Lincoln Aviator SUV returns with 28-speaker sound system

The Lincoln Aviator SUV is back and making some noise after the American car maker pulled the three-row SUV back in 2005. 

The noisy return might have something to do with its revamped sound system. As part of a collaboration with audio company Revel, the car interior features 28 speakers dispersed nearly everywhere throughout the car, including the doors and seats. Eight speakers sit above passengers’ heads in the ceiling.

This makes for what the company calls a 360-degree listening experience, and it can be customized into three modes: stereo with the listener between the speakers; audience for a wider sound; and on-stage with an all-round experience. It’s basically like a concert blasted into your car and you’re on the stage.

Your typical car, say a Honda Accord, usually comes with about six speakers. So the difference is more than incremental.   

The sound experience goes beyond just the speakers. The windshield and side glass are laminated to keep outside noise out. The doors and wheel arch liners were also built with acoustics in mind. A double-lined wall behind the dash separates the engine and main cabin to keep out even more sound. The bottom of the car is supposed to make fewer rumbling noises, even at different speeds.

The car is even more musically-inclined than most: the infotainment system plays notes from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as alerts for 25 car features. 

The Aviator, which starts at $51,000, will be available starting this summer for the first time since 2005.