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Lincoln needs the MKC to be a hit. The company desperately wants to shake its image as a manufacturer of stodgy sedans and mammoth SUVs. The MKZ sedan was supposed to be the first step in a brand reinvention targeting younger, more diverse customers (i.e. import buyers), but things aren’t going according to plan.
FAST FACTS
Engines: 2.0L turbo four-cylinder with 240 hp, 270 lb-ft of torque. 2.3L turbo four-cylinder with 285 hp, 305 lb-ft.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic.
Fuel economy: 2.0L FWD rated at 20/29 MPG city/highway. 2.3L AWD rated at 18/26 MPG city/highway.
Price: Premiere 2.0 L FWD starts at $33,995 after destination charges. Reserve 2.3L AWD costs $44,565.
With the compact crossover market red-hot right now, it makes sense that Lincoln chose this segment for its next premium import fighter. Keeping with current Lincoln tradition, the MKC is based on a Ford platform, the Escape in this case. Lincoln’s engineers wanted to differentiate the MKC from its Ford sibling and gave it a wider stance thanks to an increase of almost an inch in both the front and rear tracks. This not only gives the vehicle a more aggressive, well-proportioned stance, it also helps with driving dynamics.
Escaping the Badge Engineering Reputation
Style-wise the MKC couldn’t be any more Lincoln and aside from a large front overhang, looks nothing like the Escape. Up front is a split-wing grille that leads into a pair of Germanesque headlights. The rear of the MKC features a wraparound liftgate that uses Ford’s foot waving, hands-free accessibility technology. As is all the rage these days, the MKC has LED mirror mounted projectors that project the Lincoln logo onto the ground when you approach the vehicle.
