Lincoln mkz crossover11/4/2023 ![]() Pricing begins about where the Escape’s leaves off. It’s best to leave the shocks in Normal, which nicely balances ride comfort with the right amount of body control. Switch to Sport, and the MKC’s ride becomes too jittery. Current or former Town Car owners will feel right at home in Comfort mode. Three-position, electronically controlled shocks are standard on four-wheel-drive versions and a $650 option on front-drivers. Despite its heft, the MKC remains stable and flat in corners, and the steering is responsive without exhibiting any nervousness. Moving up to the 2.3-liter engine brings standard four-wheel drive and EPA numbers of 18 mpg city and 26 highway.Īnother unimpressive number is the nearly 4000-pound curb weight for the 2.3-liter version. With the 2.0-liter, the MKC manages 20 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway opting for four-wheel drive reduces those numbers to 19 and 26. A 0-to-60-mph time of just below seven seconds seems about right.Ī shorter final-drive ratio compared with the Escape’s helps initial acceleration, but it is likely simultaneously responsible for dinging fuel economy slightly compared with the Ford’s. We have yet to perform instrumented testing, but the engine doesn’t sweep toward the redline with the intensity you might expect, given its nearly 300-horsepower rating. Even with the 2.3-liter, this probably won’t be the quickest vehicle in its segment. The engine sounds subdued at idle and at speed, although a trace of intake grittiness enters the cabin if you listen carefully. We drove the new 2.3-liter turbo four that will also see duty in the Mustang it makes 285 horsepower and 305 lb-ft of torque in the MKC. Two EcoBoost engines are available, with the entry powerplant being a 240-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that is shared with the Escape. Riding on the same 105.9-inch wheelbase as the Escape, the MKC would benefit from at least a three-inch wheelbase stretch to enhance rear-seat comfort and legroom. If the definition of luxury includes space as well as materials, the rear seat of the MKC also misses the mark. The interior might not scream Ford, but it still screams MKZ, which barely whimpers luxury. Whereas this is a step forward, the seat bottoms aren’t particularly supportive, and the Bridge of Weir leather isn’t especially special. ![]() Unlike in the MKZ, actual buttons and knobs control the climate-control and audio systems. Even thought they are not aesthetically elegant, the buttons mean the space normally allotted to a console-mounted shift knob has been given over to a small storage cubby and a couple of cup holders. Even the MKZ’s pushbutton transmission controls have carried over into the MKC. Instead, Lincoln stitched up a vinyl-wrapped interior that reminds us of the MKZ’s. If only Lincoln had borrowed a few Audi interior design ideas. But the design details, the brightwork, and the sheetmetal creasing are enough to differentiate this Lincoln from its competition and, perhaps more important, the Ford Escape. Like the Q5, the MKC utilizes a clamshell liftgate that incorporates the taillights, and the greenhouse traces the same line as the Audi’s. The overall aesthetic is vaguely European when viewed from the rear and in profile, with much of the Old World flavor derived from aping Audi Q5 cues. The MKC is arguably the best execution of Lincoln’s current design language, with a less-ostentatious grille than the wings-of-Icarus melted to the front of the MKZ sedan. This new MKC crossover, however, gives us hope that its maker is starting to build better Lincolns rather than just better Fords. The key is that most brands are adept at differentiating the pricier product, but Lincoln hasn’t successfully hidden the Ford in its vehicles for a long time. Think Acura RDX/ Honda CR-V or Porsche Cayenne/ Volkswagen Touareg. But this Pygmalion strategy is neither unique nor scandalous: Other luxury marques disguise mass-market products beneath thin veneers of extravagance. Let’s state one inescapable truth right now: The Lincoln MKC is based on the Ford Escape.
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