2009 Ford Lincoln MKT with Ecoboost to be launched

Ford plans to launch the 2010 Ford Lincoln luxury car, the production version of its MKT concept vehicle.

The Ford Lincoln MKT that was showcased in the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2008, will be launched in 2009. The 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will go on sale along with an upgraded MKZ and a new MKS version powered by an EcoBoost engine.

Lincoln MKT with EcoBoost concept

Ford has said that the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will be a three-row, seven-seat crossover. The 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT was expected to resemble Ford Flex, but Ford says that the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will not have any resemblance with the Ford Flex, although the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will share a platform with the Ford Flex.

The change in theme comes after Ford executives decided against building a look-alike vehicle. Doing away with the the MKT concept vehicle’s sloping roof, the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will be modified to accommodate a third row of seats. The 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT, though, will keep the concept’s thick C-pillars, cantilevered roof and the bow-wave and double-wing grille.

Like the earlier Ford Lincoln MKT luxury sedan, the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will run on a 3.7-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission.

The 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT is the second crossover from Ford after the Ford Lincoln MKS.

Meanwhile, the EcoBoost feature will mean that the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will run on engines that use a turbocharger and direct fuel injection. This is expected to return up to 20 per cent better fuel economy and 15 per cent reduced emissions than larger-displacement engines. The coming five year period will witness Lincoln making as many as 750,000 EcoBoost vehicles per year.

The other features of the 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will include extra space like those found in luxury sedans, flexibility of a crossover, and the performance of a sports sedan. These are all due to the EcoBoost engine it would ride on, said a review. Safety will be ensured by blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert system, which will alert the driver to oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking spot. When cross traffic is spotted, a warning will be given with an indicator light in the corresponding outside mirror.

The 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT will also have an new navigation system usingFord’s Sync implementation of Microsoft’s automotive computing platform.

A new version of the Sync connectivity technology that would integrates passengers’ Bluetooth gadgets including mobile phones and MP3 players will be standard for all 2010 Ford Lincoln MKT versions.