In addition to the new 2013 Lincoln MKS, Lincoln is also unveiling a revised 2013 MKT crossover at the LA Auto Show. The 2013 Lincoln MKT gets a host of upgrades on the inside and out to hopefully help the full size crossover win over more hearts.
The 2013 MKT continues to be powered by either a 3.7L V6 or the 3.5L Ecoboost V6. For 2013 the standard 3.7L gets upgraded to 300 horsepower, up from 268 in the current model. Fuel economy ratings have also improved slightly with the 3.7L V6 getting 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, a 1 mpg highway improvement. The 3.5L EcoBoost carries over with its 355 horsepower. According to Ford, nine out of ten MKT buyers choose the EcoBoost engine. Both engines are mated to a six-speed gearbox and the 3.5L EcoBoost comes standard with all-wheel-drive, while the standard engine only sends its power to the front wheels.
The front end of the 2013 MKT has been revised with a new grille with a lot of vertical grille bars. “The effort behind the new look was to change the proportion of the MKT from the front view. We helped make it feel wider and a bit less tall, less vertical,” said Max Wolff, Lincoln Design director. “The execution of the new MKT’s grille and the grille bars is a lot more refined and elegant. The new front graphic displays a lot of three-dimensionality, but it’s accomplished in a calmer, more restrained way.”
The 2013 MKT also gets a new Continuously Controlled Damping that improves the ride and handling of the MKT equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The adjustable suspension utilizes 46 inputs to feed data to a sophisticated control unit that continuously monitors more than 23,000 packets of information per second. CCD constantly reads the road surface and continuously adjusts the suspension in real time within the three selectable ranges – Sport, Normal and Comfort.
The 2013 Lincoln MKT will go on sale in the spring.