With its newest lineup, Lincoln has officially redeemed itself after a few big busts from the last decade, such as the Aviator, the Blackwood, and the LS. The 2010 Lincoln MKT is one of these models that offer improved packaging, comfort and efficiency of a car-based crossover.

The MKT shares its platform and powertrains with the boxier Ford Flex. To distinguish the two CUVs, Ford is employing a “differentiated top-hat strategy.” That means precisely zero sheet metal and fewer interior parts are shared between the two models. The front end rounds nicely into the MKT’s overtly chiseled belt line, which moves across the profile undisturbed until it ramps up at the rear wheel. When viewed from behind, the smooth transition from the roof to the minimalist bumper and interesting, if over-the-top, tail lamps shows that this Lincoln looks best when it’s ahead of you. The rear was forged with magnesium and aluminum, shaving 22 pounds from the MKT’s 5,000-pound curb weight. Inside high quality leather and soft touch materials abound, with truly impressive blond wood accents that add plenty of visual pop. With all rows upright, there is 17.9 cubic feet of space aft of the third row, but available cubes jumps all the way up to 75.9 when the second and third row seats are stowed. The general largesse of the MKT is also evident in the cockpit, as both leg room and hip clearance is plentiful.

The MKT starts with a touch of a button. The twin turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 boasts 355 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 RPM all the way to 5,250 RPM, resulting in healthy, lag-free acceleration in almost any situation. Ford’s claim of the EcoBoost V6 delivering the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a six-pot are born out through the numbers, returning an EPA-tested 16 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on the highway. The EcoBoost V6 sounds good, too, with a quiet roar on heavy acceleration, and the MKT doesn’t just win in terms of power, either, as the large crossover proved to be more agile in the curves while sporting a more impressive, quieter cabin. The MKT is most certainly a fine entry in the large luxury crossover market, though, and that might be all that’s needed to keep Lincoln buyers in the family when the time comes to trade in their aging Navigator.