2009 Lincoln MKS Bottom Line

The 2009 Lincoln MKS’s smart performance, subdued good looks, and roomy interior put the brand back in full-size, luxury-sedan territory.

Likes
-Modern yet classic styling
-Exceptional list of standard features
-Remarkably quiet ride
-Dynamic enough for the class

Dislikes
-Odd front headrest position
-Steering wheel doesn't telescope out far enough
-Looking forward to more powerful EcoBoost turbo engine [this engine is not mentioned anywhere in the text]

The 2009 Lincoln MKS is new for Ford’s upscale brand, though its basic running gear links it to a large family of Ford products, including the new Volvo S80, as well as the current Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Volvo XC90.

The 2009 Lincoln MKS's distinctive styling sets it apart from its close kin. The MKS is the first production Lincoln to use the division's new grille design, which the company previewed on the MKS and MKT auto show concept vehicles.A new 275-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 powers the MKS. The engine performs adequately, with a high degree of smoothness and little noise or fuss. While premium fuel is required to hit the 275-hp mark, using regular fuel delivers a still healthy helping of horsepower with no change in fuel economy (17/24 mpg for front-wheel drive and 16/23 mpg for all-wheel drive).

The new Lincoln's six-speed automatic is seen in other Ford products such as the Edge, but has been thoroughly recalibrated for this upscale installation. In the MKS, the transmission includes a sport mode as well as manual shift capabilities. Throughout the hills of Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C., with the transmission in the sport setting, the gearbox shifted aggressively. Its performance was close to anticipatory and did an excellent job of keeping the Lincoln in the right gear at the right time—just what an automatic transmission should do.

Pricing starts at around $38,000 for a front-wheel-drive MKS without any fancy options—but including standard features as heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, Ford’s SYNC entertainment system, and HID headlamps—and runs up to $46,000 for a decked-out, all-wheel-drive edition.

© Source: thecarconnection
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Lincoln MKS and MKX at the New York Auto Show

Join us at the 2008 New York Auto Show for an up close look at Lincoln's brand new flagship auto, the MKS, as well as their MKX crossover.



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2009 Lincoln MKS

If you’ve been waiting for the all-new 2009 MKS with quiet patience, then the new Lincoln flagship is for you. This is a car all about refined luxury for the responsible types who want a little pampering and a little power—but it must be guilt-free.Ford will start building the full-size luxury sedan at its Chicago plant next summer.

Volume should be in the 40,000 range annually, with a starting price below $38,000.
On the style spectrum, the MKS lands between the Lincoln MKZ (formerly Zephyr) and the sexy MKR concept that kept bringing us back to the Lincoln stand at the Detroit show in January to double-check that it was really wearing a Lincoln badge.

The MKS will launch with a new 3.7-liter V-6 that won’t be shared with Ford or Mercury brand vehicles, says Derrick Kuzak, group vice president responsible for global product development. It produces 270 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, which is up 20 lb-ft over Ford’s 3.5-liter V-6 upon which it is derived. It is similar to the 3.7-liter engine in the Mazda CX-9. It is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift to manually select gears.

And for the 2010 model year, the MKS will get a new gasoline direct-injection turbo-charged V-6, the start of the rollout of the TwinForce powertrain initiative Ford has promised to boost performance in a fuel-efficient manner. The Lincoln will be the first vehicle to offer the automaker’s new DI technology that we knew was coming, after the automaker threw a twin-turbo direct-injection 3.-5-liter V-6 in the rear-drive MKR concept. That engine was described as producing 415 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The MKS may not be twin-turbo, but the writing is on the wall for future models.

© Source: caranddriver
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