Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ

:"There have been two automobile lines from Ford's Lincoln division named Zephyr. Both were entry-level luxury cars. See Lincoln-Zephyr for the 1936-1942 car."Infobox Automobile generation


name=Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ
manufacturer=Ford Motor Company
production=2006–present
predecessor=Lincoln LS
class= Mid-size
body_style=4-door sedan
assembly=Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
platform=Ford CD3 platform
layout=Front engine, front-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
related=Ford Fusion
Mazda6
Mercury Milan
engine= Auto cc|2967 "Duratec 30" V6
Auto cc|3496 "Duratec 35" V6
transmission=6-speed automatic
wheelbase= Auto in|107.4|0
length= Auto in|190.5|0
width= Auto in|72.2|0
height=2006: Auto in|55.9|0
2007: Auto in|57.2|0
weight=2006: Auto lb|3546
2007: Auto lb|3438
fuel_capacity= 2006: Convert|15|usgal|L impgal|0|abbr=on
2007: Convert|17.5|usgal|L impgal|0|abbr=on

The Lincoln MKZ, initially named the Lincoln Zephyr, is a mid-size, entry-level luxury car from the Lincoln division of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln revived the Zephyr name in the fall of 2005 as a platform-mate for the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan; the vehicles were based on the CD3 platform, which was derived from the Mazda 6. Visually the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury cars are very similar in profile, and the MKZ shares 35% of its body panels with its sister models, with fascia styling variations. The interior, is entirely unique to the Lincoln, and this, along with equipment levels help differentiate the brands.

The Zephyr was sold alongside the Lincoln LS for its first model year. The Zephyr was slightly smaller than the DEW98-platformed LS, and front- (or four-), rather than rear-wheel drive, but was in a close enough market to make the two models redundant. 2006 was the final year for the LS, and the Zephyr was then renamed the MKZ for 2007, taking over the LS's market with sales beginning in September 2006. Along with the renaming, the engine size and power output was increased. The renaming made the MKZ the first in a series of "MK"-named Lincolns, which has since come to include the MKS, and the MKX. Ford initially intended the "MK" to represent an abbreviation of its traditional "Mark" naming series, but has since abandoned in favor of simply reading the letters.

The car is built at Ford's Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico plant, and pricing ranges from US$29,950 to $37,790.cite web|url=http://www.lincoln.com/mkz/home.asp|title=Lincoln MXZ official web-site|accessdate=2007-02-13]

Equipment

Competitively, the Zephyr did not match up to cars from other manufacturers.Fact|date=July 2008 Due to this, Ford overhauled the Zephyr's mechanicals to better compete for the 2007 model year along with the renaming. This included a new engine and suspension retuning. The MKZ suspension is independent all around with a short/long arm (SLA) design in front and multilink setup with coilover shock absorbers in the rear.

Features like a 600W THX sound system with 14 speakers also set it apart from Ford's other brands. This sound system is one of the option packages that also includes a power moonroof and voice-activated navigation. Ford Sync became standard equipment starting with the 2008 model year.

Ford and Lincoln corporate and marketing management originally announced the MKZ with a "Mark-Zee" pronunciation during the 2006 cars show circuit, but eventually changed it to the phonetic "em-kay-zee" due to confusion observed in customer clinics and dealerships. [http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2006/07/lincoln_mkx_mkz.html Lincoln Dealer Confusion Forces Model-Name Changes] ]

Other changes from the 2006 Zephyr to the 2007 MKZ include an updated "waterfall" grille - which shows seven "teeth" on either side of the central Lincoln emblem (the Zephyr has nine), along with chrome trim on the beltline and outside mirrors, and 17 inch alloy wheels.

Engines

A Auto cc|2967 Duratec V6, taken from the Mazda 6, was the only engine available for the 2006 Zephyr. This V6 produced Convert|221|hp|kW|0|abbr=on and Auto lbft|205.

The 2007 MKZ was first shown at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2006 with Ford's newly upgraded Convert|263|hp|kW|0|abbr=on "Duratec 35" Auto cc|3496 V6 and all-wheel drive. This engine was only upgraded for the Lincoln, and not its platform-mates. Ford expects to add a hybrid drivetrain to the MKZ in the future.Fact|date=July 2008

"(Source: Lincoln Zephyr & MKZ product brochures)""Note: Calculated estimates of EPA fuel economy are revised for 2008 model year due to new calculation procedures."

MKZ

The MKZ uses the Mazda6-derived CD3 platform. While the car shares 35% of its body panels with the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, the interior is completely unique to bring the car up to Lincoln standards. The suspension is independent all around with a short/long arm (SLA) design in front and multilink setup with coilover shock absorbers in the rear.

Features like a 600 W THX sound system with 14 speakers also set it apart from the mainstream Ford, Mercury, and Mazda versions. This sound system is one of the options for the MKZ that also include a power moonroof and voice-activated navigation. Ford Sync became standard equipment starting with the 2008 model year.

Ford and Lincoln corporate and marketing management originally announced the MKZ with a "Mark-Zee" pronunciation during the 2006 cars show circuit, but eventually changed it to the phonetic "em-kay-zee" due to confusion observed in customer clinics and dealerships. [ [http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2006/07/lincoln_mkx_mkz.html Lincoln Dealer Confusion Forces Model-Name Changes] ]

Engines

The 2007 MKZ was first shown at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2006 with Ford's new upgraded Convert|263|hp|kW|0|abbr=on "Duratec 35" Auto cc|3496 V6 and all-wheel drive. Ford expects to add a hybrid drivetrain in the future. Unfortunately, the upgraded Auto cc|3496 Duratec engine is not available in the MKZ's Fusion and Milan triplets. The Auto cc|2967 version remains the only V6 available for those models.

Other changes from the 2006 Zephyr to the 2007 MKZ include an updated "waterfall" grille - which shows seven "teeth" on either side of the central Lincoln emblem (the Zephyr has nine), along with chrome trim on the beltline and outside mirrors, and 17 inch alloy wheels.

References

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* [http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm?vehicle_id=1378&press_subsection_id=421&make_id=93 2007 Lincoln MKZ Overview and Specifications from Media.Ford.com]

External links

* [http://www.lincoln.com/mkz/ Official Lincoln MKZ Page]
* [http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/zephyr.htm Lincoln Zephyr on CanadianDriver.com]
* [http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=22595&make_id=93 Ford Press Release]
* [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060207/AUTO01/602070403/1148| Detroit News]
* [http://www.futurecarnews.com/lincoln/lincoln8.html Lincoln MKZ Video Review]
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