[mojo]

The US market is seriously warming up to small sporty, premium crossovers. Good thing too as two of the most distinct crossovers should be hitting the market over the next year. The Lincoln MKC and the Lexus LF-NX.

STYLE

The two reach their ends through completely distinct means. The Lincoln goes about its business as a well dressed up and coming gentleman, While the LF-NX is an eccentric young professional filled to the brim with creative destruction. Its actually a toss up for me which vehicle takes the biscuit just because of the chasm sized gap between the two.

I absolutely adore the elegance the MKC brings to the table in a crowd of try hards, but I'm equally smitten with the LF-NX's sheer disregard for convention, why would you want something that looks like everything else in segment?

POWER

The Lincoln MKC will come with a single engine across its three trim levels, the tried and true 2.0L EcoBoost 4 that currently motivates the Ford Fusion, Escape and Taurus as well as cameo appearances in the Jaguar XF and XJ. the 2.0 will deliver 240 HP and 270 lb-fts, but if thats not enough for you Lincoln is offering a 2.3L EcoBoost engine for an extra $1000. The 2.3 recently debuted on the 2015 Mustang, it will make a substantial 275 HP and wring out 300 lb-ft of torque.

Rumors have been confirmed and the LF-NX will be getting a sparkling new 2.0L turbocharged four cylinder, the NX200t. Power figures for the NX200t are nascent at this point. There will be a premium power plant as well a 2.5L four cylinder mated to an electric motor, the powerplant was donated from the IS and GS300h. In the IS the 300h system will crack out 178 hp and a combined 384 lb-ft of twist.

INTERIOR

I'd love to compare the interiors but we wont have a shred of detail on the LF-NXs cockpit until at least Geneva 2014. Lexus has never been a slouch interior wise, always managing to offer a sumptuous experience. Lincoln does not have the same reputation for build quality and materials as Lexus but the MKC is supposed to be the opening salvo of a product onslaught and image reconstruction, it HAS to be good.

 

[Kennedy]

I absolutely adore the elegance the MKC brings to the table in a crowd of try hards, but I'm equally smitten with the LF-NX's sheer disregard for convention, why would you want something that looks like everything else in segment?

What other vehicles in it's segment does the LF-NX look like?

 

[mojo]

What other vehicles in it's segment does the LF-NX look like?

none, thats exactly what I'm saying. It shrugs off convention and comes to play looking like NOTHING else.

Why would anyone want to look like someone else

 

[Kennedy]

My mistake.
Good point.
The MKC is slightly a copy cat, just look at Porsche's. Looks like they pulled a kia./hyundai move and ripped off porsche styling.

 

[mojo]

My mistake.
Good point.
The MKC is slightly a copy cat, just look at Porsche's. Looks like they pulled a kia./hyundai move and ripped off porsche styling.

I dont think thats fair at all. The MKC concept was out well before anything about the Macan was known... I don't think theres much you can knock the MKC for styling wise, its quite original and quite elegant.

I like how the lightbar is becoming a Lincoln feature.

 

[Kennedy]

Yeah but look at the rest of porsche design.. It was more natural for Porsche to do this than it was for lincoln.

 

[mojo]

i dont know, are you refering to the tail lights?

i mean porsche didnt start using squinty tails until the 991 911 which was for MY '13 i believe.

and the cayenne has always had a chunky rear end.

 

[Kennedy]

Didn't know that. It just seemed too porsche inspiried to me. Good to see Lincoln took a unique and original route with the new design.

 

[toyotafan]

This isn't even a comparison

The MKC is like ronald mcdonald compared to the darth vader Lexus LF-NX

The MKC is more easy on the eyes, a bit more common, more plain.

The Lexus looks like a weapon of mass destruction on 4 wheels.

 

[mojo]

Its going to be interesting to see how these two end up stacking against each other price wise. I was fiddling with the MKC configurator the other day and you can't option the MKC past $50K. To me that is an excellent value...

 

[toyotafan]

Looking at the engine options the NX should come in cheaper than the RX350.

The pricing could be overlap but looking at the design.. I don't think people will have problem choosing between the two

The designs separate them so much.

 

[Kennedy]

how much cheaper do you think the NX will be than the basemodel RX? $5000?

 

[toyotafan]

The base model NX could be $5k cheaper

But I'm sure that with options it goes right up to the cost of a RX350.

 

[mojo]

I'm actually thinking the NX is going to match the MKC pretty closely price wise. I'm thinking more like $32K start, maybe even $30K if they want to capture some of the GLA's entry level flock...

 

[Kennedy]

The base model NX could be $5k cheaper

But I'm sure that with options it goes right up to the cost of a RX350.

Fully optioned out I can see it passing the RX's starting price by a good $5k, but I doubt it will go past that.

 

[toyotafan]

I love this angle

The sharp lines from the side make this car very sharp

Lets see if any of this is kept in production.

 

[Kennedy]

I love this angle

The sharp lines from the side make this car very sharp

Lets see if any of this is kept in production.

everything under the belt line just doesn't look that great to me. I try to ignore what they did their.