Lincoln’s second pillar of excellence is Quality, and the 2015 Lincoln MKC demonstrates this concept in every way.
The interior of the MKC is clad in the most exquisite materials, creating rich, soft-touch surfaces throughout. In Select and Reserve trims, Lincoln’s deep soft Bridge of Weir leather is standard. It’s naturally milled, unembossed leather that undergoes a sixteen-hour softening process. When you sit down in this car, the first thing you should do is close your eyes. Give yourself a chance to understand what luxury feels like. Then, the next time you sit in a luxury competitor, do the same thing. We’ll be surprised if you don’t notice the difference.
The upholstery comes in a variety of colors based on the trim level you choose, including Ebony, White Sands, Hazelnut, and White Sands/Espresso (our personal favorite). These leather options are also paired with one of three appliqués, with those being Sonata Spin aluminum, Zebrano Wood, and Santos Rosewood. In total, you’ll have nine combinations to choose from.
While we’re talking about quality appearances, we should mention the three new exterior color options for the MKC. In addition to the six colors available on other models, the MKC can come in Karat Gold, Silver Sand, and Tahitian Pearl.
As an aside, there was a representative from Lincoln showing us the MKC the day that we got to look at it, and he described the Tahitian Pearl paint as “very purple.” He said that while he didn’t doubt there would be customers interested in such a regal color in New York and Los Angeles, he wasn’t certain there would be a lot of interest in our area. It’s true that our clientele have a record of being slightly more reserved, but we can’t help but wonder if there aren’t a few Broughton or ECU alums that could see themselves in a purple MKC.
You’ll forgive us our digression if we tell you that quality has more to do with this car than looks and feels. Lincoln has also attuned the MKC to give you perfect quality of sound, both in what you hear and what you don’t hear. It’s engineered for impressively low levels of noise, vibration, harshness, and wind noise while in motion. On top of being insulated well, there’s also standard Active Noise Control that dramatically reduces the sound of the engine.
THX speakers have been available in Lincoln automobiles for several years now, but you haven’t experienced music until you listen to the Enhanced THX II Certified Audio System in the MKC. Lincoln and THX worked together from the design stage up to create one of the best and most immersive sound systems on the market. There are fourteen speakers delivering 700 watts of sonic power into the cabin. You’ll also notice that there are no subwoofers in the trunk. Rather than putting the bass speakers in the back where luggage and other items can distort the low notes, the MKC utilizes THX-patented Distributed Bass Technology, placing a bass speaker in each door so that all passengers can feel the beat. The same Lincoln representative we mentioned earlier said that he had performed the THX “deep note” demo – you know, the one that plays before a Star Wars movie – and he said with these speakers it was enough to make his clothes vibrate.
Quality extends under the hood of the 2015 Lincoln MKC, too, but we’ll wait and talk about that once we’ve driven it. Until then, you can look back on our post about the MKC’s design, and we still have one more pillar to touch on, so stay tuned to the Leith Lincoln blog.