new car review: 2011 Lincoln MKX

new car review: 2011 Lincoln MKX - Model Lineup: Unlike its not-so-distant cousin, the 2011 Ford Edge, the Lincoln MKX is available in only two configurations: front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Both variants come with an impressive array of standard features, including leather seating surfaces and a heated steering wheel. The front seats are heated, cooled and power-adjustable — traits that will cost you extra on competitors like the Lexus RX 350.

In its ongoing quest to separate itself from the rest of the luxury crowd, Lincoln has taken to packing its interiors with technology, even in base trim. All MKX trims come from the factory with Sync voice command, and for 2011, the company is introducing MyLincoln Touch. The system adds a new level of functionality to the vehicle's massive 8-inch LCD touch-screen by placing two additional, smaller LCD screens on either side of the speedometer,operated by two 5-way controls on the steering wheel. The driver can pull up everything from fuel economy to information on navigation or climate control without having to look down and away from the road. We love it.

The Lincoln MKX comes with painted 18-inch wheels as standard equipment; 18-inch and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels are optional, as are 20-inch chrome-clad wheels.

Under the Hood

Within a year, the 2011 Ford Edge will be available with three engines, including one very fuel-efficient turbocharged 4-cylinder; its luxury counterpart, the Lincoln MKX, is available only with the most powerful of those options. The 3.7-liter V6 engine produces 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, which can hardly be called undesirable. It makes 40 more horsepower than the 3.5-liter V6 in the 2010 model, while returning an additional estimated 1 mpg highway.

The EPA hasn't released its fuel-economy findings on the 2011 Lincoln MKX, but Ford is aiming for 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway in front-wheel-drive guise. Adding the heavy all-wheel-drive system is expected to cause those numbers to fall to 17/23. Behind the more powerful 6-cylinder engine is the same 6-speed automatic transmission that showed up in the 2010 model, though we think Lincoln has made some progress with the vehicle's shift logic. Gear changes are very smooth compared with the outgoing MKX.

Inner Space

For what's supposed to be a slight refresh, the 2011 Lincoln MKX packs a slew of improvements over its predecessor. While those include a number of visual cues outside, Lincoln went for a full-on renovation of the crossover's interior. We simply can't stress enough how much more attractive this cabin is compared with the 2010 model.

Lincoln has walked away from the blocky, squared-off dash design of last year and adopted "waterfall" styling, with much more graceful lines. Handsomely stitched leather covers the dash and center stack and helps give the interior the kind of quality feel we would love to see everywhere in the Lincoln line. Lincoln offers a number of different wood and metal accents, each of which works well to complement the interior colors available.

Lincoln now uses touch-capacitive controls for both climate control and audio adjustments, and the new technology does an amazing job of cleaning up the center stack. Instead of a confusing mishmash of buttons, the driver is met with a beautifully simple control panel, complete with touch-sliders for fan speed and volume control. However, the system seems to jump around quite a bit if fingers aren't positioned just so on the slide surface. Maybe we just have fat hands.

Of course, Lincoln would have us believe that physical controls will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to its Sync system. With the push of a button, drivers are supposed to be able to do everything from adjusting the air conditioning to setting a new navigation destination or making Bluetooth hands-free calls. Ford has even flattened most of the command sequences for ease of use, though we still found the dictation system cumbersome at times.

On the Road

The luxury crossover segment isn't exactly populated by a road-hugging bunch, but the 2011 Lincoln MKX does its best to straddle the line between being a comfortable highway cruiser and a responsive driver. Power from the 3.7-liter V6 is more than adequate, and if prompted, the engine will provide enough muscle to take care of quick passes without a fuss. Typically, the engine is very quiet, though at the upper register of the rpm band, things tend to get a little noisy inside.

Speaking of noise, Lincoln engineers have performed something of a small miracle when it comes to cabin noise levels in the 2011 Lincoln MKX compared with the 2010 model. A raft of noise-battling technology has made its way into the chassis, including acoustic glass in all of the right places, additional metal in the firewall and plenty of baffling in what used to be empty space.

