Here is a glimpse of the production version of the Lincoln MKT crossover—the kissing cousin to the Ford Flex—as caught by spy photographers.
Ford used the Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance to confirm that the seven-passenger MKT, shown as a concept at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, will go into production. Like the Flex, it will be assembled in Oakville, Ontario.
While the Flex is already instantly recognizable for its boxy shape, the Lincoln sports more flowing lines and is fronted by the now-signature waterfall grille.
Another Lincoln signature: a 3.7-liter, V-6 engine. There will be a second powertrain option, as the MKT will follow the lead of the flagship Lincoln MKS in getting the EcoBoost treatment: a turbocharged, 3.5-litre V-6 producing 340 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque, becomes available in 2009. Channeling the power with either engine will be a six-speed automatic transmission.
While the production version appears to keep the rear bustle of the concept, many of the futuristic interior features remain the domain of the show car, such as a carpet of woven banana silk, four business-class pedestal seats, a series of power-actuated longitudinal rails that rise from the floor to create compartments from the flat load floor, and some of the nicest interior door handles you'll ever see: one-piece sculpted chrome pieces with baroque engraving.
The glass roof is expected to make it into production. And a touch screen like an iPhone could replace a conventional info screen on the luxocruiser, but we don’t have much hope for the three-dimensional contoured center stack and patented lighting technology to project information onto a smoky surface.
