2011 Lincoln MKX gets EPA rated fuel-economy of 19/26 mpg, tops competitors

2011 Lincoln MKX

FoMoCo has announced the EPA fuel-economy rating for the 2011 Lincoln MKX, which gives the premium crossover the best-in-class horsepower, torque and the best fuel economy of any luxury crossover vehicle on the market.

The 2011 Lincoln MKX, which is powered by a 305-hp 3.7L V6, averages 19/26 mpg (city/highway) with a combined fuel-economy of 21 mpg. That figure helps it top all its competitors including the Lexus RX350, Cadillac SRX and the BMW X5.

“The new 2011 MKX is the latest vehicle to deliver on Lincoln’s commitment of industry-leading performance and fuel efficiency,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development. “It offers no compromises with best-in-class fuel economy, horsepower and torque.”

Follow the jump for the press release and the high-res gallery.

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Press Release:

NEW 2011 LINCOLN MKX DELIVERS BEST-IN-CLASS POWER, TORQUE AND FUEL ECONOMY

  • 2011 Lincoln MKX receives official certification by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with best-in-class fuel economy of any luxury midsize crossover, delivering 19 mpg in city driving and 26 mpg on the highway
  • 2011 Lincoln MKX also boasts best-in-class 305 horsepower, 40 more than the outgoing product, and 280 lb.-ft. of torque versus all V6 competitors
  • New 3.7-liter V6 engine employs several fuel-efficient strategies that also improve performance, including twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), aggressive deceleration fuel shutoff and battery management

DEARBORN, Mich., July 7, 2010 ““ The 2011 Lincoln MKX is the newest vehicle in the premium maker’s lineup to offer best-in-class horsepower and torque and the best fuel economy of any luxury crossover vehicle on the market.

The 2011 Lincoln MKX received final fuel economy certification this week, achieving 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, with a combined fuel economy of 21 mpg, topping all competitors, including the Lexus RX350, Cadillac SRX and BMW X5, with not only horsepower but now fuel efficiency as well.

2011 Lincoln MKX vs. the Competition

City Highway Combined
2011 Lincoln MKX 3.7L V6 FWD 19 26 21
2010 Acura ZDX 3.7L V6 AWD 16 23 19
2010 Audi Q5 3.2L V6 AWD 18 23 20
2011 BMW X5 3.0L V6 4WD 17 25 20
2010 Cadillac SRX 3.0L V6 FWD 18 25 21
2010 Infiniti FX35 3.5L V6 RWD 16 23 19
2010 Lexus RX350 3.5L V6 FWD 18 25 21
2010 Mercedes-Benz ML350 3.5L V6 FWD 16 21 18
2010 Volkswagen Touareg 3.6L V6 4WD 14 19 16
2010 Volvo XC70 AWD 16 22 18

*All numbers certified by the EPA. Best-in-class numbers in bold

The horsepower of the 2011 Lincoln MKX has increased to 305 ““ a 15 percent increase compared to the outgoing product ““ while torque has increased 12 percent to 280 lb.-ft.

“The Lincoln MKX doesn’t sacrifice power to receive its great fuel economy,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development. “Our engineers were able to deliver an increase in power and torque in a fashion that reflects the luxurious driving experience that Lincoln is known for.”

Lincoln’s first-ever hybrid ““ the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid ““ was recently named the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America, delivering 41 mpg in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway. This tops the vehicle’s nearest competitor ““ the Lexus HS 250h ““ by 6 mpg.

The 2010 Lincoln MKT with EcoBoost™ continues to provide better gas highway fuel economy ““ 21 mpg ““ than any other all-wheel-drive vehicle in its class.

For the 2011 MKX, engineers integrated the new 3.7-liter V6 engine, which uses twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) to increase the vehicle’s power and fuel economy. The broadened torque curve allows the intake valve to be advanced, delivering about a 10 percent power increase compared to non-Ti-VCT engines. Variable timing control of both the intake and exhaust camshafts helps extract more energy from each drop of fuel, leading to a 4.5 percent improvement in fuel economy.

The engine also employs a control strategy called aggressive deceleration fuel shutoff to save fuel. This strategy shuts off the engine when the driver doesn’t need engine torque. It uses the momentum from the torque delivered to the transmission to move the vehicle, rather than more fuel.

“The 2011 Lincoln MKX will continue to propel the Lincoln lineup that is already ahead of the curve,” Kuzak said.

The 2011 Lincoln MKX continues to reinforce Ford Motor Company’s record largest increase in fuel economy gains over the past five years, according to the EPA.

– By: Omar Rana