We were able to spend some time in both the all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive versions of the reworked crossover, and while we were expecting an abundance of torque steer in the latter configuration, the effect of 305 horsepower being channeled to the front two tires is pretty well manageable in a car weighing about 4,400 pounds.

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new car review: 2011 Lincoln MKX

new car review: 2011 Lincoln MKX - Model Lineup: Unlike its not-so-distant cousin, the 2011 Ford Edge, the Lincoln MKX is available in only two configurations: front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Both variants come with an impressive array of standard features, including leather seating surfaces and a heated steering wheel. The front seats are heated, cooled and power-adjustable — traits that will cost you extra on competitors like the Lexus RX 350.

In its ongoing quest to separate itself from the rest of the luxury crowd, Lincoln has taken to packing its interiors with technology, even in base trim. All MKX trims come from the factory with Sync voice command, and for 2011, the company is introducing MyLincoln Touch. The system adds a new level of functionality to the vehicle's massive 8-inch LCD touch-screen by placing two additional, smaller LCD screens on either side of the speedometer,operated by two 5-way controls on the steering wheel. The driver can pull up everything from fuel economy to information on navigation or climate control without having to look down and away from the road. We love it.

The Lincoln MKX comes with painted 18-inch wheels as standard equipment; 18-inch and 20-inch polished aluminum wheels are optional, as are 20-inch chrome-clad wheels.

Under the Hood

Within a year, the 2011 Ford Edge will be available with three engines, including one very fuel-efficient turbocharged 4-cylinder; its luxury counterpart, the Lincoln MKX, is available only with the most powerful of those options. The 3.7-liter V6 engine produces 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, which can hardly be called undesirable. It makes 40 more horsepower than the 3.5-liter V6 in the 2010 model, while returning an additional estimated 1 mpg highway.

The EPA hasn't released its fuel-economy findings on the 2011 Lincoln MKX, but Ford is aiming for 19 mpg city/26 mpg highway in front-wheel-drive guise. Adding the heavy all-wheel-drive system is expected to cause those numbers to fall to 17/23. Behind the more powerful 6-cylinder engine is the same 6-speed automatic transmission that showed up in the 2010 model, though we think Lincoln has made some progress with the vehicle's shift logic. Gear changes are very smooth compared with the outgoing MKX.

Inner Space

For what's supposed to be a slight refresh, the 2011 Lincoln MKX packs a slew of improvements over its predecessor. While those include a number of visual cues outside, Lincoln went for a full-on renovation of the crossover's interior. We simply can't stress enough how much more attractive this cabin is compared with the 2010 model.

Lincoln has walked away from the blocky, squared-off dash design of last year and adopted "waterfall" styling, with much more graceful lines. Handsomely stitched leather covers the dash and center stack and helps give the interior the kind of quality feel we would love to see everywhere in the Lincoln line. Lincoln offers a number of different wood and metal accents, each of which works well to complement the interior colors available.

Lincoln now uses touch-capacitive controls for both climate control and audio adjustments, and the new technology does an amazing job of cleaning up the center stack. Instead of a confusing mishmash of buttons, the driver is met with a beautifully simple control panel, complete with touch-sliders for fan speed and volume control. However, the system seems to jump around quite a bit if fingers aren't positioned just so on the slide surface. Maybe we just have fat hands.

Of course, Lincoln would have us believe that physical controls will soon be a thing of the past, thanks to its Sync system. With the push of a button, drivers are supposed to be able to do everything from adjusting the air conditioning to setting a new navigation destination or making Bluetooth hands-free calls. Ford has even flattened most of the command sequences for ease of use, though we still found the dictation system cumbersome at times.

On the Road

The luxury crossover segment isn't exactly populated by a road-hugging bunch, but the 2011 Lincoln MKX does its best to straddle the line between being a comfortable highway cruiser and a responsive driver. Power from the 3.7-liter V6 is more than adequate, and if prompted, the engine will provide enough muscle to take care of quick passes without a fuss. Typically, the engine is very quiet, though at the upper register of the rpm band, things tend to get a little noisy inside.

