"A distinguishing feature of Lincoln vehicles, and a defining quality of American Luxury, is passenger cabins with exceptional roominess, an indulgent sense of comfort and abundant storage. Blackwood excels in each of these areas."
    —   Jim Rogers, Lincoln Mercury General Marketing
              Manager

AMENITIES: Lincoln Blackwood's interior offers amenities at the driver's fingertips, including redundant audio and climate controls on the steering wheel. Other convenience items include adjustable brake and accelerator pedals, heated and cooled power-adjustable front seats with power lumbar support, memory function for up to three drivers' preferences, automatic temperature control and message center. Only the navigation system is optional.

• Blackwood offers abundant room for four passengers. Comfort features include innovative heated and cooled seats trimmed in black Connolly leather.

• Three memory settings record driver seat positions, and adjustable pedal and side-mirror settings. A full array of electronic conveniences include an available GPS-based navigation system, a 140-watt audiophile-quality Alpine audio system with AM/FM Stereo, cassette player and a six-disc CD changer, and the Homelink™ system, which can learn to operate garage door openers and home security systems.

• Blackwood offers abundant interior storage, including bins hidden behind the rear seats and large consoles with padded leather-covered armrests between each pair of seats. The front seat-back map pockets close with a magnetic clasp like those used on fine leather handbags.

• Blackwood's 26.5 cubic foot trunk is 27 percent larger than the trunk of a Lincoln Town Car.

• Blackwood comes with Lincoln's standard four-year 50,000-mile limited warranty, plus complimentary maintenance for the first three years or 36,000 miles, to enhance the ownership experience.

"People are drawn to the Blackwood because its design is eye-catching and the trunk is so unique. But when you combine exceptional towing capability, excellent road manners and abundant storage with a truly indulgent, luxurious interior, you give customers some very practical qualities to reinforce that emotional appeal," says brand manager Lisa Bacus.

Comfort
Front and rear, Blackwood offers more than three feet of headroom and legroom and more than five feet of shoulder room. Hip room likewise exceeds five feet in front and is only slightly less in the back seats.

The Connolly leather-faced driver and front passenger seats have six-way power adjustments and power-adjustable lumbar supports. Steering wheel tilt angle, accelerator and brake pedal position and the height of the shoulder belts in all four seating positions also are adjustable. The power-adjustable brake and accelerator pedals move over a horizontal range of three inches.

Three different combinations of seat, pedal and mirror positions for the driver can be saved using a memory switch located on the door.

Electronic, automatic temperature control enhances passenger comfort by automatically adjusting interior temperatures to meet changing conditions. Rear passengers can tailor their environment by adjusting separate fan controls mounted at the back of the center console. Redundant controls for the audio system and climate control are at the driver's fingertips, on the steering wheel spokes.

The Blackwood's front seats also are equipped with an innovative heating and cooling system that has proven wildly popular with customers since Lincoln introduced the feature as an industry first on the Lincoln Navigator in the 2000 model year. More than 70 percent of Navigator customers order the system as an option, according to Bacus.

By rotating a thumbwheel on the side of each seat, the driver or passenger can direct heated or cooled air through the perforated-leather seat cushion and back. The gentle convective flow helps ward off perspiration in hot climates and takes the edge off cold winter temperatures almost immediately. The core of the system is a solid-state device called a Peltier circuit that is integrated into a miniature heat pump in each seat.

The Peltier circuit is named for the 19th-century French physicist Jean Charles Athanase Peltier who discovered the concept of thermoelectric reduction of temperature - that a positive electrical charge generates heat and a negative charge absorbs energy, producing a surface that is cold to the touch. The U.S. military uses Peltier devices to spot-cool heat-sensitive electronic devices.

The Peltier devices used in Blackwood are made of a high-tech sandwich of the metals Telluride and Bismuth. An electrical circuit switches polarity to either heat or cool the surface. The heat pumps, which are not much larger than a deck of playing cards, force heated or cooled air over the surfaces of the Peltier devices and to the seats through flexible ducts. The heated or cooled air exits through the perforations in the leather seating surfaces. The Peltier devices themselves have no moving parts, and the system uses no environmentally sensitive CFCs or other coolants. In operation, the system is very quiet - about 45 decibels - far quieter than the 65 decibels generated by a typical automotive air conditioning system.

The seats are designed to reach the selected operating temperature in about two minutes. In comparison, heating or cooling the entire cab of a sedan takes about 10 minutes. Even then, conventional seats can remain uncomfortably hot or cold to the touch.

Convenience
In the automatic mode, the Blackwood's headlamps turn on at dusk and, for convenience and security, can be set to remain on for up to three minutes after the vehicle is turned off. Extensive interior lighting, including map/reading lights for every seating position, provides even illumination throughout the cabin when the doors are unlocked. When the ignition is off and the doors are closed, a battery saver feature automatically turns off interior and cargo lamps after about 30 minutes to assure that there is always power for a restart.

The overhead console located between the front seats offers a digital compass display, map lights and dual controls for the tonneau cover, along with pushbutton control for the 15-inch by 34-inch power moonroof. It also displays average fuel economy and estimated driving range.

The Homelink™ system, which offers buttons for up to three remote controllers, such as garage door or automatic gate openers, is built into the driver's sun visor.

The leather-and-wood-wrapped steering wheel includes redundant controls for the audio and climate control, as well as for the speed-control system.

Blackwood's electronic message center, located near the driver's line of sight in the instrument panel, provides important information about engine functions, washer fluid levels and door ajar warnings. The outside temperature is shown on the climate-control unit display.

