Picture Gallery: 2007 Lincolns
 2007 Lincoln MKX Click to Enlarge |
I was recently invited to a Lincoln preview event where I had the chance to comb through the all new Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Navigator models. Although my time behind the wheel of each of these vehicles was short, I was able to form some initial impressions on Lincoln’s new line up for 2007.
The MKX is an all new vehicle for Lincoln, based off of the new Ford Edge CUV which competes with the Nissan Murano and Mazda CX7 in this segment.
 2007 Lincoln MKX Click to Enlarge |
The MKX brings chrome accents and smooth edges around the exterior with equally stunning styling front or back. The rear wrap around tail lights with jeweled reverse lights in the cluster are extremely stylish.
The interior is very nice as well, lined with beautifully covered leather seating and real wood accents. The new Lincoln line-up keeps consistency between models with stunning nickel and chromed trim and accented dash with a swooping centre console.
 2007 Lincoln MKX Click to Enlarge |
More than 65% new this year is the Lincoln MKZ, which replaces the Lincoln Zephyr in an attempt to create consistency across the brand in both styling and feel. A more powerful and efficient 263 horsepower engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission provides a more sporting feel with shorter first and second gears for better initial acceleration.
 2007 Lincoln MKZ Click to Enlarge |
The 2007 MKZ also brings available intelligent all-wheel-drive, the same all-wheel-drive system available on the Ford 500 and Ford Fusion Sedans. I’ve personally had experience with this system on ice and snow and can confirm it is both a capable and fun intelligent system that allows some oversteer when prodded, while providing safe and secure traction in normal driving.
 2007 Lincoln MKZ Click to Enlarge |
The new MKZ is also available in a front-wheel-drive model which is very capable as well. With a variably boosted steering ratio and upsized anti-roll bars the MKZ is one Lincoln that is fun to drive, two things not typically spoken in the same breath.
All three of these models are quiet and comfortable on the inside and provide the luxurious ride you would expect from the Lincoln brand. As well, all three of these vehicles can break the silence in extraordinary fashion with an available THX II-Certified surround sound audio system with 14 speakers, including two subwoofers and with 600 watts of power. All new 2007 Lincolns are also available with Sirius satellite radio and an integrated AUX input jack as standard.
 2007 Lincoln Navigator Click to Enlarge |
The Lincoln Navigator is the original full-size luxury SUV, whose main competitor is Cadillac’s Escalade. The Navigator provides class-leading cargo capacity and uncompromising levels of luxury and comfort.
 2007 Lincoln Navigator Click to Enlarge |
The new Navigator has a profile defined by clean, sheer and tapered surfaces. This design extends from the back to front with smooth quarter panels, chiseled side mirror shells and a proud, stable stance on 20-inch chrome wheels.
With a 2nd and 3rd row of seats that fold completely flat the Navigator provides an unbelievable amount of cargo capacity. 2925 litres to be precise and the available L edition offers a cavernous 3631 litres of space, that’s enough to fit a small car!
Surprisingly for such a large vehicle it is easy to handle and does not feel bulky or overly large on the road. An unbelievably small turning radius made the Navigator feel very nimble on a small autocross course.
Powered by a 5.4-litre, three-valve Triton V-8, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, that generated 300 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque the Navigator feels in no way lethargic on the road.
Overall I came back from this short event looking forward to Lincoln’s new line-up. With an injection of fun-to-drive and a quality luxury feel, the new Lincoln line-up should help Ford pick-up some stronger sales in the next year.
October 10, 2006, 03:52:19 pm The new MKX is promising. I'm personally not a fan of the grille which ruins it for me, but otherwise the shape and rear end are very appealing. And the interior is the best Lincoln has done in as far back as I can remember, by a long long loooooong margin.
October 10, 2006, 05:44:58 pm I hate the design. Its about as sexy as a lumb of lard
.
October 10, 2006, 09:49:49 pm Yes, you've got to hate those "lumbs of lard".
October 11, 2006, 12:47:30 am Lincoln Recipe: Take basic Ford model. 1) Upgrade to highest Ford model level. 2) Slap more chrome on grill. 3) Slap Licoln name on dash (apparently some people might mistake it for..... a Ford) 4) Change headlights and tailigihts from Ford model - and in some cases, change means slap more chrome on Ford version of headlight/tailight to achieve desired "Lincoln" effect. 5) If deemed appropriate, make minor change to C pillar - but only when necessary. Sell for $2000 more. Done. Oh, and if there must be a Mercury model, take Lincoln recipe, remove some chrome, and sell for $500, more than Ford model.
October 11, 2006, 02:13:05 am True. But it worked for Lexus by upgrading the Camry from Toyota.
October 11, 2006, 10:57:10 am The new navigator has got a very ugly set of instrument gauges. What's up with the rectangular early 50's analog look. I'm sure it will miss the mark with young hip-hop bling my ride wannabe's.
October 11, 2006, 11:10:24 am
I don't get it either. The MKX is furthest away from this, and has a more contemporary interior (no dash top extending over the edge like MKZ, etc). I don't get the retro plastic interior look they were gunning for. Awful. Made it hard to look past to the other merits of the vehicle.
October 11, 2006, 11:11:47 am The MKX is downright ugly. Maybe not Aztec ugly but certainly getting there. What were they thinking?
The other two are rather dull but I'm not really the target buyer for either.
October 11, 2006, 11:33:31 am I don't think the MKX will be a big success. First reason: It's an identical twin of the upcoming Ford Edge. Also, if we look at Lincoln Zephyr (now MKZ) sales where is the same car as a Ford Fusion, it's a disaster for Lincoln.
Lincoln need to have it's own identity to get out from the ditch. Cadillac except for the DTS and Escalade, have their own plat-form for CTS, STS and SRX. Even if it share the same plat-form, the DTS is way different from the Buick Lucerne.
October 11, 2006, 05:22:39 pm with all the technological advancements, Ford still uses that stupid numerical security pad on their cars! C'mon, we're at intelligent key/push button starters already!
October 11, 2006, 09:34:04 pm Apparently Lincoln customers like that keypad and it signals it is a Ford. That's how they described it. They do have a good point, if you forget or lose your key at least the keypad can be used, those keyfobs are useless if you lose it.
October 11, 2006, 09:43:05 pm
They may in fact be the sh!ttiest looking guages on any modern day car made.
October 11, 2006, 11:16:01 pm One look at the Lincoln's grille and thoughts of JFK's assassination soon follow.
October 12, 2006, 12:05:44 pm
That keypad comes in really handy if you are doing something where you don't want to carry a key or fob around (at the beach, cycling, hiking, etc.).
October 12, 2006, 05:14:19 pm Does anyone know if the MKZ available with electronic stability control?
I have not seen this feature in the MKZ's list of standard or optional equipment?
October 12, 2006, 05:29:19 pm
I have not seen this feature in the MKZ's list of standard or optional equipment?
I only see traction control.
October 12, 2006, 06:11:39 pm It comes with AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control™.
Railton
October 12, 2006, 06:16:10 pm MKZ is not offered with stability only traction assist system. The MKX does have the RSC feature.
MKZ spec page http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm?vehicle_id=1378&press_section_id=398&make_id=93
October 13, 2006, 01:29:53 am MKZ = old Zephyr
MKX = X-over (Crossover)
At least that's how I keep them straight. Stupid Lincoln names.
October 13, 2006, 06:46:01 am Lincoln Blogs ....err LOGS......they may have laid ONE.....?..........................
October 13, 2006, 11:28:50 am Quit playing with your wood, Saf.
October 13, 2006, 12:24:39 pm Sorry ...I forgot ya had FIRST DIB DIB DIBS on MY WOGGLE it won't happen agin'
October 15, 2006, 06:45:05 pm WORKERS STRIKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Here is some online info about the late September 2006 strike at Ford Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada. The OAC facility is involved in the production of the Freestar minivan and had just launched the new Ford Edge and upscale Lincoln MKX crossovers when the contract talks broke down and the picket lines went up. The strike by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP), Local 2003 completely shut all production at the facility, sidelining operations for the 3,600 people employed there.
