Lincoln continues the reinvention of its stable with the new 2016 Lincoln MKX midsize SUV. The SUV boasts a laundry list of revisions -- some shared with its cousin and platform-mate, the 2015 Ford Edge, and others unique to the luxury model.
New EcoBoost engine
Under the hood, tucked deep into the MKX's large engine bay, is the relatively small 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine; the same engine that you'll find available on the new Ford F-150 pickup's list of options. The downsized, twin-turbocharged mill makes a reasonably big 335 horsepower and an exceptional 380 pound-feet of torque when the accelerator is stomped. Most of the time, however, it's humming along quietly and efficiently. My 18.8 mpg average over a week of testing is on par with the EPA's 19 combined mpg estimate, which breaks out to 17 city and 24 highway mpg.
The engine is mated with a single-option, six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to either the front wheels or the automaker's on-demand all-wheel-drive setup. Rather than a traditional shift lever, Lincoln has decided to outfit the MKX with a bank of buttons for selecting the driving mode and direction. This move frees up a bit of elbow room in the cabin and gives the console a cleaner look.
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The on-demand AWD system typically sends its power to the front wheels when cruising or under low-load situations, but can instantly and seamlessly shift most of the available torque to the rear wheels as needed or blend between the axles. I also noticed that shifting the gearbox into its Sport setting seems to favor the rear bias.
When the MKX is so tasked, the acceleration can be quite good. The EcoBoost V-6 has a meaty torque curve that makes passing satisfying. When delivering the power, the engine makes a nice, subdued sound. When cruising or idling, it's so smooth that you'd hardly notice that it's there.
Quiet ride
The EcoBoost V-6 is quieted partly by design, but mostly thanks to generous amounts of insulation and cabin isolation materials added to the MKX's chassis -- which is based on the same underpinnings as the 2015 Ford Edge. The passive sound damping works alongside active noise reduction, which uses the SUV's audio system to cancel out road and wind noise.
The Lincoln sits atop the Lincoln Drive adaptive suspension that helps to keep the ride smooth across cracked and rough pavement. The suspension features Sport, Normal and Comfort settings, which are tied to the transmission's settings.
The S button on the dashboard puts the transmission and suspension in their Sport settings. The D button sets the transmission to its normal program and, depending on the driver's preference, the suspension in either comfort or normal. It's a bit odd that I wasn't able to quickly toggle between the suspension's Comfort and Normal settings without going into a menu, but I'll accept that most drivers will probably pick one and stick with it for the vast majority of their commuting. And, honestly, the two settings didn't feel very much different from one another.
The smooth suspension and active and passive noise cancellation combine to create a cabin that's not tomb-quiet, but is noticeably peaceful. Parts of the video at the top of this review were shot parked near road workers operating a jackhammer, but we simply shut the doors and shut the sound out.
In addition to being quiet, the cabin is also comfortable. Our example was equipped with the automaker's 22-way adjustable massage seats with heated and ventilated surfaces. The steering wheel is finished in leather and also heated and the dashboard is composed of high-quality materials, including more leather, textured wood and metal grilles for the Revel Ultima premium audio system.
Above is a massive panoramic skylight that stretches nearly to the D-pillars and brings light into the luxurious cabin.
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MyLincoln Touch
However, the Lincoln's cabin experience does have a dark spot right in the center of the dashboard: the MyLincoln Touch infotainment software.
Essentially, MyLincoln Touch is a rebranding of the much-maligned MyFord Touch software. The Lincoln also appears to use an instrument cluster that is a reshuffling of Ford's SmartGauge setup. We're not strangers to Ford's infotainment offerings, so the Lincoln's dashboard was familiar, but it also featured the annoyances that we've spilled much e-ink complaining about for years.
The biggest problem here is speed: every operation takes longer than it should. The system takes a beat to register every tap, hesitates in rendering every screen. Opening the map takes at least 3 seconds while the roads and text are rendered in chunks before your eyes. Even switching the map from day to night mode when passing through a tunnel triggered a new re-render that left me basically looking at blank map for a few beats.
On their own, each of these micro-hesitations isn't a big deal, but combined they all make the system feel laggy and result in me spending more time than I want to looking at the screen waiting for the information I requested to appear.
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The 2016 Lincoln MKX is a solid upgrade over last year's model, but we'd wait until Lincoln updates its dashboard tech.
2016 Lincoln MKX EcoBoost review - Page 2 - CNET
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