Well, it's a brand new day over at Lincoln - or should I say "Lincoln Motor Company" (I'm calling it LiMoCo.) As the video above shows, the Ford subsidiary (since 1922) has just relaunched itself with this new moniker and with the new MKZ as a halo car, which, no question, is a pretty car, based on the Ford Fusion (itself a pretty car.) Hopefully it's one with enough differentiation to justify the higher price tag.
So far, the car, and the company, looks good, though with 90 years of badge engineering - simply changing the badge from "Ford" to "Lincoln" with a few cosmetic changes inside and out - it's a history that breeds skepticism.
The introduction video comes with a slick new website (www.lincoln.com) that's large on graphics and hype but not much else. A hybrid MKZ will be available that gets 45 MPG in both city and highway driving, that's something to crow about. The rest of the fleet getting as low as 17 MPG is not, however. No doubt it all balances out to meet Federal standards, though, just as the Ford fleet does with its hybrid(s) and electric Focuses (Foci?)
The MKZ itself has a lot to recommend it. It's exterior features a slim, tasteful windswept grille and a handsome, though seemingly Dodge Charger-inspired rear lamp assembly. The tiny rear window is attractive and not at all derivative of the BMW "Hofmeister Kink" as so many others have been.
The interior features an acceptable level of luxury, with all the right wood and leather in the right places. The placement of the shift buttons (yes, buttons) on the center console are at once eyebrow-lifting and interesting - perhaps even logical. The buttons on the Aston Martin-like center console are flush and polished nicely, and there's no question one is inside a luxury car.
Hopefully, this attractive and serviceably luxurious MKZ and the new re-branding can pull the brand out of the trash bin, where it has been tossed by many dismissive customers for decades now.
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