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Lincoln MKC crossover adopts the Continental's grille

The last vestiges of the controversial split Lincoln grille are slowly being removed as the company revamps its lineup. It started with the MKZ and Continental, with the most recent rhinoplasty recipient being the Navigator. Now, based on spy shots, it looks like the MKC crossover will be the fourth to get the new corporate grille. Under the heavy vinyl coverings, we can clearly see the proud Continental-inspired grille. We can also see that it will feature the same chrome mesh with Lincoln badge-shaped openings found on other cars with the grille design. We can also assume that the headlights will receive a substantial refresh, but the lower bumper doesn't look particularly different. The rest of this prototype MKC looks the same as the existing model. The back is covered, which indicates that the taillights may be updated. We wouldn't expect a radically different look, since the MKC already has a full-width taillight treatment. We also noticed that the wheels appear to be inspired by the cool turbine wheels of the Navigator. Whatever the other changes are, we'll probably see them soon. This is clearly just a refresh, and so there's a good chance we'll see the production model revealed by the end of the year, or early next year at the latest. Related Video:

Toyota Mirai, Lexus LS show off Advanced Drive assists with OTA updates, AI

TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp unveiled on Thursday new models of Lexus and Mirai in Japan, equipped with advanced driver assistance, as competition heats up to develop more self-driving and connected cars. Toyota's latest launch comes as automakers, electric car startups and tech giants invest heavily in so-called active safety features. The Japanese carmaker's new driving assist technology, or Advanced Drive, features a level 2 autonomous system that helps driving, such as limiting the car in its lane, maintaining the distance from other vehicles and changing lanes under the driver's supervision on expressways or other motor-vehicle-only roads. The system can even handle lane merges, and when passing trucks its lane system will move the car further to the opposite side of its lane. The car will recommend a course of action to a driver before executing it. The system also features a camera to monitor the driver's actions and level of attentiveness, and if the driver seems unresponsive or incapacitated, the car will pull itself over. The luxury sedan Lexus LS will be on sale from Thursday, costing between about 16.3 million yen ($148,600) and 17.9 million yen ($164,000), while the second-generation Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car will be offered on April 12 at between 8.4 million ($76,900) and 8.6 million yen ($78,750). This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The new models are Toyota's first products brought to the market that provide over-the-air updates and utilize AI technology centered on deep learning, said Toyota executive James Kuffner, who is also the head of Toyota's research unit Woven Planet. "This is really an important first step in our journey towards software-first development," he said at an online briefing on Thursday, adding that the company has tried to design the software to be truly global and to provide re-usability. In the future, software features on cars will be "upgradable" and "more customizable" much like how people personalize their smartphones, Kuffner added. Fully self-driven cars are still likely to be years away, but rival General Motors early this year made a splash at the virtual Consumer Electronics Show with a fully-autonomous all-electric flying Cadillac concept, while Chinese search engine operator Baidu unveiled a partnership with local car brand Geely.

2023 Lexus RX First Drive Review: Bold colors, three hybrids, irksome tech

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Every car has its color. ItÂ’s usually the one prominently photographed in press or marketing photos; the one its designers thought made the biggest impact. TheyÂ’re often bold hues, though rarely popular. The original Lexus RX will forever be remembered painted Desert Bronze. It was as bold and distinctive as the vehicle itself – remember, the RX was the first real luxury crossover, arriving before the BMW X5 and at the same time Acura was trying to pawn off Isuzu Troopers. The RX would go on to be achingly bland, but in the beginning, it was radically new and different. Desert Bronze drove home that point. As if to make a similar statement, the fifth-generation, 2023 Lexus RX arrives resplendent in Copper Crest. Despite the name, itÂ’s more of a rose gold in person, and nothing else on the road is painted anything quite like it from the factory. ItÂ’s very of-the-moment, and in 25 years, weÂ’ll all remember this RX in this color. Of course, the real question is whether the car itself will be worth remembering. It's at least a better-looking vehicle than the one it replaces, applying updated Lexus styling cues more cohesively to a body that looks like it was meant for them from the beginning. The silhouette is even less SUV-like now. Although the various modelsÂ’ ground clearances are all over 8 inches and the overall height only 0.4 lower than before, the new RX sure looks lower than the old one in person, and just low in general for an SUV. ThereÂ’s a bit of a giant hatchback thing going on, which isnÂ’t necessarily a bad thing. 2023 Lexus RX 350 Premium in Copper Crest View 10 Photos Key interior dimensions are virtually unchanged, if actually slightly below the previous generation. Clearly the sizable number of loyal RX customers didnÂ’t have a beef with available space. For what itÂ’s worth, a pair of rear passengers reported that the back seat was very comfortable with plenty of space despite a tall driver up front. Cargo capacity measures 29.6 cubic-feet with the back seat raised, which would be comparable to a Toyota Venza. Interior quality doesnÂ’t seem to be quite to the level of its predecessor, and the addition of a colossal screen rarely does aesthetic favors to a dashboard design. The RX is no exception, and while the new touchscreens available in 9.8- and 14-inch sizes provide improved functionality over the old Remote Touch touchpad-and-display system, that was a bar that could be cleared with a short hop.