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Quiet, Confident Motoring
The 2011 Lincoln MKT strikes an
optimum balance between capable, driver-engaging handling and a smooth, quiet
ride in all three rows, combining a luxury touring experience with an agile
ride.
Key elements of Lincoln MKT suspension tuning include minimizing
front end lift on acceleration, offering stable and engaging steering and
handling characteristics that provide confidence to all drivers, all while
delivering a luxurious ride quality consistent with Lincoln brand character.
The rear
suspension system features a "one for one" shock absorber ratio. The resulting
linear response gave the engineering team a stable baseline for suspension
tuning, allowing the team to deliver a better balance between responsive
handling and control as well as a smooth ride. It also improves rear suspension
isolation and enables the use of 20-inch wheels.
Lincoln MKT delivers a
new level of quiet confidence that delivers best-in-class levels of NVH control.
Virtual modeling and wind tunnel tests helped engineers optimize the vehicle,
influencing everything from side-view mirror placement and special sound
deadening in the bulkhead to extensive exhaust system isolation and the
inclusion of both an acoustic windshield and dual-layer front side glass to
specifically reduce A-pillar wind noise.
Standard on all Lincoln MKT
models with EcoBoost, an Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) system replaces
the traditional hydraulic power steering pump. Because it operates only when
required for steering assistance, it contributes to lower fuel consumption than
a hydraulic pump, which operates whenever the engine is running.
Using
sensors, EPAS constantly measures the steering input applied by the driver to
maintain the vehicle's path; it continually resets to adapt to changing road
conditions or the vehicle turning a corner. Ford's pull-drift software
technology gives the EPAS system the added ability to compensate for slight
steering torque changes caused by environmental factors such as road crowning or
steady crosswinds.
Premium Innovations
Lincoln MKT delivers
abundant technologies aimed at making life luxurious for both the driver and
three rows of passengers. A holistic approach was used to develop these
amenities, where ease of use and intuitive operation were key objectives.
Nowhere is this focus more apparent than with Active Park Assist.
Enabled by the same EPAS
system that delivers improved fuel economy and better handling over conventional
steering systems, Active Park Assist employs an ultrasonic-based sensing system,
as opposed to video camera-reliant competitive offerings. The result is simple,
reliable hands-free parallel parking every time.
Active Park Assist
activates at the touch of a button, reducing the risk of selecting an
inappropriately sized parking space, detects the edges of adjacent objects to
calculate optimized trajectory and steers the Lincoln MKT while coaching the
driver through conventional throttle and braking inputs.
Active Park
Assist also works in uphill parking situations, unlike competitive systems on
the market, and parks the Lincoln MKT nearly three times faster - and four to
eight inches closer to the curb - than the system found on the Lexus LS460L.
Inside, Lincoln SYNC is standard on all Lincoln MKT models, providing
occupants with voice-activated communications and infotainment, including 911
Assist and Vehicle Health Reports. SYNC is an advanced software platform that
provides consumers the convenience and flexibility to bring digital media
players and Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones into their vehicles and operate the
devices via voice commands or with the steering wheel's redundant radio
controls.
Along with the convenience of SYNC voice control, drivers can
operate the climate control and audio system via voice or touch using the
standard center-stack touch screen display. The audio system includes a
CD/DVD/MP3 player with 10 speakers, SIRIUS satellite radio with a six-month
subscription, audio input jack and 10 GB hard drive. The system can also store
and display up to 32 photos, sized 1.5 MB or less, and the home screen can be
personalized.
The available Elite Package includes voice-activated
navigation and a THX II Certified 5.1 Surround Audio System with 14
strategically aimed Premium Audio speakers. New this year, the navigation system
can also receive HD Radio broadcasts, giving listeners access to additional free
programming in areas where it is offered.
A SIRIUS Travel Link prepaid
subscription is included with the Elite Package, providing coast-to-coast
weather data, forecasts, fuel prices, sports scores, movie listings and more.
Technology Under the Skin
The Lincoln MKT features an advanced
structural safety system that combines octagonal front frame rails, tunnel
rails, and support members that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces
away from the passenger compartment.
Lincoln MKT also features Side Protection And
Cabin Enhancement Architecture (SPACE) incorporated to optimize side-impact
occupant protection.
The SPACE system integrates a hydroformed high
strength steel tube embedded in the floor that runs the width of the vehicle
from B-pillar to B-pillar and along the rocker panels to form a safety cage to
help protect passengers in side impact incidents.
Lincoln MKT also
features Ford's enhanced Personal Safety System, combining multiple technologies
to tailor the air bag package and safety belt functions to the individual
passenger and the accident circumstances. The system can identify variables,
such as severity of the crash, weight of the individual passenger and safety
belt usage to adjust air bag deployment force.
Balancing Power and
Efficiency
Fuel efficiency also comes standard on the Lincoln MKT -
and customers have a choice of two powerful yet practical V-6 engines.
A
3.7-liter, 24-valve variation of the award-winning Duratec engine family is
standard. Delivering 268 horsepower at 6,500 RPM and 267 ft-lb of torque at
4,250 RPM, this engine has been tuned to provide brisk acceleration and smooth
power delivery.
A two-speed fuel pump and Aggressive Deceleration Fuel
Shut-Off (ADFSO), combined with optimized transmission and final-drive gearing,
allow this engine to deliver fuel economy of 17 city, 23 highway for Lincoln MKT
with the 3.7-liter engine and front-wheel drive.
For even more
performance-driving feel, Lincoln MKT also offers a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter
EcoBoost V-6 offering the power of a normally aspirated V-8 with V-6 fuel
economy, even with standard all-wheel drive. The EcoBoost V-6 delivers a
class-leading 355 horsepower at 5,700 rpm, while generating 350 ft-lb of torque
from 1,500 through 5,250 rpm.
EcoBoost is a global Ford strategy to
deliver the power that customers want, combined with the fuel economy that they
need. Combining gasoline direct injection with twin turbochargers and a
smaller-displacement engine, EcoBoost can match the power output of larger,
naturally aspirated engines while yielding torque and fuel economy gains.
Pressurized direct injection enables a higher compression ratio, while twin
turbochargers work in tandem to reduce lag associated with earlier turbocharged
engines. Even with additional horsepower, fuel economy is optimized by an
increased compression ratio - enabled by charge-cooling air - and sophisticated
knock controls.
Lincoln MKT is equipped with a six-speed SelectShift
Automatic transmission. This advanced gearbox offers the driver a choice between
fully automatic operation and manual control. Paddle shifters are integrated
into the steering wheel spokes. Intuitive to operate, a squeeze back on either
paddle will deliver an upshift, while a gentle push forward on either paddle
will induce a "matched-rev" downshift.
This capability makes the Lincoln
MKT driving experience sporty, yet smooth. Unlike other competitive
transmissions, SelectShift won't "second guess" the driver with an override
shift. With SelectShift, manual control is truly manually controlled.
All-wheel drive is optional in the Lincoln MKT with the standard 3.7-liter V-6.
The AWD option enhances the vehicle's capability in a variety of weather
conditions. The sophisticated AWD system is fully automatic, using an advanced
array of internal electro-mechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque
between front and rear wheels as needed. AWD is standard in the Lincoln MKT with
EcoBoost.
Lincoln MKT: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications