2009 Lincoln MKS
Not Yet Ranked
Lincoln MKS - What the Auto Press Says
What: A new large luxury car from Lincoln, built on the Ford Taurus platform, to replace the aging Town Car.
When: Scheduled release in late summer, 2008.
Price Range: Will range from around $38,000 to nearly $50,000.
New For 2009
The venerable Lincoln Town Car had its day, but it has been largely relegated to fleet sales for several years. It's the workhorse of limousine services everywhere. The last body-on-frame car for sale in the U.S., it rides on a chassis first designed in 1981. It isn't much for a luxury car marquee to hang its hat on.
So for 2009, Lincoln has ended production of the Town Car, and will introduce its replacement, the MKS. Intended to bring Lincoln brand into the 21st century, the MKS looks more like what the competition has been offering for years. It offers technologies now common to Mercedes-Benz and Lexus cars. It's still, however, a bit underpowered next to those competitors, and fully optioned out, may cost more than some more established alternatives.
What The Auto Press Says
The automotive press doesn't mourn the passing of the Town Car, but it isn't sure the MKS will be enough to bring Lincoln the market share it needs. The MKS is widely considered attractive. Though a dramatic departure from its predecessor, it's still a bit understated by the standards of its segment. The car is built on a platform sourced from Volvo, and used in Volvo's S80 and Ford's Taurus. It's a well-known architecture that produces decent, though not class-beating, driving dynamics. But Lincoln has mated it to a V6 putting out 270 horsepower -- nothing embarrassing, but surprisingly little power for this class. Some media outlets say a turbocharged version will be offered that might offer up to 400 horsepower and actually sip less gas than the V8s most competitors rely on. With gas prices rising throughout 2008, and with no end in sight, that development would make the MKS worth a look for many luxury buyers. The currently available engine, however, offers only a 17/24 MPG rating -- nothing special in this class.
Here is what the press has to say about the coming 2009 Lincoln MKS:
- "Whether or not the all-new MKS will be able to live up to its goal of attracting younger Lincoln owners remains to be seen, but at least on paper, the car itself seems to have the technical and mechanical prowess to win over buyers in any age segment." -- Motor Trend
- "Though the 3.7-liter V-6 isn't going to blow the doors off the competition with its 270 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque, the turbocharged version promises the power of a V-8 and the fuel economy of a V-6 when it launches within a year of the car's introduction."- Winding Road
- The passenger cabin "exhibits much more attention to style and craftsmanship than the interior of any Lincoln in decades." -- Car and Driver
- "The overall look is meant to draw on design elements from vehicles as old as the 2941 Lincoln Zephyr, without looking retro." -- Left Lane News
Key Details
The 2009 Lincoln MKS will initially be sold only with a 3.7-liter V6 outputting 270 horsepower. A turbocharged version of the engine will be introduced sometime in 2009, which may offer as much as 400 horsepower, without the fuel-thirsty drawbacks of a V8.
All wheel drive will be offered, but most likely not standard.
The MKS will offer the latest generation of Ford's well-liked SYNC Bluetooth-enabled wireless communication system, which allows drivers to use voice control for nearly all of the car's technologies, as well as for any Bluetooth devices (including cell phones and mp3 players) inside the car.
Stay tuned for a full 2009 Lincoln MKS review.