Speaking of noise, Lincoln engineers have performed something of a small miracle when it comes to cabin noise levels in the 2011 Lincoln MKX compared with the 2010 model. A raft of noise-battling technology has made its way into the chassis, including acoustic glass in all of the right places, additional metal in the firewall and plenty of baffling in what used to be empty space.

We were able to spend some time in both the all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive versions of the reworked crossover, and while we were expecting an abundance of torque steer in the latter configuration, the effect of 305 horsepower being channeled to the front two tires is pretty well manageable in a car weighing about 4,400 pounds.

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2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible - new car review

2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible - new car review; 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible — Flash Drive: The roar of its exhaust note alone makes this ride worth the cost of admission. But when you combine that with aggressive styling and a 300-horsepower V6 engine, you have a match made in heaven, a pure joy to drive. This pony car always has power on tap, and it begs to be driven hard. It's also practical; I was able to achieve 19 mpg in mixed driving. Though far short of the 30 mpg quoted by Ford, that figure is still impressive. However, while the Blue Oval has improved the Mustang's interior over previous models, it still contains too much hard plastic for my taste. But after driving this car for several hours, it was easy to forget those faults and focus on the great engine and driving experience that the Mustang delivers. –Joe Chulick

After exterior updates for 2010, the Ford Mustang receives two all-new engines for 2011: a 3.7-liter V6 and a 5.0-liter V8. I drove the V6 convertible with the new base engine, a thoroughly modern 3.7-liter 305-horsepower V6 that severs any ties with Mustangs past. It features the latest engine technologies for performance and efficiency — and it's rated at 30 mpg highway. This high-performance all-aluminum V6 revs quickly to 7000 rpm with decent low-end torque and has a surprisingly throaty roar at higher rpm. As good as this engine is, I did occasionally miss the additional low-end grunt of a V8, but this car has all the power it needs. The clutch and 6-speed manual transmission are also new and spectacular; the clutch is smooth, and shifting is precise. Ford continues to move this pony closer to a true sports car — add the new 5.0-liter V8 and it may just cross that line. –Mike Meredith

Related posts:

2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible - new car review

2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible - new car review; 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible — Flash Drive: The roar of its exhaust note alone makes this ride worth the cost of admission. But when you combine that with aggressive styling and a 300-horsepower V6 engine, you have a match made in heaven, a pure joy to drive. This pony car always has power on tap, and it begs to be driven hard. It's also practical; I was able to achieve 19 mpg in mixed driving. Though far short of the 30 mpg quoted by Ford, that figure is still impressive. However, while the Blue Oval has improved the Mustang's interior over previous models, it still contains too much hard plastic for my taste. But after driving this car for several hours, it was easy to forget those faults and focus on the great engine and driving experience that the Mustang delivers. –Joe Chulick

After exterior updates for 2010, the Ford Mustang receives two all-new engines for 2011: a 3.7-liter V6 and a 5.0-liter V8. I drove the V6 convertible with the new base engine, a thoroughly modern 3.7-liter 305-horsepower V6 that severs any ties with Mustangs past. It features the latest engine technologies for performance and efficiency — and it's rated at 30 mpg highway. This high-performance all-aluminum V6 revs quickly to 7000 rpm with decent low-end torque and has a surprisingly throaty roar at higher rpm. As good as this engine is, I did occasionally miss the additional low-end grunt of a V8, but this car has all the power it needs. The clutch and 6-speed manual transmission are also new and spectacular; the clutch is smooth, and shifting is precise. Ford continues to move this pony closer to a true sports car — add the new 5.0-liter V8 and it may just cross that line. –Mike Meredith

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New Popular Car BMW 320d Winter Concept

BMW 320d Winter Concept by Miranda-Series :

Though there’s not much left of this winter, German tuner Miranda-Series announced a very good looking winter sport package for the BMW 320d (the current generation, but the version before the facelift). By optimizing the ECU, the tuner managed to increase the 2.0 liter turbo diesel’s power output up to 199 hp. Handling was improved by equipping the car with Eibach Pro-Street-S coilover suspension and Stop-Tech brakes. Other changes include new 19-inch black alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop winter tires and new Recaro seats. However, there’s one small setback. The package, though it looks good, it’s not that impressive, but instead is priced at €13,544 (almost $18,000), which is a lot.
Check out more photo after the jump New BMW 320d Winter Concept.

