All About Japan Autos

Future Products Models

The Ford Flex will soon have a more luxurious big brother. Lincoln has designed its own take on the big crossover, the 2010 MKT, which made its first public appearance this week at the Detroit Auto Show.

Autoblog reports, “Starting with the MKT’s most obvious discussion point, its sheetmetal, it is clear that Ford has gone in a different direction – literally. Whereas the Flex comes about its styling primarily through the use of horizontal lines, the MKT’s design has a decidedly vertical orientation. From its two-piece wing grille, to the character ridge running down the hood, to its surprisingly crisp corners, the MKT is very much its own crossover. It’s also very much a Lincoln,” with the front end dominated by what is “fast-becoming a trademark” for Lincoln – a huge “two-piece wing grille” that some have likened to a toothy grin. “Few are likely to call the MKT ‘pretty,’ but in the metal, there’s no doubting its originality or its presence.”

The New York Times says it looks like “a huge, upscale station wagon with braces.” Under the hood, they find “a 268-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6. Also available is Ford’s Ecoboost V-6, which is a direct-injection 3.5 liter V-6 with twin turbochargers. Ford said it will be rated at 355 horsepower at 5,700 r.p.m. and 350 foot-pounds of torque at 3,500 r.p.m. Ford promised V-8 performance with V-6 fuel economy.”

In the cabin, Jalopnik says, shoppers will find “class-leading material choices and styling that rivals any of the competitor in the market.” The MKT’s interior puts a particular emphasis on technology, with options including “voice activated navigation, Sync, Sirius Travelink, Ford’s Active Parking Assist system,” and even a blindspot alert system that “gets cross traffic parking lot alerts.”

Pricing has not been announced. The MKT should reach showrooms late this summer.

Research the best luxury SUVs with U.S. News’ car rankings and reviews.