Up Close: 2010 Lincoln MKT

Lincoln’s new MKT three-row crossover shares its platform with the Ford Flex but has significantly different exterior styling and is more luxurious on the inside. Its toothy grille is quite large, but because the MKT is also big it doesn’t look out of proportion. The rear of the crossover is sleeker than the Flex’s, but that comes with a price in terms of interior comfort, which I’ll address in a minute.

With the MKT’s cabin, Lincoln shows that it understands the kind of appearance and quality that’s necessary to be competitive in the luxury crossover segment. The soft-touch stitched dashboard has a premium look, as do the gauge cluster and center controls.

Second-row passengers enjoy the same type of spacious accommodations you’ll find in the Flex, with comfortable seat cushioning and plenty of legroom. The seats recline like those in a lot of crossovers, but Lincoln thoughtfully puts the release handle near the seat cushion rather than up high on the backrest like some manufacturers do, making it easy to reach when seated.

Legroom for adults in the two-seat third row is decent, but here’s where that raked-forward rear styling affects interior comfort: Headroom here is severely limited; in order to sit in the third row, I had to tilt my head to the side. Granted, I’m just over 6 feet tall and this row of seats will likely be used by kids most of the time, but I wasn’t cramped like that in the Flex.

Combining this interior with the engine technology the MKT offers — specifically the 355-hp EcoBoost V-6 — and its available technology, like Sirius’ Travel Link and adaptive cruise control, put the crossover in position to challenge models like the new Cadillac SRX and Lexus RX.