As Lincoln seeks to reinvent itself and court a younger audience, it appears the company will maintain its association with people at the end of their lives. The Town Car, the Lincoln that carried so many people to their final resting place, will finally cease production and head to its final resting place in August of 2011, but the MKT will take up its mantle as the preferred Lincoln for hearse conversion. The company trotted out this hearse some time ago as a demo for the funeral business, and photos have existed for a few weeks, but now that spy photographers are involved, we suddenly care! Well, and the fact that this is the first instance of a liveried MKT means that it’s at least marginally significant.
We knew stuff like this was coming, as Lincoln previously told us that the MKT would be filling the Town Car’s livery roles. What we didn’t expect was that any such results would be so unsightly. While the MKT is a bit awkward looking to begin with, stretching it a couple of feet between the wheels, adding about six inches of rear overhang, and then capping the roof with what appears to be a swamp boat that flipped over and crashed makes a strong case for cremation. Also, we find it inconsistent that funeral directors spend so much time and effort beautifying their clients only to transport them in the back of this thing.
The MKT's interior can be had in your choice of six- or seven-passenger configurations. Either way, the cabin sports handsome styling and upscale materials including leather upholstery and genuine wood trim. The optional six-passenger seating configuration trades the fixed 60/40-split second-row bench for a pair of sliding captain's chairs that increases legroom for third-row passengers. Add the second-row center console with a built-in refrigerator/freezer and front headrest-mounted DVD screens and you'll be traveling in limolike style.
The standard two-person split-folding third-row seat is not nearly as enjoyable a place to be, however, thanks to its distinct shortage of headroom. In fact, buyers looking for maximum seating capacity would do well to check out the Buick Enclave, which offers room for up to eight passengers, or the MKT's Ford Flex cousin, which has enough headroom for 6-footers.
In terms of cargo space, the MKT's 76 cubic feet of maximum cargo room is about average for a large luxury crossover, but less than what's offered by the Enclave or Flex.
The new Lincoln MKT Town Car models deliver a wide range of latest technologies aimed at making life easier for the driver and passengers. In-car voice activated navigation and Lincoln SYNC provide a smart and simple way to connect drivers with in-car technologies and their digital lives.
“All of these tools will help drivers accomplish just as much in their car as they do now but with less distraction,” said Tobin. “With the latest Lincoln SYNC system, the driver will never have to take hands off the steering wheel when putting an address into the navigation system or when looking at the rear view camera.”
Key features to help passengers stay connected and productive while on the move in the new MKT Town Car include a USB charging port, a 110-volt power socket in the rear seat center console, and Wi-Fi hotspot capability for mobile tablets, laptops and other devices. The audio system controls are also fully accessible to rear seat passengers.
The chassis can be stretched by up to 120 inches or 10 additional feet in length, while retaining the standard all-wheel drive capability to ensure a new MKT Town Car Limousine satisfies both operators and customers in all seasons over multiple lengths.
The MKT Town Car Limousine chassis incorporates several heavy-duty components, such as upgraded suspension, electric power-assisted steering system (EPAS) and transmission. Along with standard All-Wheel Drive, the MKT Town Car Limousine chassis also offers unique wheels and tires, unique wheel bearings and an upsized brake system.
The Limousine also has the standard MKT's third seating row removed, and comes equipped with a full-size spare tire. Available technology includes a rear view camera and SYNC.
“The MKT Town Car Limousine complements the Livery model giving us a comprehensive offering for every operator and passenger situation,” said Koss. “Both vehicles will deliver the features and content this industry requires, in addition to the quality, reliability and durability they demand.”
Entry-level MKT models get a 3.7-liter V6 that puts out 268 hp and 267 pound-feet of torque. It's connected to a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift feature that can be accessed via steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. Front-wheel drive is standard, and with it estimated fuel economy is 17 mpg city/23 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. Optional all-wheel drive reduces fuel economy to 16/22/18.
The MKT EcoBoost is blessed with a more muscular, twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that puts out an impressive 355 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. The same six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system are standard. Estimated fuel economy is 16/21/18. In performance testing, the MKT EcoBoost went from zero to 60 mph in a swift 6.3 seconds.
SAFETY
The 2011 Lincoln MKT comes standard with electronic stability control, antilock disc brakes, front seat side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags that cover all three rows.
The Collision Warning with Brake Support system comes as part of the optional adaptive cruise control. This system flashes a warning on the windshield when sensors detect slower-moving traffic ahead and then precharges the brake system to reduce braking distances for an ensuing panic stop. In a panic stop, our testing showed the MKT went from 60 to zero in an acceptable distance of 127 feet.
Other useful safety features include a rearview camera, a blind spot monitor and a Cross Traffic Alert system. Sync also now has an emergency crash notification feature that will automatically dial 911 in the event of an airbag deployment. Finally, parents will want to take note of the MyKey feature, which allows mom and dad to set limits on top speed and audio system volume for their teen drivers.
Finally, the 2011 Lincoln MKT earned perfect scores in governmental frontal and side-impact crash tests, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the MKT its best score of "Good" in its frontal-offset, side and roof strength tests.
Key technologies and features included in the MKT Town Car models include:
· Puddle lamps on the rear doors
· Map and newspaper pockets in the back of the front seats
· Vanity mirrors in the headliner with integrated task light
· Continuous rear floor mat for both footwells
· Improved rear seating design
· Remote start
· Rear view camera
· BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert
· Wi-Fi capability for mobile tablet, laptops and other devices
· Lincoln SYNC
· Voice activated navigation controls
· Second-row 110-volt electric plug and USB mobile phone charger
· Tri Zone EATC with Auxiliary HVAC unit
reference:www.caranddriver.com,www.carsession.com,www.edmunds.com
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