Goodbye Aviator, Hello MKXOK, Lincoln, you really threw a loop at me. Here I've been talking up an upcoming Aviator crossover for the last year or so, and
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| Lincoln has turned a new page in its restructuring manual, now introducing a crossover that's sure to bring new customers to its showrooms. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
then you go and change your naming strategy to a letter system, something I'll get into in a minute, and dub it MKX.
If it wasn't for the MKS concept which debuted on the same stage in Detroit on Monday, January 9, I might have thought Lincoln was reaching back to an old naming scheme, calling the new MKX the Mark Ten, in a similar fashion to how it previously designated top-line cars such as the ill-fated Mark VIII coupe, that introduced the brand's fabulous dual-overhead cam, multi-valve Romeo V8, with roman numerals.
There were many previous Mark's before that, mind you, the '56 through '57 Mark II and 1970 Mark III being personal favourites, but realizing that there was no production Mark IX after the Mark VIII was cancelled, but rather an absolutely stunning concept that debuted in 2001, and that the Ford F-150-based Mark LT pickup preceded it with no Roman reference, MKX, which shouldn't be confused with the T-Bird-based Mark X Concept that definitely referred to the number ten when it debuted in 2004, is definitely an all-letter nomenclature.
Confused yet?
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| The MKX, while attractive, is not quite as distinctive as the Aviator Concept (shown) Lincoln debuted first. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
Descriptive names are so much easier to remember and, for that reason, easier for marketing departments to sell, but once again I'll get to this point in a minute. Rather, in coming up with the production trim MKX, Lincoln pulled forward many of the Aviator Concept's styling cues, but being that it is abandoning its retro design theme spurred on by other concepts such as the previously mentioned MK IX, Continental Concept sedan and the rather odd but nevertheless attractive Navicross crossover sedan, it has dropped such details as the lovely chrome shoulder trim piece that ran the length of the car, just like it did in Lincoln's classic '61 Continental sedan and four-door convertible models. This choice will no doubt reduce the cost of production, although it may make the new model slightly less distinctive than a production version of the concept would have been.
Overall, though, the new MKX is quite unique in its market segment, an ever
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| The MKX is up against some incredibly stiff competition. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
growing category that sees longtime entries such as Lexus' RX 330 and BMW's X5 lead in sales. The new Lincoln will also go up against Cadillac's SRX, Chrysler's Pacifica Limited, Acura's MDX, Infiniti's FX35/45, Mitsubishi's Endeavor Limited, Saab's 9-7X, Volkswagen's Touareg and Volvo's XC90, at the lower end of the premium class, and
Audi's Q7, Mercedes-Benz's ML, Porsche's Cayenne and the Range Rover Sport at the higher end - yes, I'm sure I'm missing a few.
Filling this segment is critical for Lincoln's overall survival, as the CUV class is becoming so large that even average sales numbers can result in a major success, and by the looks of those present during the release of the model, an opportunity I had the pleasure of witnessing twice before the Detroit unveiling,
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| I first saw the MKX, then still thinking it was to be called the Aviator, in New York during a press preview of the Zephyr sedan (left). (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
my feeling is that Lincoln has hit the target - the first time I saw the MKX was in New York City when Lincoln gave us an overview and subsequent test drive of its new Zephyr sedan, and the second opportunity was when Ford brought me to Dearborn for a design forum, where I also saw the MKS concept revealed, the new Ford Reflex concept, and others. While you may already be aware of my thoughts on Lincoln's new concept sedan, which I find appears too derivatively Japanese to wear the all-American Lincoln nameplate, the MKX, like the new Zephyr, pays a decent level of respect to the luxury brand's rich history.