Including the dashboard-mounted cigar lighter, there are a total of five power points for auxiliary equipment such as cell phones, televisions, radios or air compressors. These are mounted in the dashboard, the center console, next to the right rear seat and in the trunk.

Blackwood features a total of eight cupholders. For the front seat passengers, two cupholders are molded into the center console and two are incorporated into a pop-out tray in the dashboard. For rear seat passengers, two cupholders swing out of a door built into the center console and two are molded into the rear console.

The tonneau cover can be operated using the open and close buttons on the key fob, by punching in a code on the driver's door keypad or by using the controls on the overhead console. The tonneau can be released manually, if necessary, using a key-operated handle under the passenger-side rear wheel well. A valet key is provided which allows the owner to lock-out the tonneau controls to secure the cargo area.

To further enhance the driver's feeling of security, Blackwood comes standard with a reverse sensing system that warns of objects out to a range of just under six feet (1.8 meters) from the rear bumper. As the vehicle moves in reverse, a tone increases in frequency to provide an audible cue to the proximity of obstacles.

Blackwood's parking brake automatically releases when the vehicle is shifted out of park or neutral into drive or reverse. Being able to set the parking brake in Neutral and having a hands-free release is a particularly useful feature for hauling boats up a boat ramp. A full-size spare, with a matching aluminum road wheel, is tucked under the cargo box.

High Performance Audio and Electronics

GPS DIRECTIONS: Blackwood's navigation system -the only convenience option - uses CD-ROM data discs to provide up-to-date roadway information. The system is flexible enough to allow the driver to seek directions by the fastest or shortest route, and using or avoiding highways. It also can give directions verbally, helping to keep the driver's attention focused on the road.

Blackwood's only option is a Global Positioning System-based (GPS) navigation system, which can be customized to a driver's route preferences. For example, the system can select the shortest route to a destination, or one that minimizes highway travel. An address book function can store up to 100 favorite destinations, which can be divided into "business" and "private" categories.

Points of interest, and the locations of many gas stations, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, are pre-programmed for easy selection.

Turn-by-turn directions are displayed on a five-inch flat panel display mounted in the center console and angled toward the driver. Directions also may be played audibly to minimize driver distraction.

The system monitors up to 24 GPS satellites, and matches data from up to eight satellites at a time, with digital maps that cover all portions of the United States.

The data unit for the system is mounted in the center console, and regional map data is stored on a collection of seven CD-ROMs that are included with the system. A slot for additional map CDs is built into the underside of the leather-wrapped armrest. Updated digital maps are issued on a subscription basis every six months.

Blackwood's audio system – a 140-watt, seven-speaker Alpine audio system – provides crisp, distortion-free sound quality. This audiophile system includes an AM/FM stereo receiver, cassette player with auto-reverse and Dolby B noise reduction and a six-disc CD changer mounted in the center console. The radio receiver incorporates digital signal processing, which allows individual drivers to choose from a range of ambient sound effects. It also is Radio Data System-equipped (RDS), which allows the user to search for RDS-subscriber FM-band stations by format. The call letters of these stations are displayed on the front panel display.

A powerful, amplified subwoofer, specifically designed for Blackwood, is fitted between the two rear seats. The front doors each house a mid-range speaker and tweeter. The rear doors each have a full-range speaker.

Alpine audio engineers developed active and passive electronic crossover points to tailor the system's frequency response to the Blackwood listening environment. Independent, third-party testing by three different agencies, including Dave Clark Listening, confirmed that they met their targets for durability, audio quality and reception. For example, the Blackwood audio system outscored the 2000 Navigator for audio accuracy, scoring in the mid-threes on a five-point scale in which the perfect score represents listening to a live concert in person.

Redundant audio controls mounted on the steering wheel spokes and speed-compensating volume control add convenience. Rear passengers are able to listen to separate audio programming from the front seat passengers by using one the two headphone jacks built into the rear of the front console.

Abundant Storage

STORAGE POCKETS: The seat-back pockets offer easy access to maps and other items. They are constructed like fine handbags, with a strong magnetic clasp.

Inside Blackwood's cabin, the driver and passengers are afforded abundant storage space. Storage is available in the front console bin, which also holds the CD changer and the data unit for the optional navigation system. A deep console between the rear seats offers storage for bulky items, such as a sweater or blanket. This console also features a pull-out tray to organize smaller items.

Each door panel houses a map pocket. In addition, each of the front-seat backs is fitted with a deep, bellows-style pocket with a simple flap secured by a strong magnetic clasp, similar to those used on fine handbags.

The rear seats fold flat to provide in-cabin storage space for bulky items. Emergency gear such as flashlights can be stowed behind the fold-down rear seats in bins built into the rear bulkhead.

The trunk's main cargo area offers 26.5 cubic feet of storage, which is more than 27 percent larger even than the generous trunk on the Lincoln Town Car. Each of Blackwood's stainless-steel side bins and the two rear door bins offers more than 200 cubic inches of added organizational space.

Mounted flush to the carpeted floor of the trunk are four marine-grade stainless-steel anchors that can be used to secure bulky items.

Lincoln Commitment
All Lincoln vehicles are backed by the Lincoln Commitment, a four-year 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty. Customers also receive complimentary scheduled maintenance, including oil changes and tire rotations, for the first three years or 36,000 miles of ownership.

For answers to questions about Lincoln vehicles, pricing information or to arrange a test drive, prospective customers may visit http://www.lincolnvehicles.com/pc.