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All-wheel or
front-wheel drive. |
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APN,
8 December 2007.
As Ford Motor Co. is in the process of selling its
British brands Jaguar and Land Rover, following the sale of its other
British sports luxury marque Aston Martin, two premium names will remain
in the portfolio of the American group, Lincoln and Volvo.
The question of selling Volvo or keeping it in the
portfolio remains open to frequent comments and speculations, but one
thing seems to be certain: Lincoln will become again the exclusive luxury
representative of the group, not from the American perspective only -
which it never ceased to be, since the other luxury brands were European -
but especially on the global scale.
To that end, Lincoln is building up its momentum again.
First, it started re-organising its models under a new naming logic, with
the MKX crossover SUV, MKZ sedan and now, with the 2009 MKS model, due to
reach showrooms in summer 2008.
Unveiled last months at the Greater Los Angeles
International Auto Show, the 2009 Lincoln MKS is essentially designed to
drive full-size luxury sedan customers... back to the venerable American
brand.
With its body length of well over five meters, it
doesn't take too long to see where the MKS is supposed to fit: at the top
of the modern sedan line-up, somewhere in lieu of the previous Lincoln LS
/ Jaguar S Type duo, and in parallel with the other venerable Lincoln
model, the Town Car, although on completely different grounds.
While the current Town Car is supposed to remain in
production at Saint Thomas in Canada at least until 2010, the difference
between it and the newcomer is radical. First, the body-on-frame structure
of the rear-wheel drive Town Car is completely different from the unitary
body, front-wheel or all-wheel drive MKS. The traditional Town Car
4.6-litre V8 engine (239 net horsepower) is also a different story from
the 24-valve DOHC, 3.7-litre V6 engine developing in the MKS 270
horsepower (preliminary specifications).
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Up
to 60% of the MKS buyers are expected to be new to Lincoln. |
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The MKS is getting the technical platform of the large
Volvo models, which is also serving in other sedans and crossovers at Ford
(Taurus) and Mercury (Sable).
But if Lincoln's design identity can easily attract its
traditional customers, the objective of the new model is to conquer back
younger customers who migrated to Japanese or German brands, not to
mention the rising luxury ambitions at Korean Hyundai.
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Tempting younger
customers. |
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Unlike traditional luxury buyers who shop based on name
and price tag alone, Ford expects Lincoln MKS customers to be under 50,
many of them first-time luxury buyers, with the hope that a significant
number will be migrating back from import brands. In fact, up to 60
percent of those buying the luxury sedan are expected to be new to
Lincoln.
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Dynamic lines,
with modern drive and engine technologies. |
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That's why the new Lincoln MKS aims to attract its
younger buyers with new technologies in its powertrain, direct gasoline
injection (about a year after the initial launch), front- or all-wheel
drive as well as other features such as the voice-activated, hands-free
in-car communications and navigation systems, the capless fuel filling,
THX-certified audio, a new generation of keyless entry keypad and other
features.
With prices starting from around US$38,000, the new MKS
aims to package these technologies in a body that is no less than 5184mm
long, 1928mm wide, with a 2868mm wheelbase.
Technology
- Before it hits the market, Lincoln's MKS promises the technologies and
features that include:
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Uncluttered
center stack with
an information screen at the top. |
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SYNC, a
hands-free, voice-activated in-car communication and entertainment
system developed by Ford and Microsoft. It integrates most
Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and digital media players.
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THX-certified
audio system with 5.1 Surround Sound, SIRIUS Travel Link and
Voice-Activated Navigation, which provides also real time traffic
updates, movie listings, radar weather forecasts and even directions.
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Heat-sensing
tech with LED backlit numerals in the B-pillar. |
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Lincoln’s
new keypad, which uses heat-sensing technology to bring alive the
keypad of LED backlit numerals embedded in the driver side B-pillar
(opposite photo). The driver enters a five-digit code to unlock the
vehicle.
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Easy Fuel
capless fuel-filler that helps reduce evaporative emissions. When
fueling is completed, and the nozzle is removed, the system
automatically seals shut (see following photo).
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When fueling
is completed, the system automatically seals shut. |
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Adaptive
cruise control (ACC), which allows the driver to set the car’s speed
and maintain that speed without using the accelerator pedal. The
radar-based system also can monitor the vehicle in front (up to 600
feet, or 182 metres) and adjust the speed of the MKS to keep it a safe
distance behind the lead vehicle. Four settings accommodate different
driving styles.
