Lincoln MKZ 2013 Review

Lincoln MKZ 2013 Review. No one at Lincoln minimizes the importance of the 2013 MKZ. The sedan is the first of four new Lincolns debuting over the next three years, and the starting point for an overhaul intended to remake the brand and return it to prosperity, or at least relevance. Lincoln’s management team understands that the clock is ticking.

This new MKZ is about five inches longer than the 2012 model, with five more inches between its wheel hubs. Its exterior dimensions approximate those of the Lexus ES 350, which Lincoln has identified as a prime target for conquest sales. Based purely on the size of its footprint, the new MKZ slots right between the Audi A4 and the A6.

Like its predecessor, this MKZ shares its foundation with the Ford Fusion, which is also all new for 2013. Yet the Lincoln is now much easier to separate from the Ford. Its 112.2-inch wheelbase is common, but other exterior dimensions vary measurably, thanks to the MKZ’s unique shell. With its swoopier roofline, the MKZ has seven cubic feet less volume inside, and a slightly smaller trunk. Every visible stamping, molding, panel or cover is different, inside and out, save the seat rail covers, according to Lincoln engineers. The MKZ has its own insulation package, acoustic side glass, standard magnetorheological suspension, larger brake rotors and calipers and other upgrades not offered in the Fusion.

The MKZ’s base engine is the Fusion’s line-topper: Ford’s 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, generating 240 hp and 270 pound-feet of torque. That’s 29 hp and 22 lb-ft more than the base 2.0 turbo in the A4 and A6, and 22 lb-ft more than the 3.5 liter V6 in the ES 350 (or the ’12 MKZ).

The upgrade engine for 2013 is new to the MKZ, but not new to Ford. It’s essentially the 3.7-liter V6 that powers the base Ford F-150 and Mustang. In the MKZ, the V6 increases horsepower substantially, to 300, and torque marginally, to 277 lb-ft. Both engines come with a conventional six-speed automatic, and both are available with all-wheel drive.

The MKZ hybrid mates a 2.0-liter, 141-hp Atkinson-cycle four with a 47-hp traction motor with a continuously variable transmission. Lighter, more power-dense lithium-ion batteries replace nickel-metal-hydride cells, and the Hybrid now comes with the same V-rated all-season tires that come standard on other MKZs rather than extra-hard eco tires. With EPA ratings of 45 mpg city and 45 highway, the MKZ hybrid still surpasses any luxury-badged hybrid currently available, including the smaller Lexus CT 200h. It will be priced identically to the base MKZ 2.0 turbo, and it will be available with all the same options except 19-inch sport tires or all-wheel drive.

The adjustable suspension, called Continuously Controlled Damping, uses struts in front and a multilink arrangement in the rear. It was developed in-house with an algorithm for pothole detection, adjusting the rear shocks to minimize wham! if a front wheel drops into a pothole. CCD is part of a larger suite called Lincoln Drive Control, which incorporates management of the new electric power steering, throttle and transmission maps, traction and stability control and Active Noise Control into one switch with sport, normal and comfort options.

Active Noise Control? This morsel of electronic wizardry collects sounds in the engine bay, processes them “a couple decibels here and there” to enhance or inhibit, and then streams them through the audio system, even if the volume is down. Lincoln claims it has helped turn one of the loudest cars in its class into the quietest.

Other bits of new MKZ techno pizzazz include standard, all-LED adaptive headlights, rear reading lights hidden under the fabric of the headliner and a panoramic, Targa-style sunroof. (Wait—is that word trademarked?) The entire 15.2 square-foot roof panel slides down over the rear window like that on a Porsche 911 Targa. The MKZ also offers the full range of safety electronics, including adaptive cruise control with braking, blind-spot and cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, auto parallel parking and rear-seat airbag belts. There’s a 700-watt, THX-certified audio upgrade.

Yet as Lincoln sees it, the new MKZ’s calling card is design. It’s the first car from the new, dedicated Lincoln Design Studio, directed by Aussie Max Wolff. From the vertically slatted, Simon Legree moustache of a “split-wing grille” to the LED bar across the tail, to the tall, open, shifterless center console inside, the new MKZ is—at the very least—a lot more interesting and emotive than the old one.

Lincoln understands that a value-laden price scheme could also get people’s attention, and the MKZ’s base price of $35,925 undercuts most potential competitors substantially. At that price, either the 2.0 turbo or hybrid come with Lincoln Drive Control, the LED headlights, remote start and three years of Lincoln Sync concierge services included. All-wheel drive adds $1,890, and the V6, $1,230

How’s it drive?

Not badly at all through a time-sensitive, fair-weather Interstate blast between Detroit and Chicago. The MKZ seats are among the best we’ve experienced in an American-branded automobile, at least for a driver of modest stature, and especially given the simple adjustment options. It’s comfortably pleasant over long, straight roads, and not at all tiresome—in the context of comparably priced Lexuses, Acuras, Audis and Cadillacs, and not Bentleys. There’s minimal wind noise, and generally good management of unwanted ambient noise.

