2007 Lincoln MKZ - Review

 

 

 

 

 

  Daring Deco-styled interior, available all-wheel drive.

  No 3-Series when it comes to handling, but it's pleasant enough. 

  Six-speed automatic doesn't want to come out to play.

 

 

Remember Rocky versus Mr. T? Hark back to the 1980s, when in the third Rocky movie, Stallone had to get back in the ring against the scary T) after the humiliating loss of his title and his self-respect. That’s whereLincoln is right now. Having been bounced out of the luxury-car ring like a flabby palooka, Ford’s once-strong luxury division is hoping for a comeback.

And the three-punch combo it hopes to land is new for 2007: MKX, Navigator, and the least new of the trio, the MKZ.

Least new doesn’t mean least interesting, in this case. The 2007 Lincoln MKZ sedan is a tweaked, uprated, and renamed version of the Zephyr entry-luxury sedan that bowed last year. It’s a good-looking car, with a modernized, “wide-mouthed” version of the trademark Lincoln waterfall grille up front, crisp styling pleats pressed into the hood and trunk, and chrome accents finishing it all off. The effect is neither garish nor old-school — but very much in keeping with the Lincoln history of subtle elegance and good taste.

Signature goods

The MKZ’s signature functional features are a new 3.5 liter V-6 good for 265 horsepower, tied to a new six-speed automatic transmission and available all-wheel drive. The new engine runs on regular 87 octane unleaded, in addition to being one of the most powerful standard engines in this class.

The updated ’07 model also gets a re-themed interior with retro-Lincoln styling cues centered on a “twin breadbox” dash layout that will be familiar to those who can remember the Hawaii Five-O-era Lincolns of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Light colors (creamy tans and off-whites) for the dashpad and door panels and “satin nickel” accents — and indirect puddle lighting — give the car a soft and welcoming vibe. It’s distinctive, and it’s different — and whether it’s a good or bad move, only time and market reaction will tell. It’s definitely a departure from the rounded/elliptical, hyper-aggressive sport-bike-like shapes that seem to be everywhere these days.