This Lincoln midsize crossover SUV nameplate first appeared for the 2007 model year, arriving as the brand’s first crossover and a new direction for Lincoln’s utility lineup. It was positioned as a premium alternative in the growing luxury SUV segment and shared its underlying architecture with the Ford Edge, but was styled and trimmed to fit Lincoln’s quieter, more upscale character. The early version established the formula: a car-based luxury crossover with a focus on comfort, ease of use, and mainstream appeal rather than rugged off-road identity.
The nameplate evolved through two distinct generations. The first ran from the 2007 through 2010 model years, then received a significant refresh for 2011. A fully redesigned second generation followed for the 2016 model year, bringing a more substantial body, a more refined interior, and a stronger emphasis on Lincoln’s newer luxury design language. That redesign also marked the model’s move toward more modern driver-assistance and technology content as Lincoln reworked its lineup.
For 2019, Lincoln replaced this nameplate with the Nautilus, ending the MKX run after the 2018 model year. As a result, the vehicle’s production history is a single continuous run from 2007 through 2018, with no separate revival under the same name.