 2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD. Click image to enlarge |
|
Related articles on Autos
Manufacturer’s web site
|
Join Autos’s Facebook group
Follow Autos on TwitterReview and photos by Greg Wilson
Find this vehicle in Autos’s Classified Ads
Photo Gallery:
2010 Lincoln MKZ
North Vancouver, British Columbia – Based on the mid-size Ford Fusion sedan, Lincoln’s entry-level luxury sedan first appeared in 2005 as the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr. A year later, the name was changed to MKZ (pronounced MK Zed) in line with Lincoln’s new vehicle naming policy, and its 3.0-litre V6 engine was replaced by Ford’s more powerful 3.5-litre V6. The 2007 MKZ also came with a new grille, and the availability of all-wheel drive.
In 2008, heated and cooled front seats, voice-activated navigation, and Sync hands-free phone and entertainment system were added, and in 2009, electronic stability control was finally made available.
Changes to the 2010 model, which is already on sale, are more substantial: new front and rear exterior styling, a new interior design, a new six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission with manual shift capability, rain-sensing wipers, SOS post-crash alert, capless fuel filler, a new Sport Appearance Package, and new optional safety features. All-wheel drive models also get xenon headlamps that swivel when going around corners.
  2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD. Click image to enlarge |
Notable among the new options is Ford’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) and Cross Traffic Alert (CTA). BLIS warns the driver of vehicles in the blind spot areas on both sides of the car using two multiple-beam radar modules behind the rear fenders – lights in the outside rear-view mirrors flash when another car enters the blind spot. When reversing, CTA alerts the driver of approaching vehicles up to 20 metres on either side of the vehicle using audible and visual warnings. These features come as part of an optional “Vision Package” along with a voice-activated navigation system, eight-inch colour screen, TH1 sound system, digital music hard drive, and rearview camera.
The 2010 Lincoln MKZ’s base price has risen from $36,499 to $38,399 for the front-wheel drive model and to $42,199 for the AWD model. My AWD test car had the optional $4,000 Vision Package (navigation system, blind-spot detector, rear-view camera), the $1,500 Sport Appearance Package (18-inch alloy wheels, darker grille and headlight surround, leather-wrapped steering wheel, satin/nickel/aluminum interior trim, sport suspension), $1,600 power moonroof, $300 remote starter, and $80 block heater. With $1,400 Freight and $100 a/c tax, the as-tested price of my test car came to $51,279, not an insubstantial sum.
 2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD. Click image to enlarge |
The MKZ’s new interior improves on the previous cabin in a number of respects. First, it looks better: previously tall and imposing, the instrument panel is now lower, rounder and sportier in appearance with a larger, brighter speedometer relocated to the middle of the new three-gauge cluster and a new speaker in the centre of the dashtop. In the centre stack, the tiny round clock has been replaced with a digital clock, the CD player has been moved below the optional navigation screen which is now eye-level with the gauges, and user-friendly rotary dials have replaced push-buttons on the heater and radio. I’m glad Lincoln removed the shiny silver trim in the instrument panel as it made the controls difficult to see. In the front doors, easier-to-grip vertical grab handles have replaced the horizontal slots.
      2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD. Click image to enlarge |
The standard Scottish-made Bridge of Weir leather upholstery is reputedly milled for 12 hours to ensure a “buttery soft hand”, and the front seats include three-position heating and cooling. The optional Sport Appearance Package adds contrasting piping and seat stripes to the front and rear seats, plus real aluminum dash trim to the dash and doors. The base car has genuine walnut or ash wood trim.
Both front seats feature 10-way power adjustment including power lumbar and three-position memory settings. These are wide, comfy seats with prominent side bolsters. Legroom and headroom are generous and the large door openings allow easy entry and exit.
The floor-mounted transmission lever now features a slimmer shift handle with a leather boot and a new manual shift gate. Just aft of the shift lever are two cupholders with a sliding cover, and there are two more in the rear folding centre armrest. Between the front seats is a new armrest with a roomy bi-level storage bin containing iPod, USB and 12-volt inputs.
For audiophiles, a 14-speaker 600-watt THX II premium sound system with two subwoofers and a 12-channel amplifier is standard in the MKZ. If that’s not enough, the sound system includes a 10-GB hard drive that can store up to 2,400 music tracks. Sirius satellite radio with a free six-month subscription is also standard.
