The Lincoln MKC enters its third model year with a series of new technologies and more standard equipment
For the 2017 model year, the MKC gets new standard features including a power liftgate (optional before), Auto Hold, as well as SYNC 3 with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Standard across the line, Auto Hold relieves the driver from having to press the brake pedal continuously to keep the vehicle stationary – it's a useful feature particularly in stop-and-go traffic.
For 2017, SYNC 3 adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, allowing drivers to integrate their mobile devices. The infotainment system offers high-speed performance (at least compared to its predecessor, MyLincoln Touch), steering wheel controls and touch screen access to audio, phone, climate, and apps. Lincoln says SYNC 3 is designed to minimize distraction and allow drivers to stay focused on the road while making calls, sending and receiving messages, listening to music and getting directions with available navigation.
Another new standard feature for front-wheel-drive models equipped with the 2.0-liter engine is Auto Start-Stop – all-wheel-drive MKCs with the same powerplant can get it as an option. The compact SUV carries on with the same EcoBoost engines for 2017: a standard 240 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit and an optional 285 hp 2.3-liter turbo-four.
Lincoln sold approximately 25,000 MKC crossovers in 2015, with the vehicle bringing younger, more affluent customers to the brand, including a growing number of women. According to IHS Automotive registration data, MKC registrations to women contributed 59 percent to Lincoln's year-over-year SUV growth in 2015.