Lincoln holds steady on the base price of the MKT for 2012 model

Lincoln on Thursday said the base price of the 2012 MKT crossover will be unchanged from the 2011 model--$45,175, including the $875 shipping charge.

The base MKT is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 and is front-wheel drive.

The major change for the 2012 MKT is that all-wheel-drive versions will be powered by the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Lincoln will not offer the 3.7-liter V6 with AWD on the MKT.

The all-wheel-drive MKT carries a sticker price of $47,170 including shipping charges. The EcoBoost V6 is rated at 355 hp.

Lincoln says it also cut the number of order combinations of the MKT by two-thirds for 2012. The crossover can be configured with seating for seven or eight passengers.

By Michelle Koueiter