Lincoln MKZ

When Ford announced that Lincoln would receive its own version of its all new mid-size car, critics were not impressed. After all, why sell a car as a Lincoln when it is also being sold as a Ford or Mercury, albeit with a fancier trim level? Shades of Cadillac Cimarron!

For many years, Lincoln had been the neglected stepchild for the Ford Motor Company as the automaker poured its resources into developing cars in its “Premier Automotive Group” which included Aston Martin, Land Rover, Jaguar, Volvo and for a limited time, Lincoln. Strapped to the hilt, Lincoln was easier to neglect than its fancy European cousins, but that move nearly killed off Ford’s luxury brand.

A One Time Competitor To Cadillac

Lincoln, which used to run neck and neck with Cadillac for American luxury car supremacy, had trailed off in recent years and badly. At one point Cadillac was outselling Lincoln 2-1 as Lincoln fans rushed to its American competition or chose Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Acura, Infiniti, Audi or other brands when they found that Lincoln had nothing to offer them.

An aged Town Car no longer cut it for potential buyers and the one “fresh” Lincoln, the LS, was no longer new. What’s more, the Continental and the Mark Series were both long gone, leaving higher trim level Ford-derived trucks and SUVs in their place.

Enter The Lincoln Zephyr

No matter, the Ford Motor Company decided to bring back a name from its own history book, the Zephyr. That car was given the 3.0L V6 engine that was available optionally in the Fusion and Milan, as well as the same AISIN six-speed automatic transmission. To differentiate the Zephyr from its more pedestrian siblings, the sedand was given a fancier grille and taillights as well as a more refined interior.

After one model year, Ford killed the Zephyr name choosing to call the car the MKZ instead.  Ford decided to tie the car in with its new nomenclature where new models start off with “MK” or Mark. Since then, the MKZ has been joined by the MKX (crossover) MKS (large sedan) and will soon be joined by the MKT (a larger crossover).

Decent Changes For 2010

Naming conventions aside, the MKZ still needed to be differentiated from the Fusion and Milan, something that really didn’t kick in until the all new 2010 model was introduced. Sporting a much more dynamic front and rear fascia as well as more distinctive interior, Lincoln finally has an entry level luxury sedan that can compete with the likes of the Lexus ES or Cadillac CTS, its prime competition.

And unlike the Fusion and the Milan, the MKZ does not offer a hybrid variant, as Ford chooses to emphasize the model’s luxury, ride and price when marketing the MKZ.