LINCOLN GIVES 2019 MKC A FACELIFT BEFORE MOVING ON TO CORSAIR FOR 2020

The Lincoln MKC has been on sale only about five years after hitting showrooms as a 2015 model in the summer of 2014, but already a replacement is coming.

For 2020, the Corsair will be the company’s nameplate in in the compact, premium crossover segment as Lincoln goes with the more traditional automotive nomenclature in place of the alpha-numeric codes so popular in the the luxury segment.

But don’t give up on the MKC just because of the name change.

This is not just a gussied up Ford Escape, which provides the underpinnings for the MKC, but a distinctly different vehicle on a separate mission.

The 2019 model gets a refreshed front end for a more luxurious impression and new safety features such as automatic emergency braking and pedestrian collision avoidance for a more confident ride. 

A 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission serves as the base engine for the MKC pumping out 240 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque while drinking fuel at the rate of 20 miles-per-gallon city, 27 highway with premium 93-octane fuel.

An optional 2.3-liter turbo-4 available with all-wheel drive only is rated at 285 hp and 305 lb.-ft. of torque but with fuel numbers of 18/25.

Though it may not match the zero-to-60 mph times of its Teutonic rivals, the MKC has enough power for ordinary tasks. With the optional towing package, it can tow up to 3,000 pounds.

Comfort is the biggest plus. The seats are soft but still supportive, and the second-row seats recline. The ride is on the cushy side, and the cabin is quiet even when pushed. The vertical, push-button arrangement for shifting gears located along the centerstack creates an open space between the front seats for storage.

The MKC rides at a height that makes it easy to get in and out of, and there is nice legroom (42.8 inches) up front, though the second-row occupants get a snug 36.8 inches.

Cargo space is adequate enough for every-day chores, though its 25.2 cubic feet behind the second row pales in comparison to its Escape cousin’s 34 cubic feet. With the second row lowered, capacity is more than doubled to 53.1 cubic feet.

Standard features on the Black Label trim that served as my test vehicle include 19-inch wheels, a hands-free liftgate, upgraded leather upholstery (replacing leatherette), a simulated suede headliner, panoramic sunroof, ventilated front seats, power-adjustable tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cargo cover, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert, a navigation system, LED headlights, and rear parking sensors.

The Sync3 infotainment system features and 8-inch touchscreen and is very user-friendly. The MKC is awash in technology that includes Bluetooth communications, Lincoln Connect with 4G LET and a wi-fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Pricing is competitive with the base model starting at $33,995 (including the $995 destination and delivery charge. Upgrading to the Select trim costs $36,750, and the top-of-the-line Reserve and Black Label models top the $40,000 mark at $40,625 and $47,200, respectively.

Considering many of its competitors start at over $40,000, that makes the MKC a bargain.

What I liked about the 2019 Lincoln MKC Black Label: The interior doesn’t follow the usual emphasis on dark color schemes often found in the luxury segment and the result is a sophisticated, less-imposing ambiance. The ride is very comfortable and quiet.

What I didn’t like about the 2019 Lincoln MKC Black Label: I’m still not completely sold on the push-button system used to select gears. The buttons are lined up in a vertical row alongside the center stack with the starter button at the very top. The MKC’s successor model, the Corsair, is due to have those buttons in a horizontal arrangement at the bottom of the stack as on the Navigator.

Would I buy the 2019 Lincoln MKC Black Label? Definitely worth a look if you want to get away from the usual run of luxury imports and aren’t looking to break speed records in the segment.

LINCOLN NAVIGATOR BLACK LABEL GOES TO THE HEAD OF ITS CLASS WITH 2018 MODEL

Thanks in large part to the boost it got from the hip-hop crowd, Cadillac’s Escalade has enjoyed an advantage over Lincoln’s Navigator when it comes to public perception of large luxury SUVs, even though it was the latter that is credited with creating the segment 20 years ago.

Life can be like that sometimes.

Frankly, it seemed like the folks at parent company Ford were willing to accept the situation as it was, but in recent years Lincoln has been unleashed and begun putting out high-quality products that truly are up to “luxury” standards and not just in name.

