There are signs of life atLincoln, where sales are rising and new products are coming at a good pace. Recent additions, such as the MKZ sedan and MKX crossover have been gaining momentum, last month driving Lincoln to its 13th consecutive monthly sales gain. And with luck, the imminent arrival of the flagship MKS sedan might keep that momentum going.
Compacts and crossovers are fine, but Lincoln desperately needs something dramatic for its lineup if it hopes to return from obscurity to the mainstream of America's booming luxury market. And that yawning gap, Ford believes, could soon be filled by the MKS.
At least, that's the goal. Lincoln must "successfully launch products that are fully competitive in the marketplace," contends Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas. Translation? The time for excuses has come and gone. Future Lincoln models must deliver the styling, performance, handling, interior space and refinement of comparable imports. In this case, that includes the likes of the Lexus GS series, Infiniti's G35, Cadillac's CTS, and a host of benchmark European models.
Whether Lincoln pulls it off remains to be seen, but potential buyers will get a good look at the MKS at this month's Los Angeles Motor Show. TheCarConnection.com got a sneak peek at the LincolnDesignCenter, located in an appropriately obscure strip of brick office buildings, several miles away from Ford headquarters, in Dearborn, Mich.
As the covers were lifted off the sedan, it was obvious Lincoln designers had stayed reasonably true to the attractive concept car they first rolled out several years ago. But the production version somehow seemed more poised and well composed, gracefully adopting classic Lincoln design cues without falling victim to that styling cop-out known as retro.
"Quiet confidence," is how Ford's North American Design Director Peter Horbury explains it. "We've used design cues from past Lincolns, but in a very modern way."
2009 Lincoln MKS |
Among those cues, Lincoln's signature double-wing grille, first seen in production in 1941, and more recently spied on the 2007 MKR concept vehicle. The waterfall grille splits to make room for the traditional Lincoln gunsight badge. It hovers above a lower, crossbar grille.
From the side, the MKS is tall and square, but nowhere near the retro-boxy look of the various Lincoln concept vehicles that surfaced early in the decade. Lincoln 's classic, chamfered line runs from nose to tail, and along with the strongly tapered C-pillar, adds a dollop of elegance, as well as muscularity to the new sedan.
The picture is completed by a short decklid, a very popular signature in today's luxury market. From the back, the MKS's most striking feature is its chrome crossbar with a centered Lincoln badge.
Inside, the look is a modern take on classic Lincoln styling, with a symmetric instrument panel and very open cabin that underscores its airiness and room. The MKS is arguably the best-executed Lincoln interior in years, with elegant use of materials - no cheesy plastic knobs or panels in sight. And there's been a noticeable attention to detail. As Horbury points out, cut lines, such as the top of the glovebox, have been carefully blended or hidden to maximize the quality of the sedan's fit and finish.
Oh, and for those who take environmental issues seriously, Ford officials note the MKS's leather seats are chromium-free.
The cabin will feature a variety of high-tech touches, as well, including the Sync technology platform, developed in a joint venture with Microsoft. It provides hands-free Bluetooth cellphoning, navigation, and Sirius data services - such as weather, traffic and sports scores - along with satellite radio and a THX-grade audio system.
The sedan sits atop a modified version of Ford's full-size sedan platform, sharing it with the Five Hundred - er, make that the renamed and reborn Taurus four-door. In this instance, however, all Lincoln versions will come equipped with all-wheel drive.
That gets the automaker around a fundamental problem: in a luxury market steadily moving back to rear-drive, most Ford passenger cars, save for the likes of Lincoln's ancient Town Car, were front-drive. But as Audi has demonstrated, buyers will embrace a good all-wheel-drive execution, especially those used to having power delivered to all four wheels on their SUVs.
At launch, the MKS will be offered with only one powertrain, a new 3.7-liter V-6 making 273 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. That's reasonably gutsy, but nowhere near the segment benchmark.
Those who'll want more will have to wait a year for the launch of what Ford had been calling its TwinForce V-6. Specifics remain a secret, though this turbocharged powertrain is expected to make the power of a V-8 while delivering V-6 fuel economy. More details are expected in time for the Detroit auto show, early in 2008.
In today's crowded and competitive luxury market, can Lincoln rise above the noise level? Will buyers even notice the MKS? There's no question that the brand has a tough challenge. While sales may be growing, that's starting from a minimal base, but at least, "there's no baggage," insisted Fields, no real clunkers in the lineup. "It's all positive."
Perhaps so, "but there's a diminishing presence," cautioned analyst George Peterson, of AutoPacific, Inc. And if the MKS can't make headway in the luxury sedan market, he warns, the brand likely will never be able to make a comeback.
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