achieves 18/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined with RWD or 17/24/20 with AWD. Based on these numbers, the Aviator just edges out the XT6 in FWD form (rated at 18/25/20 with FWD) and ties it in AWD trim.

The victory for Lincoln may seem insignificant but remember, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in the Aviator produces 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. By comparison, the 3.6-liter V6 in the XT6 only produces 310 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. Achieving nearly identical fuel economy while also producing 90 more hp and 129 extra lb-ft of torque is a major accomplishment for Lincoln.

What's more, the base Aviator is not the most powerful drivetrain and it likely won't be the most fuel efficient. Lincoln will pair the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with a hybrid drivetrain, producing a total output of 450 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The Aviator hybrid has the potential to offer even better fuel economy while also offering more performance.