With three-row seating for up to eight people, the Lincoln MKT full-size crossover utility vehicle is perfect for the on-the-go family.
For 2013, the MKT looks lower and wider, and has been given a new grille, front fascia and new wheel designs, all aimed at making it more recognizable as part of the Lincoln family. The MKT also has a much improved ride, sharper handling, better fuel economy and new safety technologies including rear inflatable seat belts.
Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) is fitted to the new MKT when it is equipped with the optional 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. The adjustable suspension gives the vehicle a balance of ride comfort and handling, and CCD is constantly tuning and refining the ride quality in all road conditions. It reads the road surface and continuously adjusts the suspension in real time within the three selectable ranges – Sport, Normal and Comfort.
The standard engine for the 2013 MKT is a more powerful and efficient 3.7-liter V-6 that includes twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT). The ability to vary camshaft timing to optimize the opening and closing of intake and exhaust valves increases the engine’s power and efficiency.
Horsepower is hiked to 303, a 10 percent increase that also brings improved fuel economy to 17/25 mpg.
Atwin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine is also available. It delivers V-8 performance with the fuel economy of a V-6. The gasoline turbo direct-injected (GTDI) engine produces 365 hp at 5,700 rpm and was named one Ward’s “10 Best Engines” when it was introduced in 2010.
The MKT offers two versions of the sixspeed SelectShift Automatic transmission, both with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The 3.7-liter Ti-VCT V-6 uses the 6F-50, and the more powerful 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 gets the heavy-duty 6F-55. This transmission has high-energy friction materials, a larger ring gear and a specific torque converter that optimize the 6F-55 to handle the high-torque output of the twinturbo 3.5-liter. These gearboxes offer the driver a choice between fully automatic operation and manual control. Unlike some competitive transmissions, SelectShift won’t second guess the driver with an override shift.
The manual control is truly controlled by the driver.
All-wheel drive is standard with the twinturbo 3.5-liter V-6. In good weather over smooth roads at modest speeds – when AWD is not needed – the system intelligently routes power only to the front wheels to improve fuel efficiency. When driver input or road conditions (such as on rain-slicked or snowcovered roads) indicate that slip might occur, the system sends power to the rear wheels to help prevent tire slip from happening in the first place
A myriad of inputs enables the computercontrolled system to identify and immediately react – in as little as 16 milliseconds – to changing road conditions and driver demands. The amount of torque sent to the rear axle varies depending on road conditions and dynamic needs.
Base price on the Lincoln MKT is $45,285.
Grant Miller is the publisher of Community Newspapers. He may be contacted by calling 305-662-2277 or by addressing email to Grant@CommunityNewspapers.com
