Lincoln crossover to join luxury line

Ford Motor Co confirmed Friday that it will build a new, full-size Lincoln crossover based on the MKT concept it showed at the Detroit auto show last January. "The Lincoln MKT reinforces our commitment to further expand America's fastest-growing luxury brand, providing an all-new vehicle to the showroom that's been crafted and honed for a new kind of customer," Ford Americas President Mark Fields said. "The MKT will offer the comfort of a luxury sedan, the spaciousness and flexibility of a crossover and the performance of a sports sedan, courtesy of its EcoBoost engine." Fields made the announcement at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California. As The Detroit News first reported in March, the new three-row luxury crossover will be built on the same platform as the Ford Flex, which launched this summer. In addition to a normally-aspirated 3.7-liter V-6, it will be offered with an EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6 engine that will deliver an estimated 340 horsepower and 340 lb.-ft. of torque. It will be manufactured at Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada.