2013 Lincoln MKZ Revealed

Ford's Lincoln prestige brand has been rebooted, and this is the first all-new model in the coming revolution: the MKZ.

It was penned by an Aussie, but you won't see it in Australia. Speaking at the unveiling of the MKZ concept earlie

Mike Stevens

01:0403 April 2012

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2013 Lincoln MKZ Revealed

Ford's Lincoln prestige brand has been rebooted, and this is the first all-new model in the coming revolution: the MKZ.

It was penned by an Aussie, but you won't see it in Australia. Speaking at the unveiling of the MKZ concept earlier this year, design boss and former Melbourne boy Max Wolff confirmed that the reborn Lincoln brand is not bound for our shores.

In the US - and as it would have been here if GM's plans had not been shelved back in 2009 - Lincoln is the traditional rival for the Cadillac brand. It originally landed under the Ford umbrella after financial troubles forced it into bankruptcy way back in 1922.

(It's also an interesting historical note that Cadillac was formed by the remaining original partners - back in 1902 - of the Henry Ford Company after Ford left. He departed to found the Ford Motor Company that we know today.)

The styling of the new MKZ carries over largely unchanged from the concept revealed in Detroit, with the standout wing-like grille and headlights all-but identical to their showcar form.

The roofline of MKZ concept has also escaped untouched in the transition to market, with the practical sedan-styled glasshouse tapering off into a coupe-like C-pillar and short rear deck.

Powertrains in the MKZ range include Ford's familiar 177kW 2.0 litre and 223kW 3.7 litre V6 EcoBoost engines, along with a hybrid model that pairs the 2.0 litre engine with an electric motor.

All-wheel-drive configurations are available for both of the non-hybrid models, and six-speed automatic transmissions are standard for both. In hybrid form, a CVT automatic transmission is the only option.

Australia

While we're unlikely to ever see the MKZ or the rest of its Lincoln brethren in Australia, the MKZ's Ford-badged platform mate - the next-generation Mondeo - is due here in 2013, driven by the same 177kW EcoBoost engine.