New Mégane Coupé Cabriolet with Elegant Interior Design

New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet completes the renewal style of the New Mégane family which is built on the strengths that forged the success of its predecessor. Its new appearance is supported by the large folding glass roof, high-gloss finish, black glass roof contrasts with the satin-effect chrome windscreen frame exterior, and the dark red taillights featuring a linear lighting pattern and LED brake lights to provide a distinctive rear lighting character.
With it’s new style, New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet goes further by offering customers with unruffled open-top motoring supported by the forward position of the windscreen and a fixed glass, outstanding handling performance with a stiffer chassis and a new electric power steering system, and a broad choice of efficient and eco-friendly powertrains including the all-new automatic EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission.
The interior of this New Mégane family still presents the same layout with high standard finish of qualified materials available in three choices of trim, which range from dark charcoal and light beige to the charcoal and red two-tone finish with leather seats. Although the dashboard is identical to that of New Mégane Hatchback, the seats offer additional lateral support, while the ‘butterfly wing’ door trim panel is specific to New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet.
New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet is available with a choice of seven efficient and eco-friendly petrol and diesel powertrain configurations (depending on the market). The available petrol engines are, the 1.6 16V 110hp engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, the TCe 130 (Turbo Control efficiency) driving through a six-speed manual gearbox, and the 2.0 16V 140hp engine available with the new continuously variable transmission (CVT) for even greater driving comfort thanks to smooth, step-less gearshifts. While the diesel engine range, which comprises the Euro5-homologated powerplants are the dCi 110 DPF, mated either to the brand new six-speed EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) dual-clutch automatic transmission (see below) or to a manual six-speed gearbox, the dCi 130 DPF which drives through a six-speed manual gearbox, and the dCi 160 DPF also with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Public will get their first opportunity to see this New Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet when it is unveiled at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show (March 4-14). It will also be displayed at L’Atelier Renault on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Rounding off the new Megane family is the Coupe-Cabriolet that was formally introduced today ahead of its world premiere at next month's Geneva Salon. Like its predecessor, the new Megane CC is a two door model with an electric folding top that's mostly covered in smoked glass

The French carmaker claims the Megane CC's transparent glazed area of 0.47 sq. metres is the largest in the segment that includes cars like the Pininfarina-styled Ford Focus CC and the Peugeot 308 CC.
The four-seater convertible version of the new Megane also gets a fixed glass wind deflector located behind the back seat headrests that is said to allow draft-free driving at speeds of up to 90km/h or 56mph.
The fully-automatic, electro-hydraulic operated two-piece glass top goes up or down in 21 seconds at the press of a button with the Megane CC's boot capacity standing at 417 litres with the roof closed, and 211 litres when open.

Depending on the market, the new Megane Coupe-Cabriolet will be available with a choice of up to seven gasoline and diesel powertrains.
The petrol line includes a 110HP 1.6-liter unit linked to a six-speed manual, a 1.4-liter TCe turbo with 130HP matted to a six-speed manual and a 140HP 2.0-liter with a CVT.
Diesel options include the 110HP dCi matted to either a new 6-speed dual clutch automatic transmission or to 6-speed manual gearbox and the 130HP dCi and 160HP dCi that both drive the front wheels through a six-speed manual.

European sales of next generation Megane Coupe-Cabriolet will begin this spring.

Interior design of megane cabrioet pict images

New Peugeot 207 S16 Special Edition 2010

2010 Peugeot 207 S16 Special Edition - Rear Side View

This Picture for new Peugeot 207 S16 Special Edition is a limited run that will be exclusive to the UK. Anyone from the UK will be able to appreciate the colors here that are used on the paint job. It will come with front and rear spoilers, aerodynamic side skirts, and a faux rear diffuser.

