Lincoln lets owners create an entirely different experience with the touch of button.
www.FordInsideNews.com
October 22, 2012
By: Nick Saporito
As the Lincoln brand attempts to find its place in the luxury automaker arena, the brand is turning to new technologies to dazzle owners. Among the technologies, Lincoln is adding everything from glass roofs to push-button gear selectors. One such technology that recently launched with the revamped 2013 MKS and MKT is something Lincoln calls Lincoln Drive Control. On the surface drive control really sounds like just another adaptive suspension system, but it turns out Lincoln’s system is controlling much more than just ride quality, down to interior noise levels.
In today’s luxury market it isn’t uncommon for products to offer various, user selectable “modes” that change the behavior of the car. In fact, most luxury brands—even Buick—are offering something along those lines. The variance between these systems is vast; with some changing only the suspension, to some that change everything that is electronically controlled.
Lincoln hasn’t done a particularly good job of educating the buying public on what exactly Lincoln Drive Control does. Even with the automotive media, the brand has put most of the focus on the new electronically controlled suspension, which is the undisputed centerpiece of both Drive Control and the revised Lincoln’s it resides on. The problem is, Drive Control is far more than just an adaptive suspension system.
Lincoln Drive Control is actually controlling just about everything the driver interacts with. Through the use of three settings—Normal, Comfort and Sport—Drive Control changes the steering feel, throttle response, transmission and active noise cancellation – in addition to the suspension. In which mode, the changes are fairly noticeable, even to the undiscerning passenger.
Sport mode is easily the most drastic as it relates to each part Drive Control adjusts. While in sport, the suspension dampers stiffen up enough to make rough pavement more noticeable, and to give the driven far more road feel both via the chassis and the steering. The stiffened dampers also give the heavy MKT more confidence in the corners with reduced body roll, and a very elimination of the back end sway that is common on most front-heavy vehicles.
Steering feel becomes much heavier in sport, with on-center feel also exemplified; both attributes shocking for a 5,000-pound crossover, but welcomed to the enthusiast. The steering changes converge with a far more sensitive throttle that makes it even easier to utilize the 365 horsepower EcoBoost V-6 under the hood.
Sport mode also allows the transmission to hang on to gears until redline, and keeps the twin-turbo V-6 right in the middle of its power band so that a surge of acceleration is always on tap – regardless of speed. In our testing the transmission never will hold a gear during a cornering maneuver or brief slowdown, meaning it isn’t acting exactly like a manual like most enthusiasts prefer.
Rounding out sport mode is a reduction in the active noise cancellation going on within the cabin. According to the owner’s manual, settings are automatically changed to allow more engine noise in the cabin, which is surprisingly noticeable. In Sport the engine note is more audible, particularly at high revs.
As one would expect, comfort mode takes everything about sport mode and dials it back several notches. In particular, comfort mode makes a big impact on the suspension system. The dampers loosen up making the ride much more soft, with an almost Town Car like ride quality. Steering also loosens up, but fortunately Lincoln never lets the electric power steering go too soft or vague. The throttle also becomes less aggressive, while active noise control cancels out even more exterior noises.
Normal mode ends up straight in the middle of sport and comfort modes. In fact, normal mode really makes [at least the] MKT feel just like the first generation MKT did. The suspension and steering are both comfortable to use, but still composed to drive a bit hard if needed. It is, literally, the happy medium for most.
Changing between all three settings is easier said than done. Lincoln has practically hid the Drive Control settings within layers of menus that can only be accessed through the driver’s information screen housed in the gauge cluster as part of the MyLincoln Touch system. Once you eventually find the settings, you can tell the vehicle which Drive Control setting you want to have every time the vehicle is placed in “drive” and a different default setting can be set for when the gear selector is in “sport.”
