The 2016 MKX has crashed its way into a Top Safety Pick Plus rating in the latest session conducted by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Lincoln’s midsize SUV has scored Good ratings in the moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations, and, unlike its predecessor, it was also tested in the small overlap, introduced in 2012 to replicate what happens when the front corner hits another vehicle, a tree or a utility pole.
The small overlap test revealed maximum intrusion of 4 inches (10 cm) at the lower door hinge pillar and the dummy’s movement was “well-controlled”, as the IIHS indicates, having its head hit the front airbag and staying there until rebound. The side curtain airbag deployed with enough coverage to protect the head from contact with outside objects and the side structure, measuring a low risk of injury in a real-world crash.
Contributing to the Top Safety Pick Plus rating of the 2016 Lincoln MKX is the optional front crash prevention system, which has earned a perfect score. The vehicle managed to avoid a collision in both the 12 mph (19 km/h) and 25 mph (40 km/h) tests and proved that the forward collision warning component meets the NHTSA’s criteria.
In order to achieve the Top Safety Pick Plus status, a vehicle must score Good ratings in all five crashworthiness tests and its front crash prevention system must earn an Advanced or Superior rating.