Lincoln MKT Concept

Tags: concept cars, lincoln, detroit 2008 Published on 15 January 2008 | 4,406 views

Lincoln has unveiled the MKT Concept, a utility concept vehicle focused on on interior spaciousness and comfort. Among the features is the use of environmentally friendly plastic materials.

Unveiled at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, the Lincoln MKT explores the luxury utility vehicle segment adopting the brand’s new design language featured on cars like the new 2009 Lincoln MKS luxury sedan.

The MKT concept is powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost engine with turbocharging and direct injection that produces the power and torque of a V-8 engine with the fuel efficiency of a V-6.

The flex-fuel V6 engine is capable of switching between premium gasoline and E85 ethanol-gas blend, and delivers 415 hp and 400 pound-feet of torque. The unit is mated to a six-speed transmission.

The EcoBoost system will debut on the Lincoln MKS next year.

Two upcycled plastic materials, Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ from SABIC Innovative Plastics, were used in making the body panels, energy absorbers, wire bundles andglazing.

The resins are made from discarded soft-drink bottles and other polyester waste, keeping them out of landfills, reducing energy consumption and shrinking the vehicle’s overall carbon footprint. Some applications of the resin help the vehicle resist heat and chemicals and also improve overall noise and vibration.

From the official Press Release:

Exterior Design

The Lincoln MKT concept features Lincoln’s signature double-wing chrome grille, encapsulating LED headlamps that wrap around into the sculptured hood, lending the luxury utility a powerful presence.

Its body side chamfer runs along the shoulder, with dynamic haunches over the rear wheel arches.

Inset into each front fender and traveling through the door panels are chrome Lincoln stars with spears that add visual length to the car.

Meanwhile, winged, curb-clearing doors give the car a dramatic sense of direction, agility and forward movement.

A substantial C-pillar creates an aura of privacy for the rear occupants.

"Like limousines, the MKT cuts an interesting profile – long, low and comfortably wide. The signature roofline runs the entire length of the greenhouse and remains uninterrupted. The roof itself is glass, allowing in natural light."

As an unconventional surprise, designers incorporated a bustle-back design into the concept.

The classic look provides massive storage capacity, crucial for any trip.

From the rear, the concept is instantly recognizable as a Lincoln, thanks to full-width LED taillamps stretching from side to side.

The exterior is bathed in a rich Liquid Bronze Metallic paint that compliments the chrome brightwork. The intricate 21-inch, 14-spoke interlocking chrome aluminum wheels have body color accents.

“The Lincoln MKT concept represents harmony in motion, balancing sculptured shapes and contours traditionally associated with beautiful cars on a crossover vehicle that offers the luxury of space and efficient, powerful performance,” Horbury said.

Interior Design

The spacious interior has four executive-sized chairs offer comfort with ample leg room. As an added pleasure, second-row heated and cooled thigh supports deploy from under the seats, while footrests deploy rearward from the front seats, allowing passengers to fully recline.

“We envisioned this concept as a modern grand tourer, really a Learjet of the road,” said Peter Horbury, executive director of Design, The Americas.

“With the Lincoln MKT concept, you find a premium utility that could as easily accommodate a businessperson slipping into the back seat on the way to his or her next meeting in the chaos of Manhattan as a family packed up for a weekend getaway to the coast.”

The vehicle’s symmetrical interior design divides the cabin thoughtfully, providing all four passengers equal access to the vehicle’s appointments.

Through the use of soothing tone-on-colors, eco-friendly materials, ambient lighting and flexible storage, the MKT concept offers customers a unique combination of serenity and connectivity.

Environmentally friendly details include the plush, hand-knotted rug made from banana silk that covers the floor and complements the contrasting Creamy Pearl chromium-free leather seats.

Elsewhere in the interior, chrome accents – including a one-piece sculpted door handle featuring a baroque-influenced graphic – mirror the elegant lines on the concept’s exterior.

For the center stack, designers invented and patented a solid-state lighting technology that allows them to project onto a contoured surface in 3-D. Until now, all projection was limited to flat surfaces with square or rectangular boundaries like a flat-screen television.

This new technology allowed designers to use non-traditional shapes and spaces for information displays as well as unique storage spaces in the center stack.

The expansive instrument panel and twin-level center console, finished in a reconstituted oak veneer, houses an assortment of technologies, including an instrument cluster inspired by Swarovski crystals.

It uses Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) strategically positioned so light appears to emanate from the center of three circular dials and radiate to the outer edge of the dials.

The MKT concept’s center console, which runs the entire length of the vehicle to create a feeling of continuity between the upper and lower portion of the cabin, contains individual air vents, audio and climate controls, and personal storage.

In addition, a flat screen deploys from a floating overhead console which also hides two small cameras, each aimed at one of rear seats to provide on-screen “conference calling.”

In the rear cargo area, a smart space behind the second-row seats provides additional storage. Designers also included a power lift system that raises and lowers a series of rails behind the rear seats to allow flat-load or compartmentalized storage.