Applying design languages manages to enhance the company’s image, through giving its cars an “identity” value. It turns much easier to differentiate them from each one’s direct competitors, not to mention that if a particular car turns successful for this subject, the automaker can always extend it to the others. Global products, in turn, are such a good strategy for two main reasons: the idea of having cars as equal as possible in so many different countries pleases the customers, for knowing that any vehicle which satisfies all those different standards must be very good, and also the automakers, for working with economies of scale. While Lincoln wasn’t merged with any other, it certainly takes a nice advantage of the fourth mentioned unifying aspect.
In other words, yes, Lincoln takes Ford platforms for its own models. Not only those but entire powertrain sets, and this is actually good. Good because it reduces the task of developing a new car to working with external and internal designs, equipping it as planned and then fitting this project in the structure’s requirements – which can present size limits, for instance. Therefore, skipping the other steps makes most new projects cheaper and much faster to finish. Or, if the intentions are different, spend the regular amount of money anyway in order to create an even better vehicle. Considering that MKC shares the underpinnings of C-Max, Focus and, specially, Escape, it’s easy to deduce that Lincoln chose the second option.
MKC is much more than a redesigned Escape, for starters. The intention was to apply Lincoln’s styling as freely as possible, so there were even dimension changes. The new crossover became much classier, just like a luxury marque would want. While Ford’s Kinetic design sometimes looks too aggressive, Lincoln uses a smoother set of lines which helps the car to look more solid. Compared to the ‘2013 concept-car, MKC only became a little more conservative to reach the streets. But elements such as fluid design, fewer strong creases and the typical double-wing grille-and-headlight set are all there. Not to mention the panoramic sunroof and tail lights that are connected through a line made of LEDs.
There aren’t many interior images yet, but the few available ones can already give a good hint of how MKC will be in everyday use. Here it gets distant from Escape (which is sold in Europe as Kuga) even easier. Instead of all that black combined to blue lights, this cabin will remind you that this is the same automaker which used to have vehicles like Continental or Town Car. If the concept’s 100%-glass roof was too much, at least the light colors appear once again, combined with a few dark ones in order to create a comfortable, relaxing interior, rather than sporty or too fancy. You can prove it by noticing that both handbrake and gearshift sticks don’t exist. They were both replaced by button-operated controls.
Speaking of which, it’s great to see that Lincoln did much more than just tying all that to the very same structure seen under Escape. The new dimensions required a whole new suspension geometry at the front in order to keep the driving behavior as desired. Besides, maintaining the driving position as high as what makes so many people love crossovers while lowering the car height demanded to lower the seats a little bit. There are also new brakes, whether parking or standard ones, and even front and rear crash structures needed to be reworked in order to fit MKC’s proportions. The problem with this is that it became the heaviest car ever built on the mentioned C1 platform, but it seems like Lincoln was much more concerned with enabling it to attract by its own, rather than as “Escape’s luxury brother”.
The new crossover will offer two Ecoboost engines, both with four cylinders and paired to six-speed automatic transmissions. First there’s the 2.0L, which generates 240 hp and 270 lb-ft just like in Ford cars. The other is a new 2.3L which is expected to appear also in the upcoming Mustang. It brings completely exclusive intake and exhaust systems, including a Honeywell 15-psi turbocharger in order to achieve 275 hp and 300 lb-ft. There will be all the recent electronic passive safety systems, as well as lots of habitability equipments like the MyLincoln Touch infotainment central. Not to mention all the material options for the internal coating, which can combine leather to real wood or aluminum. MKC is expected to arrive next year starting at US$ 33,995 in United States.