With the 2016 Lincoln MKX, the journey to a luxurious destination begins even before you consider setting a foot into the mid-sized SUV.
For many shoppers, a car company’s website is the first step in selecting a vehicle. People who like to kick tires in cyberspace can browse as many manufacturers as they desire and build — just for fun — their dream car.
When you open the Lincoln Motor Company’s website, it asks you if you want to connect with the concierge. This wise choice of titles has a positive connotation: It is a person who assists guests in luxury hotels.
Having a concierge at your disposal to do tasks — especially when you don’t have a lot of time to do it — is a desirable service to receive.
For those with deep pockets, I suspect a chauffeur would be the next step, but for today I will concentrate on those who simply have to drive themselves.
What I am trying to get across here is the fact Lincoln wants to sell you a world of luxury, not just the vehicle.
As the luxury brand of Ford, many of the underpinnings of the vehicles can trace their roots to less-luxurious cousins. To set them apart, Lincoln gives their vehicles designer clothes, high levels of standard features and exclusive, desirable options.
The MKX is their latest and arguably their best offering to date. I drove an all-wheel-drive MKX, with a list price of $45,890, bestowed with more than $19,000 in optional features.
The Lincoln experience begins as you near the vehicle. Once it senses the key in your pocket or purse it turns on the parking lights and illuminates the ground around the doors: The front door even projects the company emblem.
Close the door and your new world is immediately more serene, thanks to acoustically lined glass. The experience doesn’t stop there. Sound insulation is stuffed into every crevice to keep the road where it belongs. What noises persistent enough to get through are drowned either by the active-noise cancellation or music emanating from 19 high-fidelity speakers.
But that’s not the best part.
My tester was equipped with a 22-way power driver seat (I didn’t know a seat could be adjusted so many ways). Part of the package is a massage function — yes, you read correctly. It gently (or firmly) massages your back and bottom as you travel. Throw in a bit of heat (or ventilation in the summer) and I didn’t want some of my short trips in the city to end. I found myself sitting in some shopping-mall parking lot not wanting to get out. When was the last time that happened to you in any vehicle?
When I did manage to get my shopping done, the park-aid sensors and 360-degree camera showed their usefulness. The sensors in the back warned me of cross-traffic, and the sonar warned me if I was too close to an object. If I was entering a busy street from an alley, the front camera gave me a panorama view of pedestrians and traffic. More information means less stress for the driver.
On the highway, other electronic nannies come into play, with lane-keep assist, where the vehicle actually pulls on the steering wheel when it detects the vehicle straying off-course. It also has adaptive cruise control, collision warning and collision avoidance (all of which I did not attempt to test).
The noise-abatement measures did have an unexpected consequence — I found myself driving faster than I expected. I suspect that I drive based on the sound of the tires on the road. In the absence (or lessening) of the familiar sound, I get lulled into an idea that I am driving slower than what the speedometer indicates. The MKX would be at the top of a list of vehicles I would choose for a cross-country jaunt.
The MKX comes with a choice of two V-6s, a naturally aspirated 3.7-litre or a smaller-displacement, but turbocharged (Ford calls it EcoBoost), 2.7-litre unit that boasts 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. My tester was equipped with the latter. Both come mated to a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
One interesting detail — the EcoBoost engine’s has a unique, two-piece lightweight cylinder block. The upper section, made from a compacted graphite iron, is bolted to a lower half made of die-cast aluminum.
Although the 2.7-litre engine has a 32 hp advantage over the larger engine, it only produces that using 93-octane fuel. The smaller engine has a 10.0:1 compression ratio so you can use regular gas to save at the pump but the engine will only churn out the higher numbers if you give it a premium diet. Fuel economy is about the same, with the 2.7 having a slight edge on both highway and city numbers.
Ford may be slightly behind in this regard, as competitors in this category have mostly gone at least to stop-start systems to give them an edge in fuel numbers.
If you tow, the turbo unit is the way to go, with 380 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 r.p.m. and a 1,588 kg tow capacity. Cargo capacity is 1,055 litres with the rear seat up and 1,948 with them down.
My tester was missing one major ingredient — its original wheels. It was supposed to come with 21-inch wheels, but due to the season, Ford prudently slapped on a set of winter rubber, but on smaller wheels. The ride was still pillowly-soft with the one-size smaller wheels and tires.
The MKX cabin coddles its occupants, with upscale materials and plush surfaces. The centre dash is a devoid of edges, with switches, including the push-button start, embedded into a flowing shape. The high centre console is carved out to give front occupants a dedicated space for phones, appointment books or purses.
The MyLincoln Touch comes with a eight-inch screen that serves as the go-to place for audio, navigation, telephone and climate-control. Commands are carried out via the touch screen or voice activation. Some controls, such as the heated and ventilated seats have redundant, physical buttons on the dash, but others, such as the heated steering wheel, do not. Others, like the massage option on the seats, are harder to find.
It’s hard not to be impressed with the new MKX. It may not be as glitzy as some of its competitors, nor boast the same pedigree. But the Lincoln is no stranger to the luxury game, with vehicles fit for kings and presidents in its long history.
While the MKX, which is built in Oakville, Ont., is a thoroughly modern car, the way it delivers its luxury, from the concierge service to the welcome silence of its interior, evokes an earlier, more elegant time. For those who love a sense of nostalgia, your MKX is here.