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Push button
to start the engine, a first for Lincoln. |
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Intelligent
access with push button start, which is a first for Lincoln and allows
the driver to enter the car and start the engine without using a key.
Drivers simply carry the special fob as they approach the vehicle,
touch the keyless entry pad on the B-pillar, open the door and with
the brake pedal engaged, start the engine by pushing a button (photo
above).
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Sensors
monitor vehicle speed and steering wheel input
engaging electric motors that pivot the left headlamp
up to 5° and the right one up to 15° to increase the
driver’s field of vision. |
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Adaptive
headlamps with automatic high beams and standard high-jntensity
discharge (HID) lamps, which enhance night time visibility by
illuminating more of the road and reducing glare from oncoming
traffic. Sensors monitor vehicle speed and steering wheel input
engaging electric motors that pivot the left headlamp up to five
degrees and the right headlamp up to 15 degrees to increase the driver’s
field of vision. Plus, automatic high beams switch to high intensity
when no other vehicles are detected.
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Rain-sensing
wipers, which are moisture-activated and programmable.
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Forward
sensing system, to indicate how close front objects are while parking.
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Rearview
camera system, mounted beneath the Lincoln Star on the deck lid and
activated when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, giving the driver
a view of what’s behind the vehicle. The system works in conjunction
with the vehicle’s reverse sensing system and uses the navigation
screen as a display.
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Rearview
camera beneath the Lincoln Star on the deck lid. |
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Inside, the MKS’s flow-through center stack has an
information screen integrated at the top. The large center console has a
split, two-piece, padded upper section. Each section slides forward
individually to form an armrest.
Ford says that the leather used for the seats is
perfected with vegetable dyes and a chromium-free tanning process to
create the softest leather ever used in a Lincoln. It is supplied by
Bridge of Weir Leather, the company that provided hides for the Ford Model
T and the iconic Continental Mark II, as well as the Concorde, the Queen
Elizabeth 2 and the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the world's first 7-star hotel.
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The center
console has a split, two-piece, padded upper section. Each
section slides forward individually to form an armrest. |
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Ebony wood used for some models is reclaimed from
furniture makers and others sources, offering a rare wood with minimal
environmental impact. Also offered is Olive Ash, a wood with a distinctive
grain pattern formed when the roots of two trees grow together.
Engine - Coming to power questions, the Lincoln
MKS will be first launched this summer with a Lincoln exclusive new
3.7-liter V-6 engine, derived from the 3.5-liter V-6 found in the Lincoln
MKX (voted one of Ward’s 10-Best Engines for 2007).
Both engines share the same strong, die-cast aluminium
block and lightweight four-valve heads. The 3.7-liter’s larger cylinders
contribute to the increase in horsepower and torque, delivering
respectively 270 horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. (359 Nm) of torque. It is
mated to a 6-speed SelectShift transmission, allowing both automatic or
manual gear changes.
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6-speed
SelectShift, allowing automatic or manual gear change. |
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Ford says that less than a year after its launch, the
new sedan will become the first vehicle to offer Ford’s new gasoline
turbo direct injection engine technology, to provide the power and torque
of a V-8 engine with the fuel efficiency of a V-6.
Drive - Lincoln MKS is a front-wheel drive car
that can be optionally ordered with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system for a
more confident driving experience in all weather.
It uses a system of clutches to quickly distribute
torque between front and rear wheels – up to 100 percent in either
direction – to avoid wheel slip. The AWD system works with the standard
Advance Trac stability control system to provide additional stability,
transferring torque from side-to-side.
Suspension - An all-new independent rear
suspension design features vertically mounted shock absorbers mounted at
the outboard end of the suspension arms near the wheels, maximising
suspension travel and allowing for more precise suspension tuning.
The MacPherson strut and rear-facing L-shaped lower
control arm front suspension also was designed to maximize suspension
travel, in harmony with the rear suspension. The new suspension design can
accommodate larger, 20-inch wheels and tires without compromising ride
comfort.
The MKS comes standard with 18-inch bright, machined,
cast aluminium painted 10-spoke wheels. Nineteen-inch 10-spoke painted,
polished or machined aluminium or a 20-inch, 11-spoke, highly polished,
cast aluminium wheel are available options.
Safety - The Lincoln MKS package of active and
passive safety features includes standard dual-stage driver and front
passenger air bags, safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractors,
driver seat positioning sensor, side air bags and Safety Canopy side
curtain air bags with roll-fold technology, four-wheel ABS brakes, an
anti-theft perimeter alarm, battery saver, belt-minder, illuminated entry
and a tire pressure monitoring system.
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