ENVIRO CONCERNS ON THE FRONT BURNER
This is the first strike in North America wherein workers demands included environmental improvements that would benefit the employer, the workers and the community. Central to the dispute was the union push to have CEP, Ford of Canada, third party electrical energy generation experts and the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government come together to evaluate what could be done to make a dent in aleviating the electricity shortage / greenhouse gas emmision crisis in Southern Ontario. The strikers proposed the development of a co-generation facility at the Ford Oakvlle plant by outside interests in an effort to secure their employment for years to come.
FIVE ONLINE RESOURCES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CEP FORD STRIKE
Part 1. Video News report posted on Revver and Youtube
Hamilton ON CH 11 news September 25, 2006
<a href="http://one.revver.com/watch/79681">Revver - CEP Ford Strike</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsuU0VJGXwE">YouTube - CEP Ford Strike</a>
Part 2. The CEP union won't back down from their demands to secure a cleaner environment for all
OAKVILLE, Sept. 26, 2006
<a href="http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2006/26/c9898.html">CEP to Ford: let's talk!</a>
Part 3. Photos of those picketers
OAKVILLE, Sept. 26, 2006
<a href="http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/compumanis3@rogers.com/album?.dir=b180re2&/">Ford Strike Pictures - Click the 'View Slideshow' button to view the larger images in turn</a>
Part 4. The strike at Ford has an impact, Detroit hears the picketers loud and clear.
Oakville, ON Sep. 27, 2006
<a href="http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1159307412762&call_pageid=968350072197&col=969048863851">Ford, union resume talks after disruption</a>
Part 5. The final press release from the CEP union
OAKVILLE, ON, Oct. 2, 2006
<a href="http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2006/02/c4111.html">CEP gets Ford back to bargaining and back to work</a>
October 15, 2006, 08:29:32 pm The Navigator's grill is too busy... needs to be simplified. Same goes for the "Mark X". And what's this? The Navigator's 32V engine has been replaced with a 24V engine identical to what you get in an F150? So much for Lincolns being special. As for the model names, Zephr was better than MKZzzzzzzz, Aviator was a better name than MKXxx.
While these models look better than what they replaced... you have to keep in mind what what being replaced was either uncompetitive or getting really long in tooth.
The Lincoln brand needs some new management... preferably someone who know's Lincoln's history and has a real idea of what a Lincoln is.
The brand also needs some powertrain improvements. The V6 in the Zephr.. err ... mkzzzz... is identical to the one you can get in a Ford. Why can't Ford introduce some differentiation... like having Direct Injection in the Lincoln model so it makes more power and gets better fuel economy?
But I guess that might require some real investment in the brand. Couldn't have that. Something like that would never pay off.
Just look at Cadillac.
October 16, 2006, 10:06:25 am Here is a review written by a poster over at the Blue Oval forum, on the MKZ 3.5 AWD variant. As usual Ford has not delivered a well tweaked 3.5 engine.
This year the car gets a new name and a new engine. The new name, MKZ, is clearly a bad idea. When Lincoln is offering an MKZ, an MKX, an MKS, and so forth, you can count on consumers being just as confused as they were when Chrysler offered half-dozen different LeBarons. I know my cars, and I'm already saying MKX when I mean MKZ, and vice-versa. (I'll probably even do it while writing this review.)
Going into this test drive, I had more hope for the engine. The Zephyr made do with the latest (and perhaps last variation) of the 3.0 V6 introduced with the 1996 Taurus. The 3.0 was not competitive in terms of power or of refinement. The MKZ's all-new 3.5-liter V6 kicks out 263 horsepower using regular unleaded, so the specs look good. In addition, all-wheel-drive is now an option. Sadly, stability control is still not available, a major omission in this segment.
To find out how much difference the 3.5 and AWD make, I took a new MKZ for a spin.
Despite producing nearly as much power as the premium-requiring 272-horsepower 3.5-liter in the new Lexus ES 350, the new 3.5 in the MKZ does not feel nearly as strong.
