Quiet luxury. It sounds like a spa treatment. It’s actually what the all-new 2016 Lincoln MKX strives to achieve.

For the automaker, quiet luxury all starts with craftsmanship. “Craftsmanship sits between the worlds of engineering and design,” said Stacy Swank, Lincoln craftsmanship supervisor. “Our role is to bring those worlds together to enhance the experience for the customer. We like to think that if you don’t notice what’s been done, then we’ve done our job.”

Some “hidden” improvements to the 2016 Lincoln MKX include:

• Foam was added to the wrapped console side panels, providing a softer area for the leg to rest, and also added to the door armrests and steering wheel
• Extra strength was added to the dead-pedal area – where a driver rests his/her left foot – to make the area more firm
• Scuff materials in the door and tailgate were upgraded to stainless steel, which is more resistant to scratches

Potential buyers will notice leather that is billed as softer than what you’ll find at other dealerships, having undergone a 16-hour softening process before being cut to be installed. A hand-sewn and -stitched Wollsdorf® leather-wrapped steering wheel is available on higher-series vehicles.

For the 2016 model, Lincoln strove to create a cleaner appearance for the driver, resulting in a better fit and finish. For example, where the A-pillar meets the headliner, a 2.5-mm indent (the thickness of a couple of dimes) was created on the inside of the joint. This allowed the materials to align better.

The 2016 MKX arrives at dealerships later this summer and starts at $38,995.

image courtesy of Lincoln