2011 Lincoln MKX Preview

DETROIT, Michigan — Lincoln’s major news at the Detroit auto show this year, is the mid-cycle refreshening for MKX. Chief engineer, Elaine Bannon, said the revisions are above and beyond what is normally done at mid-cycle, because the Lincoln brain trust realized that the mid-size MKX crossover (cousin to Edge) brings more new customers to the brand than any other Lincoln nameplate — so it was an opportunity not to be wasted.


One item that definitely needed to be addressed was that MKX was the only nameplate not yet sporting the new, signature Lincoln look, as debuted in 2007 by the all-new MKS sedan.

So behold the Lincoln-issue split grille and new projector headlamps. Other new exterior bits include “haunches” over the “front” (not rear) wheels, a fender line that blends into the new fascia, new 18-, 19-, and 20-inch chrome wheels, bright work running along the rocker panels, chrome oval exhaust tips, and new individual tail lamps (the 2010 model features full-width tail lamps).

Said tail lamps feature LED lights that face inward, so their light is reflected and softer, and not as “pointy” as other LED tail lamp clusters.

But the biggest news is found in the interior, where you’ll find the first application of MyLincoln or MyFord, the new Driver Connect interface system.

Check out our earlier report for complete details on this new way of switching and selecting anything to do with the climate, information, entertainment and communication systems.

The short version is that it incorporates a five-way “gaming” controller on the steering wheel (for thumb switching), two small LCD screens on the dash, a centre-stack touch sensitive four-colour LCD screen, and lots of upgraded voice control capability. You can switch between thumb, voice or touch screen mode anytime you want. The new centre stack features no “knobs” and debuts a new “touch slider” for controlling the fan speed and stereo volume. It follows your finger with a “LED” chaser light (very cool). WiFi is also available.