This is the future of Lincoln, or at least part of it. Revealed for the first time this morning in Detroit, the Lincoln MKZ concept is the latest in a long line of "revival" vehicles designed to bring the luxury car company back from the dead.
Based on the same platform that underpins the new 2013 Ford Fusion shown yesterday, the MKZ concept will arrive in production form later this year with only minor changes. Lincoln officials didn't say much about the specifications of the new sedan; instead they talked about where they hope to take the brand.
Ford's marketing chief Jim Farley said that Lincoln is going to focus on luxury buyers who are feeling a little left out by BMW and Mercedes. He said those brands have become so focused on big sales numbers that they have forgotten about the personal touch of a true luxury brand.
It's a nice idea and there's no doubt that there are always customers out there who want something a little different. But the idea that Lincoln is going to snatch away customers from BMW and Mercedes simply by providing more personalized service is a stretch. Yeah, people like great service, but they also like great cars and great brands. Right now, Lincoln doesn't have any great cars and the brand is barely a shadow of its former self.
bonzjr says:
06:29 AM, 01/10/12
Wow. Someone on the Lincoln side of the Glass House (more likely just a conference room with no windows in the basement these days) must have screwed up. This thing is actually attractive. And thought it's obviously Fusion-based, it looks quite distinct. I think I want to say "kudos!" to Ford on this one.
If I had to guess, I'd say it'll snag the V6 motors too (which were left off the Fusion) to keep it mechanically different as well too (save for the hybrid versions). Couple that with some "rear-biased AWD" (the Fusion will have it as an option) and this could be somewhat interesting.
Just when you think it's all over...
throwback says:
06:34 AM, 01/10/12
very nice. Love the profile and rear 3/4 view. The front end seems a little plain to me. I think the grill needs work. The interior shots I've seen elsewhere look very nice, I'm glad they did not try to ape Audi's interior look. Now, if only they would do something with their car names.
mtolbertjax says:
06:42 AM, 01/10/12
Bravo Lincoln. Finally a design you could park next to another luxury marque and be proud of. Still not completely sold on that front grill but this is light year's ahead of the "butta" face that is the MKT. With this, I'm excited about the possibilities for Lincoln again and Ford is definitely hitting home runs this year. Bravo.
wjtinatl says:
06:47 AM, 01/10/12
Pretty nice. Hope Lincoln gets both the interior and the pricing right, if so they should be able to gain some traction with this. Keep it under 40k with a strong V-6, nice leather and the customary comfort/convenience items (good audio, sunroof and navi) and competing with the ES350, CTS, C300 and Lacrosse should be a reasonable goal.
miamifan1 says:
07:03 AM, 01/10/12
what is this about a "new platform" they keep going on about? is it the same fusion platform, updated? or is it truly all-new?
_feloniousmonk says:
07:32 AM, 01/10/12
miamifan1 says:
"what is this about a "new platform" they keep going on about? is it the same fusion platform, updated? or is it truly all-new?"
From what I can gather, it's an "all-new" midsize platform engineered to be a "world car", with all markets in mind and having a say in the design.
ctpaul says:
07:48 AM, 01/10/12
overall nicely executed and can hardly tell there is a Fusion under there, even the new one. However I am sorry, that front end is simply hideous. Lincoln keeps tinkering with the front end styling, on many of their vehicles that is all that really separates it from the Ford, but this one is simply bad. I want to like it and I like the rest of the vehicle, but that nose is a deal killer. Oh and also probably price - Lincoln needs to offer more than service to justify their steep prices over their Ford brethren.
revn says:
07:54 AM, 01/10/12
The way the grill flows into the headlights is... interesting. Maybe it'll grow on me, but I can't say I like it. Love the car overall, differentiates itself from the Fusion very well. The rear end especially looks nice. Looks like this one has a glass roof like the Mustang. Makes the car seem a lot more open.
frank908 says:
07:54 AM, 01/10/12
Except that this is a concept not the actual car. This concept is one inch wider than what the production car is going to be. The wheels are concept huge. And the glass roof and many details inside the car are concept car level and will be dialed-back for the production car at the END OF THE YEAR for God's sake.
This should be the actual car. here. now.
Read about it on Autoblog cause Inside Line fails to mention any of the details.
nwng says:
08:21 AM, 01/10/12
tinkle with the grille design a little bit to get the proportions right and you have a winner. lincoln is not selling anywhere else but the US, so don't follow the euro or asian trends and have a design of your own that is uniquely US.
edsel4u says:
08:21 AM, 01/10/12
Thank goodness they are reducing the whale grill. Chrome is making a comeback - tail fins and white-walls are sure to follow.
transpower says:
08:42 AM, 01/10/12
I agree with these comments. This looks like a fine Lincoln--just make a hybrid and AWD available for it!
blueguydotcom says:
08:45 AM, 01/10/12
If they're not willing to make totally distinct and totally "lincoln" (whatever that is) cars, then kill the brand. GM/Ford are stupidly making uber-generic rebadged cars for their mid-tier luxury lines. Go all in and challenge Lexus/BMW/etc of just give it up. Fail.
priceless409 says:
08:59 AM, 01/10/12
Overall I think the design is very striking and would age nicely. With nicer interior appointments and a powerful AWD V6 option, the MKZ could differentiate itself from the ford nicely.