Part of the problem might be that I sampled the 200-pound-heavier AWD version. But the Lexus ES 350 splits the difference between the 3,469-pound FWD MKZ and the 3,672-pound AWD MKZ, so this isn't much of an explanation. The real culprits are a overly stiff throttle (which suggests that you shouldn't push it too far), the throttle map, and I suspect the shape of the torque curve. Pushed near the redline the MKZ's 3.5 wakes up. Acceleration is especially energetic at highway speeds. But in the midrange it doesn't feel nearly as energetic as it should. In the Lexus, a bit of gas shoots the car effortlessly forward. In the Lincoln, you never feel the same solid, reassuring push in the lower back.
I've noticed a similar shortcoming in the 2.3-liter four used in many Fords and Mazdas, and in the old 3.0 as employed in the Mazda6 and Zephyr, for that matter. Ford has some learning to do on the subject of a pleasurable torque curve and the associated throttle mapping.
The 3.5 is about average in terms of refinement compared to other recently introduced V6s. It produces a conventional low, not overly loud roar when prodded. In comparison, Toyota/Lexus' 3.5 feels silky and sounds like money.
EPA ratings are 19/27 with FWD, 18/26 with AWD. These numbers are about average for this sort of engine in this sort of car. Direct injection would help: the Lexus ES 350 rates 21/30.
The six-speed automatic transmission is overly eager to upshift, and requires a fairly large prod at the gas to downshift, further emphasizing the engine's subpar midrange. No mechanism is provided to manually shift it; the only choices are D and L, not good considering there are six ratios to work with.
The all-wheel-drive system, on the other hand, worked surprisingly well. I found I could go full throttle at will. No matter how much the front wheels were turned, I never felt a tug at the steering wheel or heard a throttle-induced squeal from the tires.
A Lincoln should not only look different than a Mercury or Mazda. It should also drive differently. This has largely been achieved. Last year, even before leaving the dealership parking lot I could readily tell that the Zephyr had a significantly plusher, more insulated feel than the Milan or Mazda6. The Lincoln weighs about 200 pounds more than the Milan, and additional sound deadening material likely accounts for much of this difference.
Lincoln claims to have tightened up the suspension a bit this year, and even last year its behavior was far removed from the land yachts of yore. Still, once underway the Lincoln continues to have a softer, looser character than the Milan. Steering feel suffers a bit from the MKZ's additional dampening, but isn't entirely absent.
The chassis is still biased towards understeer, but the all-wheel-drive system helps get the most out of what it has to offer. This midsize Lincoln is not intended to be a driver's car, and isn't one. But the MKZ will take whatever you decide to dish out with aplomb, maintaining excellent composure up to its moderate limits. As you approach said limits, the outside front Michelin will begin to squeal. Back off the throttle just a touch, and the tire shuts up and the car keeps going. Even without stability control, the MKZ's handling is both very accessible and very safe. I'd still like to see stability control, as this highly recommended safety feature is standard on most competitors.
Ride quality is better than in the Milan, and much better than in the Mazda, but isn't quite to Lexus levels. Noise levels compare similarly. In this area the MKZ is about 85 percent of the way to where it needs to be.
Overall, the MKZ achieves a very reasonable compromise between a traditional Lincoln and a contemporary luxury-sports sedan. A Lexus ES, for example, has lighter steering, leans more, and loses its composure more readily (if much much readily than it did before the 2007 redesign), while an Acura TL or especially an Infiniti G35 is tighter and sportier.
The MKZ is clearly more Lincoln than Mazda, if anything too much so. Previous Lincoln owners seeking a more efficient, more maneuverable car will find much to like. And those who prioritize luxury and ride quality might find the midsize Lincoln an afforable alternative to a Lexus ES. But enthusiasts will likely find the instrument panel too traditional (though the darker interior helps a lot) and the chassis a bit over-insulated. Luckily for Lincoln, most buyers in this segment likely fall into the Lexus rather than the Acura camp.
The new engine is definitely an improvement, but it's at best average among today's generally excelent 3.5-liter sixes. The all-wheel-drive proved a more impressive addition.
I'm still not quite to four stars for the MKZ. A few tweaks to the engine and/or throttle calibration ought to do the trick, though. A better-shaped and -positioned rear seat cushion would also be a good idea.
http://www.epinions.com/content_262697553540