The MKC is a compact luxury crossover on sale since 2014. The car is based on the same platform as the Escape but it comes with quite a few upgrades over its Ford sibling in order to give its passengers a much smoother ride. In order to make it even better, it seems Lincoln is about to released a facelift for the MKC. So far it looks like this will address a few of the car’s issues and give it an updated look but so far that’s about the only information we have available about it. Luckily though, there are quite a few rumors about it while inside sources are saying some really interesting things about the upcoming 2018 Lincoln MKC update.
The facelift is still going to be based on the same Global C platform as before. This is unfortunately not Ford’s latest architecture so it is not really on par with some of its newer rivals. Even so the MKC should still be able to offer the same plushy driving experience as before. The interesting part is that some of the rumors suggest the car will become better to drive. It seems that the previously optional adaptive dampers might become standard on some of the lower end models.
2017 MY Shown – Source: lincoln.com
These would allow the car to be just as good to drive, and as comfortable, as any other premium crossover on the market. The big plus here would be its price which is expected to remain the same. This would definitely increase its value for money by a massive margin and it should allow Lincoln to finally get ahead of some of their rivals.
2018 Lincoln MKC Release date & Price
The MKC is the best selling vehicle in Lincoln lineup, and the US automaker will make sure that it stays that way. While working on updates and improvements, they won’t rush a thing. Despite not rushing with 2018 MKC there are suggestions that this vehicle could debut this year at Los Angles Auto Show. Although this would make us happy it is more likely that all of us will have to wait till 2018. You probably can already guess, that 2018 NAIAS is a more likely destination.
The ongoing version of the MKC is priced at $32,800 at its base version. We don’t expect for this to change, at least not in the base version. But, MKC has a lot of trims, and it is naive to believe that the cost will remain the same on all of them. The biggest changes will occur at the top trims FWD Black Label and AWD Black Label which are priced at $45,000 and $48,000 respectably. The latter one could even reach well over $50,000.
2017 MY Grille – Source: lincoln.com
The Camouflaged Grille of MKC Prototype
The design – Exterior
So far it looks like the biggest change with the 2018 Lincoln MKC is going to be the way it looks. Even though they didn’t actually release any official pictures about it, the crossover has been seen testing a few times now. Even more interesting is the fact Lincoln decided to park the new model beside the ongoing version so we can clearly see the differences between the two cars. The upcoming model seems to boast a fresh front end which hasn’t got much in common with its predecessor.
The car seems to boast the same grille as the new Continental which ditches the split-design in favor of a single honeycomb mesh grille that goes much better with the car’s overall design. The model also had a new bumper with a larger intake than before while the wheels seemed to be new too. The back was also camouflaged but also lightly. It seems that the main change here is going to be the tail lights. These are expected to boast a new set of LED clusters but that’s about it.
2017 MY Exterior – Source: lincoln.com
MKC Prototype Side View
Inside the cabin – Interior
Even though it may not look up to date, the current model offers better than average comfort to its passengers. However, there are some really low-quality plastics inside which do take away from the overall experience. The upcoming 2018 Lincoln MKC may change all of that. Some suggested the car could receive a new center stack which would get rid of most of its problems. The infotainment system will remain the same Sync3 as before but this time around it may receive a slightly better screen.
2017 MY Shown – Source: lincoln.com
Under the hood of new MKC
Some of the customers of the current generation complained about the current engines and their lack of character. While these are powerful enough, they don’t really give the performance the car requires mostly due to the aging transmission. It seems the 2018 Lincoln MKC will receive a few small changes here as well. The base model will stick with the same 2.0 liter turbo-four as before. However, this time around it is expected to offer 245 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque, a small bump over its predecessor.
The larger 2.3 liter turbo-four may also get a boost closer to 300 horsepower and over 310 lb-ft of torque. Both of them are likely going to be mated to Ford’s new 9 speed automatic transmission which is a massive improvement over their older 6 speed design. With these improvements the car will definitely be faster but it is also expected to be more efficient as well. Unfortunately a hybrid or a more powerful version are still unlikely but these may be offered in a future model.
