Power from the entry-level 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder motor is adequate (245 horses and 275 lb-ft of twist), but it’s being asked to motivate 1,769 kilograms of car, which means passing is best planned and then executed rather than impulsively attempted. A six-speed automatic transmission is standard with the 2.0L, as is all-wheel drive, which will be a boon during the harsher winter months.

If you’re on a greener kick, Lincoln has continued its forward-thinking policy of pricing the hybrid version of the MKZ identically to the gas-only model – a strategy that has traditionally seen the order mix for the car skew respectably towards electrification. This means the $42,000 nets you either the base turbocharged engine or a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder that works together with an electric motor to produce 188 hp. What you lose in grip and performance (the MKZ Hybrid is front-wheel-drive only) you more than make up for in fuel savings, what with the 5.7 L/100 km city rating for the battery-assisted sedan doubling the efficiency of the gas-powered sedan.

Lurking in the shadows – and not yet available to Canadian buyers – is the version of the 2017 Lincoln MKZ that I very much want to drive. The flagship edition of the four-door luxury car is set to debut a twin-turbo 3.0 L V6 that’s good for 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, managed by an all-wheel-drive system that can be outfitted with a performance-enhancing torque-vectoring system. Destined to be the quickest and most agile member of the Lincoln family in recent memory, the V6 TT represents the automaker’s best shot at snagging the attention of buyers who typically source their luxury wares from across the Atlantic.

Still, even with the promised punch of the twin-turbo model just over the horizon alongside its newly tailored suit, the 2017 Lincoln MKZ does not have an easy road ahead of it. Lincoln has become lost in the nebulous world of ‘premium’ automobiles that intersect a little too closely with the top-shelf offerings of brands like Nissan, Toyota, and of course Ford, while also being forced to battle against more focused luxury efforts from Buick, Acura and Lexus. With the MKZ and MKC as two of its cardinal points – and the soon-to-be-delivered Continental executive sedan representing a potential third – the company may finally have the bearings it needs to escape the doldrums it has been mired in for far too long.

Pricing: 2017 Lincoln MKZ
2017 Lincoln MKZ Select AWD: $42,000
2017 Lincoln MKZ Reserve AWD: $46,000
2017 Lincoln MKZ HEV Select: $42,000
2017 Lincoln MKZ HEV Reserve: $46,000
Freight and PDI: $1,900

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