Among them is the 2018 Lincoln Navigator, a large SUV (no, it’s not a crossover but is body-on-frame construction, like a pickup) that earlier this year was recognized as the North America Truck of the Year by a panel of nearly 60 U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists in conjunction with the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

It’s the first time that the judges have bestowed a Lincoln vehicle with North American Car, Truck, or Utility of the Year honors in the 24-year history of the awards, so it’s an even bigger deal than usual.

In addition, US News & World Report has rated the 2018 Navigator No. 1 in its class in its analysis of automotive reviews, and the public seems to have caught on as well. Navigator sales have jumped from 656 for last October to 1,230 in November, 1,134 in December, and 1,288 in January.

Ford reported that 1,063 Navigators were sold in February, a jump  of 13.3 percent over February 2017, and the sales for the first two months this year are up nearly 48 percent over the same time a year ago.

Have to say engineers must have hit the mark with the 2018 redesign.

And I like it, too.

With its distinctive lattice grille centered by Lincoln’s understated logo and flanked by LED headlights, the Navigator has a sophisticated appearance that is matched by its elegant, roomy interior. Imagine nearly 44 inches of legroom up front, just over 41 in the second row and up to 42.3 inches for the third row (along with just over 37 inches of headroom).

The top-of-the-line Black Label with a “Yacht Club” theme -- one of three upgrades that take the interior to the next level with “Chalet” and “Destination” being the other two -- gives the cabin distinctive woods, leather, and carpets to up the ante in opulence. Front seats can be adjusted 30 ways and include massage, heating, and cooling functions and include adjustable thigh supports.

The blue interior is easy on the eyes, and the panoramic moonroof adds to the feeling of spaciousness.

The dash is arranged neatly and the use of buttons at the bottom to select gears opens up the space between driver and passenger and allows for more space for storage and cupholders.

The standard Sync 3 with voice activated navigation is very user-friendly, though I would prefer for designers to find a better way to accommodate the 10-inch touchscreen into the flow of the dash rather than having it stick up in the middle like a misplaced iPad.

Second-row passengers have their own audio and climate control, and third-row seats may be power-reclined. You can get the Navigator with either captain’s chairs that tip and slide for easy access to the far back or bench seats for the second row, making it capable of seating seven or eight passengers in comfort.

The Navigator is a workhorse as well.

A new 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine -- is rated at 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque and mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It is offered in either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, the latter standard on the Black Label edition, offering up to 8,300 pounds of towing capacity with AWD, 8,700 with RWD.

Don’t let the “6” concern you. It’s same power source found in the performance-driven F-150 Raptor pickup and actually has more punch than the V8 found in some of its competitors. It moves the Navigator’s nearly three tons with alacrity.

And it isn’t as thirsty as you might expect. EPA figures are 16 miles-per-gallon city, 21 highway, 18 combined. With a 23-gallon tank, you’ll be making more pit stops for, um, personal reasons than for refueling.

You’ll find the 2018 Navigator available in four trim levels with the Premiere and Select models carrying starting MSRPs in the $70,000 bracket and the Reserve starting at $81,205.

The Black Label edition, which includes as standard items such as a Technology package that are optional on the other three, starts at $93,705. Our test vehicle checked in at $98,320 when a couple of options and the destination and delivery charge were added.

What I liked about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label: It’s a great vehicle for road trips. Whether in seven- or eight-passenger configuration, it offers each occupant much in the way of personal space along with a quiet, smooth ride. We had six for our weekend, and it was perfect.

What I didn’t like about the 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label: The downside to getting all that room for the passengers is that cargo room behind the third row is limited. It is listed as a generous 19.3 cubic feet, but the way it is configured limits the size of some items that can be packed back there. A more spacious 57.5 cubic feet is available when the third-row seats are folded.

Would I buy the 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label? Yes. You can find full-size SUVs that provide a lot of space and function well, but the Navigator takes plushness to a new level. If it’s in your budget, it should be on your list.