If you choose the optional navigation system, you also get a DVD player capable of playing CDs, MP3s, DVD videos and DVD audio and voice-activation of navigation, climate control and Sirius satellite radio stations. The eight-inch navigation screen is a touch-screen that can be used to input your destination, adjust settings, and adjust the climate control, but not the radio which is adjusted the old fashioned way with dials and buttons. The screen also displays the outside temperature and a compass.
The MKZ also comes with Ford’s voice-activated Sync system that allows hands-free use of a Bluetooth phone, radio, CD player, and portable music players and now includes 911 Assist which automatically dials 911 operators in case of an airbag deployment.
The 2010 MKZ also includes new SOS Post Crash Alert which automatically unlocks the doors, activates the horn and emergency flashers, and turns on the interior lights in the event an airbag deploys.
Another worthwhile new feature for 2010 is a cabin air filter that removes dust and toxins in the air and blocks moisture from getting into the air conditioning system to help prevent potential mould and spore build-up.
The MKZ’s fully lined trunk is very roomy (467 litres/16.5 cu. ft.) and can be expanded via the MKZ’s standard split folding rear seatbacks. One complaint: I hit my head on the protruding latch on the trunklid when loading cargo – this should be redesigned, in my opinion.
It’s natural to compare the MKZ to the car on which it is based, the Ford Fusion. With the same engine, transmission, and fully independent suspension, you’d expect performance to be very similar. For the most part it is, but there is one notable difference: the MKZ is much quieter. Lincoln added even more sound insulation for 2010 and revised the engine mount subsystem to reduce vibrations and noise. At the same time, they re-engineered the engine’s air-induction system to give the engine a “powerful, refined sound Lincoln MKZ customers expect”. On the freeway, the only cabin noise I noticed was some low wind buffeting from the driver’s outside mirror – there is surprisingly little engine and tire noise.
    2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD. Click image to enlarge |
Handling is fairly neutral though not really sporty even with the optional Sport Appearance Package that includes larger 18-inch radials, stiffer springs and larger stabilizer bars: the MKZ is tuned more for comfort than handling. Variable assist steering reduces low-speed steering effort making parking easier while offering a firm, accurate steering feel at highway speeds.
The all-wheel drive system is almost invisible when driving, unless you encounter a slippery road surface. Running in front-wheel drive most of the time, it uses an electro-mechanical clutch to transfer some torque to the rear wheels when slip is detected, and in some cases (at launch) before wheel-slip is detected. The AWD system works in harmony with the standard brake-activated traction control and electronic stability control to keep the car in control on slippery roads.
The MKZ’s 263-horsepower 3.5-litre DOHC 24-valve V6 engine is mated to a new SelectShift six-speed automatic transmission with different gear ratios that has helped reduce the MKZ’s zero to 60 mph time from 7.7 seconds to 7.0 seconds, according to Lincoln. With variable cam timing and 249 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 r.p.m., the V6 has a broad torque curve that gives it a lot of punch off the line and when merging onto the freeway. When cruising on a level surface, the quiet V6 revs at just 1,800 r.p.m. at 100 km/h in sixth gear.
The six-speed transmission’s overdrive cancel switch now locks out fifth and sixth gears to provide more engine braking when descending hills and automatically downshifts on steep grades. If the MKZ driver feels like taking control of the shift points, the new SelectShift six-speed transmission features a manual shift mode – the driver taps forwards to shift down and back to shift up, the opposite of most manumatics. But I didn’t find myself using it very often.
Compared to the MKZ AWD’s published fuel consumption figures of 12.6/8.3 L/100 km (city/hwy), I averaged between 14 and 16 L/100 km in mostly city driving.
When changing lanes, the new blind spot detector works well to alert the driver of unseen vehicles, but the Cross Traffic Alert warning system works almost too well with frequent audible alerts that become rather annoying when backing up. Visibility is generally quite good and the navigation screen includes a rearview camera.
While a very competent luxury car, the MKZ has some heavy competition in the $40,000 to $50,000 price range, including the impressive Cadillac CTS, Audi A4, Infiniti G37, Lexus ES 350, and even the Hyundai Genesis. MKZ aspirants will definitely need to test drive at least some of those cars before buying.
Changes to the Lincoln MKZ for 2010 have resulted in a handsomer, quieter, quicker, safer and more luxurious automobile, but are they enough to compete with its impressive list of domestic and import competitors?
|
Pricing: 2010 Lincoln MKZ AWD
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives
Specifications
Competitors
Crash test results
|
