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The 2010 Lincoln MKT I recently test-drove is part of a new generation of crossover vehicles focused on providing spacious seating and cargo space in a lower-to-the-ground platform. The MKT aims to provide the advantages of a car, SUV and minivan in an upscale crossover with distinctive styling. The bold strokes of the rear lights and the toothy grin...




The 2010 Lincoln MKT I recently test-drove is part of a new generation of crossover vehicles focused on providing spacious seating and cargo space in a lower-to-the-ground platform.



The MKT aims to provide the advantages of a car, SUV and minivan in an upscale crossover with distinctive styling. The bold strokes of the rear lights and the toothy grin of the front grille are distinctive expressions that make the vehicle’s pedigree instantly recognizable to Lincoln enthusiasts.



Along the lines of a Ford Flex, the Lincoln MKT features seating for up to seven passengers with a third row of seats that folds flat to increase cargo space when needed.



The MKT is designed for a driver who needs a vehicle with plenty of passenger and cargo room, but doesn’t want a cavernous minivan or the high profile of an SUV.



Thus, the MKT is many things to many people. From the front, the distinctive, oversized low grille lets you know it’s a Lincoln while the plush interior feels like you’re riding in a luxury sedan. Theater-style lighting bathes the interior in cool hues while the word Lincoln is illuminated from underneath the front door sills.



From the sides, the MKT gives you the feeling of a stalwart station wagon with its long doors and rear hatch. The panoramic “vista” moonroof spans the full length, providing a huge, fixed-glass moonroof for the front-seat passengers as well as normal-size moonroof for the second-row passengers. Electric sunshades provide protection on the vista roof, while manual sunshades are built-in the rear windows.



From the rear, the automatic hatch, with its wide expanse of red and white taillights, makes the MKT look like a slimmed-down version of a minivan. Double clicking a button on the remote automatically opens the rear hatch overhead, revealing a sunken storage area behind the upright third row of seats.



By pulling a couple of straps on the third-row seats, they tumble into the floor providing nearly 40 cubic feet of cargo space. Another button on the inside of the cargo area sounds a pleasant chime before closing the hatch automatically.



It is thoughtful touches such as the standard-equipment, chime-sounding automatic hatch and the optional, power fold button that makes the passenger-side second-row seat automatically tumble forward for easier access to the third row that distinguish the MKT from its closest competitors.



As a Lincoln, the MKT comes standard with all of the automotive bells and whistles out today. Perforated, 12-way, leather seats with heating and cooling ventilation system are standard up front. Heated seats are also available for the second row of passengers.



Second-row passengers also get to regulate not just the temperature and fan speed of the climate system, but also whether the air is delivered overhead or at floor level. An optional refrigerated compartment in the second row can cool up to seven soft-drink cans or four half-liter bottles. The freeze mode will even lower the temperature farther to 23 degrees.



The third row, left best to children due to headroom, still provides its own ventilation system, built-in armrests and cup holders on the outboard sides of the vehicle.



The MKT comes in two models, the standard MKT and the Ecoboost MKT that features a more efficient 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine paired with all-wheel drive, according to John Hightower, general manager of Don Bohn Ford Lincoln Mercury on the West Bank. The base model boasts a starting price of $44,200, while the all-wheel-drive Ecoboost MKT’s is $49,200.



Both engines get the same mile

Tags: Lincoln, Toyota

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Lincoln MKT: Cruising in style was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: Toyota. Read the full story by clicking here.