Peugeot has created the Special Edition 207 S16 which is based on the 207 Sport 1.6 VTi 3dr, only 250 examples of this car will be produced. The S16 adds to the already comprehensive standard equipment of the 207 sport model: Bianca White exterior body colour, Full 207 RC Cup bodykit comprising front and rear spoilers, side skirts and a pseudo rear diffuser, 17″ Hockenheim Alloy Wheels, SP Sports mesh grille, Dark tinted rear windows from the 207 GTi model, Special interior badge signed by Kris Meeke, Optional free of charge vinyl rally graphics which mimic those found on Kris Meeke’s IRC winning 207 S2000 rally car.
The 207 S16 benefits from over £1,200 worth of additional specification compared to a standard Car Sport model and is priced at £14,695.

2010 Peugeot 207 S16 Special Edition - Front Side View

To further enhance the appeal of the 207 S16 an optional leather interior is also available priced at £684.21. It is available in black with either black or silver Grey stitching.

New Carlsson 2010 - C25 Super GT Modification Concept

Carlsson presents an own developed automobile at this year’s Geneva Motor Show – the Carlsson C25 Limited Super-GT. The concept of this Super-GT is based on the vision of combining maximum driving performance with an entirely new design and high exclusiveness. The result is a breathtaking and beautiful sports coupé with 753 hp in a limited edition of only 25 cars world-wide.
The performance data of the six litre V12 Bi-Turbo is impressive. The high-performance aggregate with a motor management optimisation patented by Carlsson renders 753 hp (554 kW) and allows fast acceleration as well as smooth travels at lower speeds. Also responsible for the perfect performance evolvement is the elaborately developed stainless steel exhaust system with ends in four edgy pipes at the back. The power catapults the C25 with a torque of 1320 Newton metres at 3750 r.p.m. which is electronically limited to 1,150 Newton metres from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.7 seconds and achieves a maximum speed of 352 km/h.
The Carlsson C25 Super-GT Concept also comes with an ultra-light and forged wheels 1/10 UL in the dimensions 9,5×20 and 12×20 inches have been especially designed for the C25 and are equipped with high performance tyres measuring 265/30 at the front and 325/25 at the rear live axle.

The New Toyota Auris 2010 with Full All The Details

The new Toyota Auris HYBRID 2010 engine range features a choice of three petrol and three diesel units offering the performance- and economy-enhancing benefits of Toyota Optimal Drive. Complemented by the Auris HSD’s full hybrid technology, this unique line-up will offer customers the most comprehensive range of powertrains in the C segment.
While Toyota's European press department gave us only a pair of photos and no details whatsoever on the revised 2010 Auris pointing towards the Geneva Show for more information, the Japanese firm's UK arm announced the launch of facelifted model releasing pricing as well specifications.
Furthermore, Toyota revealed that the sales of the British-built full hybrid Auris HSD that shares its gasoline-electric drivetrain with the Prius Hybrid will commence in July. We expect to see the production version of the Auris HSD making its world premiere at the Geneva Show in March.
Toyota wants us to believe that Auris has been fully restyled on the outside, but fact is, we doubt that your average buyer will even notice the changes.
These include a new deep front bumper, reshaped headlamps, revised grille and bonnet profile with stronger crease lines plus newly styled 16- and 17-inch alloy wheels.
The revised tail lamp clusters, the new rear bumper with extended corner sections and the integrated turn indicators on the door mirrors complete the exterior makeover.
Inside, Toyota said (but did not show) that a soft-touch material has been introduced across the top of the instrument binnacle and around the glovebox, while the centre console has been revised with changes to the instrument design.

The new white illumination for the Optitron instrument dials and the new cloth upholstery designs round off the interior updates.
Toyota added that the it has also fine-tuned the Auris' suspension and steering systems to improve driver feedback and handling.

With the exception of the Auris HSD (Hybrid Synergy Drive) that will go on sale in July, the are no changes to the rest of the engine range that comprises a 1.33-litre petrol engine with Toyota Stop & Start technology, a 1.6 Valvematic petrol with manual or MultiMode transmission and 1.4 D-4D diesel, again with manual gearbox or Multimode.
In the UK, the revised Auris in three- and five-door body styles is on sale now with prices ranging from £14,463 to £16,495 - see detailed pricing in the list above.