The 2013 Lincoln MKT Gets a New Face and Loads of Tech

Just like the Ford Flex with which it shares its platform, Lincoln’s big MKT is receiving a mid-cycle refresh for 2013. The three-row crossover gets a restyled grille that’s less mouthy than before, a power bump for its base V-6, and a host of new luxury and technology content. As if to emphasize the MKT’s newfound style, Lincoln is debuting it—along with the refreshed 2013 MKS sedan—at the 2011 L.A. auto show.

Fire Up the Grille

The 2013 MKT’s biggest stylistic departure is its tweaked split-waterfall grille that now features thinner, more-elegant slats than before. The move is both expected—recent spy photos revealed the slimmer slats—and welcome. The previous MKT’s slats bore an uncanny resemblance to teeth, which, combined with the shape of the grille openings, gave the MKT the countenance of a certain Pinocchio-swallowing sea mammal. The new grille doesn’t cascade quite as far down the front bumper and lacks any horizontal elements, noticeably reducing the visual height of the front end and giving the MKT a wider and lower look. Other than a more prominent crease down the middle of the hood and new wheel designs, the rest of the MKT’s exterior styling carries over unchanged.

In addition to the 2013 MKT’s styling tweaks, there are a few notable mechanical updates. Lincoln had already pared the MKT lineup to two trim levels for 2012—a base front-driver powered by the 3.7-liter V-6 and an uplevel all-wheel-drive version powered by the 355-hp, EcoBoost V-6—and this scheme carries over to the 2013 car. However, the 3.7 now pumps out 300 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque, increases of 32 hp and 8 lb-ft over last year’s figures. City fuel economy remains at 17 mpg, while the highway figure rises by 1 mpg to 25. The twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 goes unchanged, which is fine by us: a 2010 MKT with the burly mill was able to rocket to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds in our testing. Fuel economy for the EcoBoosted all-wheel drive MKT is the same as last year: 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway.

We never had any qualms with the MKT’s ride, which was already fairly buttoned down for such a cushy and smooth setup, but Lincoln took things a step further for 2013. EcoBoost-equipped MKTs now have a standard adaptive suspension along with Lincoln Drive Control, which is Lincoln’s fancy name for selectable suspension and drive modes. Drivers can select Normal, Sport, or Comfort drive settings. The first two are selected not by a button on the console but by moving the shift lever into either Drive or Sport. In a somewhat convoluted manner, Comfort is selected via the Settings menu in the MKT’s updated MyLincoln Touch interface. Among the three drive modes, Normal is the baseline setting. Sport mode calls up firmer damping, quicker throttle response, a more-aggressive shift map, and higher steering effort from the electric power steering. Comfort does the opposite, injecting some lethargy into the MKT experience by softening the dampers and reducing steering effort.

More Tech Gizmos!

The MKT’s roster of techno doo-dads grows a bit longer for 2013, with the large Lincoln gaining a lane-keeping assist system and an updated version of MyLincoln Touch. Lane Keeping Alert and Aid—which, thankfully, can be disabled—vibrates the steering wheel to warn drivers when they’re leaving their lane without signaling. Should they continue down this self-destructive path, it uses the MKT’s electric power steering to gently tug the vehicle back toward the center of its lane. MyLincoln is standard across the MKT range, and receives the same updates the MyFord Touch interface receives for 2013. Like in the MKX, the MKT’s volume and fan-speed are now controlled by touch-sensitive slider controls.

Another new gadget is Driver Alert. Like Mercedes’ Attention Assist, this system monitors the driver’s inputs and, when it senses he is getting drowsy, nags him by sounding a chime and displaying a highly jarring coffee-cup icon in the gauge cluster. Ford’s Curve Control, which made its debut on the 2012 Ford Explorer and can apply the brakes if it senses you’ve entered a curve too hot, is now standard. The 2013 also cribs the Explorer’s inflatable rear seatbelts for outboard second-row passengers, and the brakes at all four corners have been upsized to help bring the porky MKT to a stop. The new safety and infotainment gizmos join the previously available collision warning, adaptive cruise control, Active Park Assist, and blind-spot monitoring systems.

Livery Models Updated, Too

Earlier this year Lincoln revealed two MKT Town Car livery models that would replace the now-dead Lincoln Town Car. For 2013, the MKT Town Car carries over last year’s mechanical bits, but inherits the same cosmetic updates as the rest of the lineup. There still will be a standard-length model available with both front- or all-wheel drive, and a stretchable limo version that’s all-wheel-drive only. The front-drive model is again powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four while the all-wheel-drive iterations are powered by the 3.7-liter V-6. Just like the civilian MKT, the Town Car will come standard with Wi-Fi connectivity provided through MyLincoln Touch, a rearview camera, and blind-spot monitors; voice-activated navigation is available. Now, however, it is less likely to automatically navigate the MKT toward the nearest school of krill.

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2013 Lincoln MKS Official Photos and Info: More Power, Adaptive Dampers, and a New Nose

Call them revisions or call them fixes; either way, Lincoln has done a good amount of something to the 2013 MKS. This is not a remake, but instead a heavy refresh like those applied to several Ford and Lincoln products of late. (See 2011 Ford Edge/Lincoln MKZ and 2011 Ford Mustang.)

The hard part for the team making over the MKS had to be dealing with just that: hard points. In this platform’s evolution from Volvo S80 to Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego to current Taurus and MKS, it has underpinned a lot of big sedans and crossovers, few of them stylistic successes and none of them knockouts. It’s almost as if the MKS is only now exiting puberty—although its bones still don’t quite match its role in life. And so the awkwardly tight rear compartment, tallish cabin, and high beltline remain. With a structure like that, engineers and designers can do only so much.

