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By Jim Jackson
Time Auto Writer | Saturday, April 23, 2005 | (No comments posted.)
Can you wear cowboy boots and still go to work in a tuxedo?
You can if the vehicle you're driving is the all-new 2006 Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck.
It seems an oxymoron to use the words Lincoln and pickup truck in the same sentence. But that's exactly what Ford Motor Co.'s luxury division, Lincoln-Mercury, has done with the introduction of the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT.
However, this isn't the first time the 84-year old automaker has opened a pickup truck's tailgate.
In 2002, Lincoln introduced the Blackwood Pickup to its luxury product line.
The upscale Blackwood catered to country club clientele where it was best suited to carry a foursome and their clubs to the links rather than haul a load of two-by-fours from the home improvement Store.
Built with a solid-top truck bed lined in plush-pile carpet, brushed aluminum trim and soft-glow accent lights, Blackwood proved to be more fashion than function and was dropped from the Lincoln lineup with less than 1,000 units sold nationwide.
For 2006, the luxury automaker jumps back into the full-size pickup truck game with the Lincoln Mark LT cloned from corporate cousin Ford F-150 Crew Cab pickup truck.
"The pickup truck field has gotten awfully competitive," said Tim Simpson, marketing director for Nielsen Lincoln-Mercury in LaPorte. "As a manufacturer, Lincoln has done the research and feels they can capitalize on that segment by adding a pickup truck to their prestigious line of vehicles."
According to Simpson, Lincoln blends the right combination of luxury and utility to make the new Mark LT unequaled in the pickup truck segment.
Available with two- or four-wheel drive, LT offers seating for five occupants with the utility of a 5.6-foot cargo box. Securing longer payloads is possible with an optional aluminum bed extender ($195) that flips onto the open tailgate.
The Lincoln newcomer measures nearly 224 inches, and proved too long to fit into a standard size garage. For $245 you can add a reverse-sensing system, housed in the rear bumper, that beeps when it detects objects while backing up.
Inside, sumptuous Nudo leather seats offer occupants a comfortable ride aided by a sedan-like suspension. Power adjusted heated seats and outside mirrors, AM/FM stereo with CD and MP3 players is included.
Running boards, power adjustable pedals, rear-seat DVD entertainment system and power moonroof are popular options, though the latter is not possible when equipped with the ceiling mounted DVD system.
The 2006 Lincoln Mark LT pickup truck is powered by a capable 5.4-liter V-8 that generates 300 horsepower and 365 pounds of torque, affording this high roller to step lively through traffic while towing up to 8,900 pounds. Four-wheel, anti-lock brakes and 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-season tires are standard.
Bottom line
Wheelbase: 138.5 inches
Length: 223.8 inches
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
EPA fuel economy: 14-city/18-highway
Base price:
2WD - $39,200
4WD - $42,700
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