This is a concept but I will say from the last side view photo, right where the top portion of the trunk meets the lower rear end it looks as if a little more work is needed to make it flow a little better. from that view it looks as if that top portion was just plopped on, maybe it's just from that view though? I also think there is a little too much black plastic on the rear end, maybe lessen it and make it piano black? Those are my only gripes. Does anyone else think the new grille design with the lincoln badge in the center looks like angel or butterfly wings?
xprojected says:
09:14 AM, 01/10/12
Lincoln needs a Jaguar-style reboot or it will suffer the fate of Mercury. Embrace heritage and bring back successful names. Leave the alphabet soup to Cadillac. Kill the monstrosity that is the MKT. Reinvent the MKS into a Continental. A halo sports coupe (Mark ?) could bring prestige to the brand, even in low volume. If the Navigator still sells, offer a glitzed up Ford Expedition instead.. worked for the F150 Platinum. The MKX sells well enough to keep alive. But there is no shame in making Lincoln a car-only brand again.
As for the MKZ (what was wrong with Zephyr?), I'm not a fan of the A7-style trunk-less, high beltline design, but it's what Lincoln needs to distinguish it from Ford. A step in the right direction.
kingkhalas says:
09:53 AM, 01/10/12
Better but still ugly.
coolb944 says:
10:26 AM, 01/10/12
Very modern looking. Is that a slight Kamm tail I see? Interesting Lincoln, interesting...
purple43 says:
11:10 AM, 01/10/12
Front-end still needs work: grille still lacks charm and class; slanty-eyed headlights are such a cliche these days. For this kind of money, I want something that says "great taste" in every detail.
Suggestion: find an attractive new way to offer great visibility. The extreme windshield rake, thick pillars and shallow greenhouse area of today's vehicles create an "in a tunnel" driving experience. This eliminates the sense of open-road freedom that was once a core part of the great American driving experience. Regrettably, today's urban driving conditions have destroyed that tradition, but why not provide at least an illusion of it for those first few seconds before you pull out of the driveway.
I sat in a Model T recently and was astounded by the superb 360-degree visibility. So much for progress.
urbanxj says:
12:24 PM, 01/10/12
Yup, this looks pretty good indeed.
joe_scuba says:
01:06 PM, 01/10/12
What a joke, a Mexican build front wheel drive Lincoln.
If they are to get serious they will build a rear wheel drive car and in the USA like Caddy.
The Lincoln brand is a replacement for Mercury nothing more. Sad Sad shame on Ford
sranger says:
01:07 PM, 01/10/12
Significantly better than the hideous MKT & MKS, but not brand saving styling. The grill is better in proportion of the rest of the design that recent Lincolns.
It does not look like the new Lincoln design team will be able to save the brand if this is the best that they can do......
bemanix88 says:
01:44 PM, 01/10/12
Dat ass.
gtrguy2012 says:
01:58 PM, 01/10/12
Rear end looks great, the Fusion has the best front end i've seen in a long time.
angry_mushroom says:
04:06 PM, 01/10/12
Just please leave a V6 option. That would very much set Lincoln apart from Ford. I really dig the horizontal theme going on. Especially the area around the grill and rear lights. All I ask is that they change nothing when going to production.
markstip says:
04:17 PM, 01/10/12
Nice job Lincoln, I did not care for the new Fusion at all, but the MKZ is nice looking. Like the new grill, but i'd say some tweeks in scale and proportion of the headlights. very nice side profile and I really love that original rear-end thats almost 60's,esc, the tail lightd maybe a tad larger, but keep that shape, it could become a new lincoln design cue. Congrats Lincoln. I do wonder if Ford needs to give you a Rear-Drive platform, but Audi seems to be doing fine with-out them. A nice coupe and convertable could also be in order. The MKZ is a big step forward for Lincoln. Did they finally find a "Car guy or gal" at Ford? Keep the bean counters away from Lincoln.
gregbird says:
07:41 PM, 01/10/12
I like the looks, save for the that horrible grille, which I was hoping was going away completely rather than getting squished. I agree with what others have said, they need to pull a Jaguar, but they cannot do that by using Fords to start off a project with. Luxury vehicles are Luxury for a reason, they're not just fancier Fords. Even Lexus is learning that you can't just take a car and make it more comfortable. It has to be unique. Sure, they can be a few over-lapping vehicles, but currently all Lincoln really is, is a top trim level to a Ford model. Expedition-Navigator, MKT-Flex (UGLY), MKX-Edge, MKS-Taurus (Taurus does luxury better), MKZ-Fusion.
This is a step in the right direction, but it's not there yet. I'd take the basic shape, replace the grille, and put it on a new RWD/AWD chassis with at least good handling and take it from there. They don't have to be sports cars, but even Cadillac has learned that it helps to be able to entertain the driver.
rayzor says:
08:00 AM, 01/11/12
I like this design alot. Very nice grille, relative to what Lincoln has offered recently. Hope it makes it to production.
germancarguy says:
03:16 PM, 01/11/12
A "Concept"? Give me a break. It's just a re-badged/re-done 2013 Ford Fusion/Mondeo. That's al it is. Just like Toyota/Lexus does with it's Camry/ES.
jimmytheg says:
03:35 PM, 01/11/12
Pheeeew-sion.
roar02ram says:
05:01 PM, 01/11/12
Lincoln really nailed the fundamentals of the car's styling...dare I say, I think some of the fundamentals of this car (proportions, etc) are better than the Audi A7's. This is a much more interesting design than the A7, IMO. However, the grille needs work. It looks forced or contrived, bad, something not good.
willjam71 says:
03:32 PM, 01/15/12
I think it is a very big step in the right direction for Lincoln. When my father was alive, he always loved Lincolns, so they will always hold a special place for me. I will be rooting for them. Hope they can do something to turn it around.