2006 Lincoln Mark LT
By Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 1/16/2006
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DALLAS, Tex. -- What kind of truck-tough pickup carries a big V8 engine as well as a
luxurious five-seat passenger compartment with fancy seats clad in velvety leather
and streaks of ebony wood accenting the dash?
There's only one correct answer: It's a Lincoln.
The first bona fide pickup truck in the luxury line of Lincoln resurrects a vintage
nameplate as the Mark LT.
And it may well be the first limousine-quality luxury vehicle that also provides the
boxed rear bed of a truck.
Mark LT rides on the full-size chassis of Ford's best-selling F-150 truck.
The cab in spacious SuperCrew style has four front-hinged doors and two rows of
seats for a capacity of five.
A cargo box behind the cab is the brief one at 67 inches long, although there's a
bed-extending U-shaped tubular steel brace available that swings out to the trailing
edge of the tailgate folded flat.
Body styling for Mark LT looks slick and strong but also dressy -- like a truck in a
tuxedo.
It strikes a muscular pose in tall stance with a bold face, curvy bulges on the sides
around wheelwells and large squarish headlamp clusters on front corners flanking a
big grille in the shape of an inverted trapezoid.
Lincoln signature design cues apply, such as the vertical-slot chrome grille, front
bumper as an underscoring strip of chrome etched with rectangular foglamps and a
band of satin chrome ringing the vehicle.
Chrome also coats the rectangular side mirrors, door handles, optional running
boards hanging below side doors, and the rolled tip of a tail pipe.
And for those who know that chrome rules, the list of optional gear for Mark LT
includes strips of chrome to dress top rails of the truck box.
Mark LT rolls on four 18-inch thick-spoke wheels, also plated in chrome, with
P65/60R18 tires.
Functionally, LT stocks the most powerful engine and strongest mechanical hardware
out of Ford's F-150 truck.
The powertrain is a 5.4-liter Triton V8 outfitted with two intake valves and one
exhaust valve per cylinder, plus variable cam timing, which optimizes intake and
exhaust valve actuation over the engine's entire speed range.
This one runs up to 300 hp at 5000 rpm, with torque extending to 365 lb-ft at 3750
rpm.
And it ties to a four-speed electronic automatic transmission, the smooth-shifting
Ford 4R75E unit.
High power and torque ratings for the Triton engine suit it well for towing a hefty
trailer -- as the maximum towing capacity rises as high as 8900 pounds.
Two-wheel-drive (2WD) orientation with a front-mounted engine sending torque to
the rear wheels is standard but four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction is available with
manual or electronic shift-on-the-fly switching.
The steering mechanism is a responsive rack and pinion system and the largest and
strongest ever used by Lincoln.
Brakes bring a big disc to each wheel plus a computer-managed anti-lock braking
system (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD).
The EBD device monitors and modulates the brake force used on front and rear
wheels, helping to reduce braking distances and maximize rear-wheel braking,
particularly while towing.
Regarding equipment for passive safety, Lincoln's truck benefits from a superior
chassis with super-strength boxed rails and hydroformed front sections to support
weight of the front suspension.
The structure has built-in crush zones designed to absorb and dissipate the energy
from a car crash and direct it away from the passenger compartment.
In the dashboard of the cabin, there are dual-stage frontal air bags tied to computer-
controlled equipment minding the tension of seatbelts and deployment of air bags.
Driver and riders in Lincoln's truck will find the cabin is a quiet space isolated from
the outside world and at all times luxurious and comfortable for long-haul treks.
It's a generous space for full-figured adults, with more backseat room for heads and
shoulders than in Lincoln's vast Navigator SUV.
And the Mark scores a rave rating for the pair of cushy captain's chairs on the front
row.
Each bucket, clad in soft Nudo leather, has fancy French-styled pleating for a quilted
pattern of the seatback section and rim piping in a contrasting color.
Two interior color palettes work on Mark LT -- either a "pebble" background shade
and "light parchment" for seats or the background in black with "dove gray" seats.
Front chairs flank a broad console cast with clean and simple lines. There are two
round cupholders in place plus a stubby floor shifter for the automatic transmission.
Leather also wraps the steering wheel and a padded armrest mounted on top of the
center console, even the brow of the instrument panel.
Analog gauges in the dashboard cluster look elegant with dark faces and chrome
rims.
The three-seat rear bench has sculptured areas for outboard seats.
Also, the bench splits by 40/60 percent and each seatback section folds down flat to
convert the space into a cargo bay.
Mark LT comes with extensive standard amenities.
The list includes heated exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals, foglamps and
automatic headlights, a remote locking system with door keypad, power controls for
windows and door locks, heat elements inside the two front captain's chairs, an
electronic message center with compass and digital readout of the external
temperature, ceiling-mounted console, cabin trimmed in leather and ebony wood,
and Audiophile sound system with six-disc CD changer in the dash.
Optional gear extends to the 4WD traction system and skid plates, power adjustable
pedals, a power moonroof and power sliding rear window, running boards and Ford's
reverse-sensing warning system, a limited-slip rear axle, towing package, the bed
extender and a tailgate assist system, plus a backseat DVD video entertainment kit.
Base figures for Lincoln's Mark LT tally to $39,200 for 2WD and $42,700 with 4WD.
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| 2006 LINCOLN MARK LT VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Full-size 4-door luxury truck |
| Model Options: |
Full-size 4-door luxury truck |
| Trim Options: |
MARK LT Cab Options: SuperCrew |
| Wheelbase: |
138.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
223.8 inches Box length: 67.0 inches |
| Engine Size: |
SOHC 5.4-L V8 |
| Transmission: |
Auto/4/4R75E |
| Drive: |
2WD/Rear, 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc, ABS/EBD |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) |
| Gross Weight: |
2WD: 7050 pounds, 4WD: 7200 pounds |
| Towing Capacity: |
2WD: 8900 pounds, 4WD: 8600 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
14/18 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
2WD: $ 39,200, 4WD: $ 42,700 |
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