FEATURES OF BLACK LABEL PACKAGE 

UP THE LUXURY ON 2017 LINCOLN MKZ

After going through a mid-cycle refreshing this year, the Lincoln MKZ will remain basically unchanged for the 2018 model year. which means that unless you are fanatical about having the “latest, newest” of everything, you could get into the entry-level luxury market at some savings by going with the 2017 MKZ.

In fact, you could probably go back to the first year of this, the second, generation (2013) and still get to enjoy the laundry list of features that Lincoln has built into this mid-size family sedan while keeping the MSRP in the mid-$35,000 range.

Or you can go full-blast with the top-of-the-line Black Label edition of the MKZ and get even more.

Black Label is a program Lincoln introduced to dial up the luxury for its top-of-the-line trims, upgrading interiors with higher grade leather and real wood trim and faux suede headliners and offering unique exterior colors and wheels. It was first introduced, appropriately enough for this review, on the 2015 MKZ.

Going with that option does add to the cost, of course, as the 2017 Lincoln MKZ Black Label edition with all-wheel drive that I had for a couple of weeks carried a base price of $50,485 (including destination and delivery) with extras like the 3.0-liter V6 engine, a climate package,and a batch of technological features running the total to $61,765.

That’s not quite the bargain of the basic MKZ, but it’s still under what most of its competitors ask for with their top models.

Though the optional twin-turbo V6 engine delivers up to 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque (in all-wheel drive configuration; front-wheel drive models are limited to 350 horsepower) to enhance the driving experience, the MKZ is not so much about performance as it is cruising comfort. Frankly, that’s probably more in line with what many of us expect from the luxury class to begin with.

The combination of the V6 and AWD mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission results in somewhat disappointing fuel figures of 17 miles-per-gallon city, 26 highway, and 20 combined.

To compensate, it does run on regular 87 octane fuel. So, too, do models with the turbo-4 and the hybrid setup that are rated at 21/31/24 and 40/38, respectively. Many competitors in the segment demand premium fuel. Or at least recommend it.

The list of standard equipment for the MKZ includes that Alcantara headliner, dual exhaust with chrome tips, adaptive headlamps with signature lighting, dual zone electronic auto climate control, heated and cooled 10-way adjustable front seats with lumbar support, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, remote start, rearview camera, leather seats, and a voice-activated navigation system.

That's enough to satisfy most of your needs without even going into options.

I have seen the MKZ referred to as a “Baby Continental” but would take issue with that on a couple of counts.

One, when the MKZ was introduced in 2006 as Lincoln Zephyr, in homage to the Lincoln Zephyr models of the 1930s, the Continental had been out of production for about four years. By the time Lincoln brought the Continental back as a 2017 model, the MKZ was well into its second generation.

Also, though the Continental has numerous merits in its favor, calling the MKZ a “baby” anything demeans it unnecessarily. Yes it is slightly smaller than a Continental — at 193.9 inches long the MKZ is 7.5 inches shorter than the Continental and its wheelbase of 11.2 inches is 5.7 inches shorter — but it has a roomy feel about it.

Legroom in front is a generous 44.3 inches — about the same as that offered by the Continental — though the back is a more snug 37 inches compared to the 41. 3 in its bigger sibling, which can be a factor if you typically have a couple of adults riding back there.

Plus, I’ve never seen a Lexus EX referred to as a “Baby LS.”

What I liked about the 2017 Lincoln MKZ Black Label: Getting the hang of the Sync 3 system for infotainment functions is a snap, and the 8-inch screen is easy on the eyes. Getting into the driver’s seat was easier than getting into the Continental with its front-seat side bolsters getting in the way. Styling is a matter of preference, but I like the MKZ’s exterior look.

What I didn’t like about the 2017 Lincoln MKZ Black Label: A little more in the way of performance might be nice, as well as improved fuel mileage. Guess that’s a conflicting wish there. The trunk is roomy enough in non-hybrid models (15.4 cubic feet) but the configuration to accommodate rear speakers makes arranging storage loads a big tricky.

Would I buy the 2017 Lincoln MKZ Black Label? Yes. If you want a traditional, true luxury car without a luxury price tag the MKZ is worth a look.