The worst of it was noise from the optional sport tires (a Lincoln first), and then maybe from the EcoBoost. This 2.0-liter turbo is powerful enough for a car of the MKZ’s cut, and reasonably exhilarating if you actually hold gears and exercise the manual-shift paddles on the steering wheel. But it gets buzzy up near its 6500-rpm redline, even with the high-tech digital sound processing. We don’t know how many MKZ buyers will be inclined to bounce the needle off the rev-limiter, but the 2.0 EcoBoost at full song might work counter to the concept of “luxury.” There’s a mileage advantage, to be sure, but experience suggests that the V6 will provide a more substantial, vehicle-appropriate experience.

Lincoln seems to have done its homework with the magnetorheological suspension. The ride/response balance was just about spot-on over the washboard that is Interstate 94. We’ll need more sporting opportunities for definitive conclusions, but we can say with reasonable confidence that the MKZ is more willing to change direction quickly than any Lincoln before. We might say it’s more dynamic, and there is more manageable lateral grip in the suspension tuning and tires than anyone would anticipate in a Lincoln. The default understeer in the MKZ 2.0 AWD is moderate, at worst.

MyFord Touch—make that MyLincoln Touch—is what it is: A collection of touch points with nothing like conventional knobs or buttons. It can be aggravating to learn, and then to use, but so is every stab at an updated driver/auto interface to date. In this reporter’s opinion, it is not even close to the calamitous disaster some reviewers have judged it to be, and it actually has its strengths compared to other solutions presented so far.

The adaptive cruise control works great. The minimum following distance is sufficiently close, and the electronics can be relied on as a backup to slow the car when traffic suddenly bogs. And while one might argue about the graphic presentation of the buttons, the push-button gear selector could be the most direct, functionally effective solution to shift-by-wire drive selection so far—particularly in comparison with the video-game joystick BMW has come up with. The steering-wheel paddles allow full manual override, once you’ve selected drive or sport with a button. The biggest adjustment is loss of a resting spot for the right hand, if you do that sort of thing with a shift lever.

More details: The standard LED headlights look cool and work well enough, but they don’t provide as much light as the best projector beams. The huge sunroof does impinge on visibility, because it leaves the roof panel’s dark framing right in the middle of the rear glass when it’s open. Still, it distorts the view through the rearview much less than the Targa roof on a 911. And if you like the look, the tall, open-sided center console allows you to leave lots of stuff—from phones to wallets to snacks to tablets—securely out of the way, yet still at your fingertips.

That design Lincoln is so proud of? What do we know? Lots of passersby were inquisitive and apparently appreciative through photo sessions in Chicago, but we’ll leave the verdict to Michael Darling, chief curator at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. His summation after a thorough evaluation of the MKZ inside and out:

“Design-wise, it feels contemporary, as if the designers who created it were paying attention to contemporary aesthetics. It doesn’t feel cheap, and that doesn’t have much to do with materials. It has to do with design. It’s well considered, thoughtful, almost custom design.”

Do I want it?

If you’ve been waiting for Lincoln to settle into the 21st century, yes.

If the Lexus ES is the target, we’d guess drivers will prefer the MKZ by a good margin. If design and flashy tech sell, then Lincoln will get some regular luxury buyers, too, though the brand’s baggage is a lot heavier than just product. There are questions about luxury-grade customer service, an old-school dealer network that’s still being reworked, and years of sputtering along on the fringe of the luxury radar screen.

Twenty years ago, Lincoln accounted for nearly 9 percent of Ford Motor Co.’s sales. Today it’s less than 4 percent, even with the demise of Mercury. Half of the Lincolns on the road are more than 10 years old. Matt VanDyke, the new director, Global Lincoln, says his brand needs buyers who are substantially younger and at least 50 percent richer if it is going to thrive. And while he won’t be specific as to how many of those buyers must come from other luxury brands, he figures, “It needs to be half or more.”

It’s a tough hole to climb from, maybe tougher with re-worked rather than revolutionary product. Yet if the 2013 MKZ is the start, Lincoln ain’t dead in the water. Lincoln MKZ 2013 Review.

Price: $36,800 with destination (base); $49,955 (as-tested)

Available: late December

Layout: five-passenger, front-engine, front- or all-wheel-drive sedan

Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four (240 hp, 270 lb-ft) or 3.7-liter V6 (300 hp, 277 lb-ft) with six-speed torque-converter automatic; hybrid system with 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline four (141 hp), electric traction motor (47 hp) and CVT automatic

Curb Weight: 3,710 pounds (2.0 awd, estimate)

Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.2 sec (2.0 awd, estimate);

EPA ratings: 22 mpg city/33 mpg highway (2.0 fwd), 18/26 (3.7 awd), 45/45 (hybrid)

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121121/carreviews/121129978#ixzz2D2J6yLAO