Lincoln MKX

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Lincoln MKX

Manufacturer:	Ford Motor Company
Production:	2007–?????
Assembly:	Oakville, Ontario
Predecessor:	Lincoln Aviator
Class:	Mid-size luxury XUV
Body style:	4-door XUV
Platform:	FF/AWD CD3
Engine:	3.5 L Duratec 35 V6
Transmission:	6-speed 6F automatic
Related:	Ford Edge Ford Fusion Lincoln MKZ Lincoln Zephyr Mazda6 Mazda CX-9
Similar:	Acura RDX Lexus RX Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Lincoln MKX prototype with "Aviator" badging.

Lincoln MKX is a luxury crossover SUV made by Ford's luxury marque, Lincoln and is expected to replace Aviator in 2007. The MKX will be built alongside the related Ford Edge at Oakville Assembly in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, the first Lincoln built in Canada since 1936. According to the official Lincoln website, prices for the 2007 MKX are going to range from $34,495 to $44,885. It is expected to go on sale in November 2006 [1].

It is the first vehicle to use Lincoln's new naming convention, which eliminates traditional names in favor of the European and Asian inspired sets of letters and/or numbers. The MKX was originally to be named after the previous "Aviator", but the name was changed to "MKX" shortly before the 2006 North American International Auto Show [2]. During the auto show circuit, the MKX was announced with the pronunciation "Mark X", but widespread confusion (and even refusals) at the dealership level during sales and marketing training sessions resulted in the dropping of that naming theme. ^[1] Furthermore, in 2004 Lincoln had previously shown another "Mark X" concept vehicle, based on the latest Ford Thunderbird platform, with a distinctive retractable roof replacing the convertible and removable hardtop configurations. [3].

Main competitors for the MKX will be entry-level luxury crossover SUVs such as the Cadillac SRX, Lexus RX, BMW X3 and the new Acura RDX.

The Lincoln MKX (developed under the internal codename U388) is scheduled to go on sale in the fall of 2006 as a 2007 model year. It will use the CD3 platform, shared with the Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7 and CX-9, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ, and Mazda6. The new MKX is a unibody construction crossover SUV rather than a truck-based body-on-frame SUV like its predecessor, the Lincoln Aviator.

The Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKZ, and Lincoln MKX will be the first vehicles to use Ford's 3.5 L Duratec 35 V6 engine. This new engine produces 265 hp (198 kW) and 250 ft·lbf (339 N·m) and is mated to the new 6F six-speed automatic transmission co-developed with General Motors.

Honda filed a lawsuit against Ford in January 2006, claiming that the MKX name is too close to that of Honda's Acura MDX, and would cause confusion among consumers shopping for crossover utility vehicles. The suit was settled out of court. [4]. Ford officially referred to the vehicles with the "Mark-Ex" pronunciation from January to June 2006, but changed to the phonetic "em-kay-ex" in July 2006.