Four score and seven years ago was 1928, and the Lincoln Motor Company was building some of the most powerful and opulent American cars of the era. After spending a week with the new MKC, we are looking forward to their next four score.
Last year was the first model year of the MKC, and it launched to great fanfare after the concept’s debut at the 2013 LA Auto Show. By now you have seen Matthew McConaughey’s suave ad campaign extolling the virtues of the brand, and sure enough, the MKC is a relaxing ride. It rides high enough above the pavement to kill most road noise, and has plenty of suspension travel to soak up potholes. Steering is numb and effortless, with plenty of infotainment controls on the wheel. The turning radius is very small, making the MKC easy to navigate.
Our test model had the larger of the two four-cylinder engines, this one being the 2.3-liter EcoBoost unit shared by almost every vehicle in the Ford family. This is where they have really done their homework. For being a fully loaded AWD crossover, there is power to spare. In sport mode, multiple gear downshifts are quick and spool the turbo on command. We weren’t expecting torque-steer, but 285 hp and 305 lb-ft of torque overpower the steering during hard launches. Since most Lincolns will never see a full throttle, brake-boosted launch, this is the least of our annoyances.
(See Also: Lincoln Continental Concept Revealed)
Great power and a solid foundation notwithstanding, there are a few idiosyncrasies that must be mentioned. The interior is symmetrical and well styled, but it misses on a few small areas. The front seats are soft and have more heating/cooling than you will ever need, they are just a little small. The backs offer little lateral support, and the bottoms stop well before your knees. The other annoyance is that the main infotainment screen in the center stack is raked forward at a steep angle. This does wonders for aesthetics, but if the sun is above the horizon, glare is an issue.
Some highlights are the THX certified audio system and the easy to use Sync system. These help to make MKC a perfectly acceptable daily driver for an advertised price of $49,865. That may be tough to swallow for a four-cylinder, but this car had over $13,000 in optional content. If you could do without AWD and 20” wheels you could have a competent crossover for a hair over $40,000. For more information see your local dealer, and stay tuned to Autofluence more reviews.
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(Image Source: Lincoln Motor Cars)
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