![]() ![]() There was a boatload of technology loaded onto our MKC. From there you can access safety tech options, views of the AWD system and how much power is being delivered to the front and rear wheels. The driver's instrument panel is clear and loaded with high-definition displays. There is a slight learning curve to navigate within the four-corner menus, but it is quite intuitive and easy to use without a centralized rotary dial. The touchscreen is also surprisingly responsive. For 2015 though, Lincoln has listened to customer feedback (hooray!) and brought back hard buttons and dials. It was messy, inaccurate, and difficult to use. Lincoln previously utilized an appalling finger-sliding mechanism to control everything from the volume to the climate, something that Cadillac currently uses for their CUE infotainment system. That overgrown-chin center console layout has been much improved and simplified over Lincoln's 2014 models. You will fit, but it'll be very snug and confined. The rear seats are also a bit tight, lacking headroom and legroom when sitting behind a 6-foot adult. The side bolstering is decent, but you sit very low in the MKC and makes it feel like a very short car, cocooned and distanced from the outside. The seats are average and somewhat comfortable. It's certainly not Range Rover quality, but the textures and panels feel well-crafted and durable. The rest of the cabin utilizes a mix of soft leather and plastic materials. Luckily there have been no reports of crashes, and Lincoln has addressed and fixed the problem. Because these buttons are within such close proximity to the driver and to the infotainment touchscreen, some MKC drivers have reported hitting the engine-start button by accident and as a result, turned their MKC into a rolling pile of dead weight on the highway. Lincoln's 2014 models actually had the engine-start button placed at the top of the stack rather than the bottom, but for 2015 it seems they've swapped it around. There's actually a little story about that last one. Instead of a rod-like gear shifter to change between PRNDS, there are now buttons allocated for each, including the engine-start button. The interior widens the DNA gap with the Escape, featuring Lincoln's retro-style vertical push-button gear selector that consequently frees up storage space in the center console. Even though the MKC is 21mm shorter than its fellow X3 classmate, it's actually 5mm taller than the Honda CRV - doesn't look like it does it? But that would be mean of us to judge the MKC by its height. Almost sedan-short due to the curvature of the front hood and the roof's gradual slope recline. The first time you approach the MKC, it might look a little, well, short. I think it looks wonderful, especially when lit up at night. The radically new wrap-around taillights show some resemblance to its big brother hearse, the MKT, and I've started to grow fond of it. Cyclops, unibrow, squinty Asian eyes - I've heard it all. The rear is a bit of a hit-or-miss with the audience. ![]() There are some areas like the A-pillar and side fenders that may remind you of the Blue Oval, but the styling has changed drastically enough to persuade me into thinking the MKC is an entirely new vehicle. But I believe the MKC looks ten times better and wears Lincoln's signature front wing grille more elegantly than all the other vehicles in the lineup. Not that the Escape was a bad car, it's a solid SUV on its own. One of the best things about the MKC is how well it deviates away from the structure and foundation it's based upon, the Ford Escape. But hey, Matthew McConaughey was a good start. Now is the perfect time for Lincoln to show off their new crossover offspring, but the MKC is going to need more than just a preppy outfit and a big backpack to take down the titans. ![]() The BMW X3, the Range Rover Evoque, and the Cadillac SRX have all dominated the segment since their introduction, with newer offerings like the Lexus NX and BMW X4 just starting to make their mark as hot commodities. It's hard to go wrong, but the MKC goes up against some bold competition. The spacious trunk, road clearance, higher driving position, all-wheel drive and meaty engines. The MKC is the automaker's first entry into the luxury compact crossover segment, a market niche that has taken enormous popularity over the past couple years. Dressed in dark blue overalls, wearing a big backpack and grippy sneakers, this Lincoln is ready for school. ![]()
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