Growing Up is Hard

And oh, that styling. We’ll let you form your own opinion, saying only that we think it’s better than it was. Everything forward of the A-pillars has been re-skinned. The new grille and hood lessen the buck-toothed look with wider upper intakes—filled with finer chrome slats that before—and smaller headlights. The hood now reaches deeper between the grilles and houses a smaller Lincoln badge. A new decklid, which is supposed to improve the car’s compromised trunk access, is flanked by Jaguar XJ–esque taillights. The 2013 MKS gets new 19- and 20-inch wheel designs. Again, they’re better, but we wouldn’t exactly call them pretty.

Inside, the biggest news is the installation of the latest MyLincoln Touch system, which places a pair of screens in the gauge cluster, a corresponding pair of directional pads with which to control them on the steering wheel, and a large touch screen in the dash. As in other MyLincolnTouch applications, knobs and buttons are replaced on the center stack by touch-sensitive nubs and sliders.

Optional multi-contour front seats use a host of air bladders to adjust to and massage the bodies in them, and a heated steering wheel is now optional. New interior wood choices (Prussian Burl and Brown Swirl Walnut) as well as new Bridge of Weir leather hues (Hazelnut and Light Dune) all sound like different ways to say brown.

Strength and Conditioning

In further dealings with those hard points, the engineers made a list of adjustments to the chassis. A new active suspension—Lincoln calls it Continuously Controlled Damping, or CCD—has three settings, all controlled through MyLincoln Touch’s Lincoln Drive Control menu. Normal is just what it sounds like, while Comfort switches to a softer damper setting and also reduces steering effort at low speeds. Compared to Normal, Sport firms up the suspenders, tunes the steering for more road feel and higher effort, increases throttle sensitivity, switches to a more aggressive transmission map that also locks out sixth gear, and increases the traction- and stability-control thresholds.

The steering rack is now solid-mounted to the front subframe and there’s a new brace across the transmission tunnel, which is intended to strengthen said subframe’s connection to the rest of the vehicle. The steering is now electric across the board (models with the 3.7-liter V-6 previously used a hydraulic system), and the ratio is quicker.

The brakes, something of a soft spot in our MKS experiences, are upgraded as well: The front discs now measure 13.9 inches (more than a 1-inch increase) and are vented, while the rears go from 13.0 to 13.6 inches in diameter and are also now vented. Ford claims its new vented front brake hats are unique in the industry. The upsized front discs will be put to use more often by way of a new brake-based “torque-vectoring” system. Like the similar setup in the Focus, it applies the binder on the inside front wheel in corners to transfer the engine’s torque to the outside, more-grip-having wheel.

An Upgraded V-6 and a Familiar Turbocharged One

Lincoln’s biggest sedan has always been on the heavy side, and we don’t expect that to change. To that end, the brand has managed to give the car a more powerful base engine that’s also more efficient. The previous 3.7-liter V-6 is replaced by the updated version from the Mustang and F-150, which features variable camshaft timing. Projected output is 300 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque (up from 273 and 270). Fuel-saving tech includes active grille shutters and a clutched alternator, which help the 3.7-liter car achieve slight fuel-economy bumps with both front- and all-wheel drive. Front-drivers return an expected 2-mpg improvement in the city and a 4-mpg bump on the highway, landing at 19/28. Four-wheelers improve 2 and 3 mpg, respectively, climbing to 18/26. The top powertrain remains a 355-hp, 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine paired exclusively with all-wheel drive and returning EPA ratings of 17/25. All 2013 MKSs continue with six-speed automatic transmissions.

No new or revised luxury automobile would be complete without a retinue of electronic nannies. In addition to the automatic high-beams, collision warning system, and adaptive cruise control of the previous car, the MKS now offers Lane Keeping Alert and Lane Keeping Aid. Alert vibrates the wheel to warn you when you’re straying from your lane, while Aid will gently steer you back into it. There’s a built-in anti-journalist feature that senses if you’re attempting to drive completely hands-free and warns the driver “to discourage misuse of the system.” This will only make us want to try the forbidden act more—for the sake of a thorough evaluation, of course. Both systems can be disabled entirely, and their sensitivity adjusted through MyLincoln Touch.

The new Driver Alert system monitors driving behavior and displays the universal sign for “you’re tired and should probably stop driving now, bozo”: the coffee cup. As an added treat, Lincoln says that “conscientious drivers curious about their state of alertness can monitor their performance any time.” To which we say, “of course they can, they’re awake.” Here’s another feature we’re anxious to try.

That chance should come soon enough, as the 2013 MKS will hit dealers in the spring of 2012. We promise to drink some coffee and drive with both hands to determine whether all of these changes really add up to something.

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2013 Lincoln MKS Hood Revealed Ahead of L.A. Debut

We had but one major styling-related query after seeing spy photos of the 2013 Lincoln MKS: What will the hood look like? Consider that burning question answered, courtesy of the above image. Lincoln posted this teaser to its Facebook page in advance of the car’s L.A. auto show debut.

It’s clear from the spy photos that the rumored-to-be-dead waterfall grille will stick around but get a redesign with finer and more plentiful slats. The hood apparently was jealous of the flowing-H2O look and has adopted the philosophy. We’re expecting the 2013 MKT crossover to debut in L.A. with a similar nose job.

Our MKS spy photos also show new headlights as well as taillights with C-shaped LED elements. Based on changes made to the MKS’s Ford Taurus platform mate, the Lincoln should be getting some chassis and powertrain updates, as well as a reworked interior featuring the latest version of MyLincoln Touch. We’ll be seeing the camo-free MKS in L.A. next week.

Tags: 2011 L.A. auto show, Lincoln, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT |

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