Overall Lincoln is taking a very holistic approach with their new Drive Control system. Adding features such as an adaptive suspension system is one thing, but to allow drivers to change everything down to the noise cancelling is quite another. The system is clearly named appropriately, because with Drive Control you are controlling almost every aspect of the vehicle that’s actually used to, well…drive.
www.FordInsideNews.com
October 22, 2012
By: Nick Saporito
As the Lincoln brand attempts to find its place in the luxury automaker arena, the brand is turning to new technologies to dazzle owners. Among the technologies, Lincoln is adding everything from glass roofs to push-button gear selectors. One such technology that recently launched with the revamped 2013 MKS and MKT is something Lincoln calls Lincoln Drive Control. On the surface drive control really sounds like just another adaptive suspension system, but it turns out Lincoln’s system is controlling much more than just ride quality, down to interior noise levels.
In today’s luxury market it isn’t uncommon for products to offer various, user selectable “modes” that change the behavior of the car. In fact, most luxury brands—even Buick—are offering something along those lines. The variance between these systems is vast; with some changing only the suspension, to some that change everything that is electronically controlled.
Lincoln hasn’t done a particularly good job of educating the buying public on what exactly Lincoln Drive Control does. Even with the automotive media, the brand has put most of the focus on the new electronically controlled suspension, which is the undisputed centerpiece of both Drive Control and the revised Lincoln’s it resides on. The problem is, Drive Control is far more than just an adaptive suspension system.
Lincoln Drive Control is actually controlling just about everything the driver interacts with. Through the use of three settings—Normal, Comfort and Sport—Drive Control changes the steering feel, throttle response, transmission and active noise cancellation – in addition to the suspension. In which mode, the changes are fairly noticeable, even to the undiscerning passenger.
Sport mode is easily the most drastic as it relates to each part Drive Control adjusts. While in sport, the suspension dampers stiffen up enough to make rough pavement more noticeable, and to give the driven far more road feel both via the chassis and the steering. The stiffened dampers also give the heavy MKT more confidence in the corners with reduced body roll, and a very elimination of the back end sway that is common on most front-heavy vehicles.
Steering feel becomes much heavier in sport, with on-center feel also exemplified; both attributes shocking for a 5,000-pound crossover, but welcomed to the enthusiast. The steering changes converge with a far more sensitive throttle that makes it even easier to utilize the 365 horsepower EcoBoost V-6 under the hood.
Sport mode also allows the transmission to hang on to gears until redline, and keeps the twin-turbo V-6 right in the middle of its power band so that a surge of acceleration is always on tap – regardless of speed. In our testing the transmission never will hold a gear during a cornering maneuver or brief slowdown, meaning it isn’t acting exactly like a manual like most enthusiasts prefer.
Rounding out sport mode is a reduction in the active noise cancellation going on within the cabin. According to the owner’s manual, settings are automatically changed to allow more engine noise in the cabin, which is surprisingly noticeable. In Sport the engine note is more audible, particularly at high revs.
As one would expect, comfort mode takes everything about sport mode and dials it back several notches. In particular, comfort mode makes a big impact on the suspension system. The dampers loosen up making the ride much more soft, with an almost Town Car like ride quality. Steering also loosens up, but fortunately Lincoln never lets the electric power steering go too soft or vague. The throttle also becomes less aggressive, while active noise control cancels out even more exterior noises.
Normal mode ends up straight in the middle of sport and comfort modes. In fact, normal mode really makes [at least the] MKT feel just like the first generation MKT did. The suspension and steering are both comfortable to use, but still composed to drive a bit hard if needed. It is, literally, the happy medium for most.
Changing between all three settings is easier said than done. Lincoln has practically hid the Drive Control settings within layers of menus that can only be accessed through the driver’s information screen housed in the gauge cluster as part of the MyLincoln Touch system. Once you eventually find the settings, you can tell the vehicle which Drive Control setting you want to have every time the vehicle is placed in “drive” and a different default setting can be set for when the gear selector is in “sport.”
Overall Lincoln is taking a very holistic approach with their new Drive Control system. Adding features such as an adaptive suspension system is one thing, but to allow drivers to change everything down to the noise cancelling is quite another. The system is clearly named appropriately, because with Drive Control you are controlling almost every aspect of the vehicle that’s actually used to, well…drive.