Learn more about the Lincoln MKS
 Build & Price your Lincoln MKS

Lincoln has a new flagship: The 2009 Lincoln MKS full-sized sedan. Its styling is classic and understated, except for Lincoln's traditional aggressive chrome grille. The 2009 Lincoln MKS' list of standard features is impressively long and includes a 275-horsepower engine*, heated front and rear seats and a six-month subscription to SIRIUS^® Satellite Radio. Both interior and trunk room is expansive. Perhaps most significantly, the 2009 Lincoln MKS offers a very attractive starting price of just over $38,000, about $9,000 less than a 2008 Lincoln Town Car. It's less than the Lincoln LS was in 2006, the last year it appeared.

Style and Space

With the Lincoln MKS' elegant styling, the company followed a very different road than the edgy Cadillac CTS and STS. The Lincoln has a look that should remain fresh far into the future. Front passenger room is just slightly smaller—less than an inch for head- and legroom—than the CTS or the Cadillac STS, but rear space is considerably larger than the CTS and slightly bigger than the STS. Also, the Lincoln MKS' trunk room tops both Cadillacs' cargo capacity by almost five cubic feet.

The 2009 Lincoln MKS is based on the same platform as the Ford Taurus, Volvo XC90, the Mercury Sable, and the new Ford Flex. It features fourwheel ventilated disc brakes, electronic stability control and a suite of six standard airbags, including full-length side-curtain airbags. The Lincoln MKS comes standard with front-wheel drive and offers all-wheel drive as an option.

Engines and Performance

The first models of the Lincoln MKS will be equipped with a 3.7-liter version of the successful double overhead cam Duratec V6. This engine* makes 275 horsepower, which is about 30 more than the 4.6-liter V8 in the Town Car. It features variable valve timing, which increases power for merging onto fastmoving highways then aids fuel economy at cruising speed. The engine makes an impressive 276 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to a six-speed Selectshift™ automatic transmission, which offers both a low first gear for good acceleration and a high top gear for improved fuel economy. The EPA rates the Lincoln MKS in front-wheel drive at 17 miles per gallon for city driving and 24 mpg on the highway.

Later, perhaps in some late 2010 models, the Lincoln MKS will be the first Ford product to receive the company's EcoBoost engine, which is designed to produce the power of a V8 but get better fuel mileage and release carbon dioxide equal to that of a V6. The EcoBoost will accomplish these goals with a combination of twin turbochargers and direct-into-the-cylinder fuel injection. Save for big-rig diesels, almost all gasoline fuel-injected engines squirt fuel above the valves, thus must do so before the valves close on the compression stroke. The EcoBoost engine will employ ultra-high-pressure (perhaps 1500 pounds per square inch or more) injector nozzles inside the combustion chamber near the spark plug. This allows the computer to precisely deliver the right amount of fuel at the correct moment. Theoretically, the computer could wait until an instant before the spark plug fires to deliver fuel. Direct injection is especially beneficial at reducing emissions during cold starts: Cars release more pollution during cold starts than any other time because the catalyst is not at operating temperature yet. Lincoln projects a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 will produce an amazing 340 horsepower and 340 lb.-ft. of torque, something that would make many V8s envious.

The A Concept 2.0-liter, four-cylinder version of the EcoBoost, which Ford discussed for future vehicles, will be available on other Ford products and will make around 275 horsepower. It wasn't that long ago when V8s in Corvettes didn't make 275 horsepower. Lincoln says EcoBoost engines will deliver about the same fuel economy improvement and CO₂ reduction as a gas-electric hybrid, but at a much lower purchase cost when compared to gas-electric hybrid.

Notable Features

Among the Lincoln MKS' most notable standard features are heated and cooled leather-trimmed front seats, as well as heated, but not cooled, leather-trimmed rear seats. The standard eight-speaker Audiophile sound system includes a six-CD changer with MP3 connectivity and a six-month subscription to SIRIUS Satellite Radio. There's both keyless and keypad next-generation entry systems. Also standard is the Microsoft-developed Lincoln SYNC™ system, which integrates most Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and media players using USB connectivity then uses voice commands to operate a host of features. It will even convert incoming text messages into voice messages. Eighteen-inch diameter machined-aluminum wheels are standard, while 19s and 20s (available Fall 2008) are optional.

Optional equipment includes a 16-speaker, 600-watt THX^® sound system and a voice-activated DVD-based satellite navigation system. This newgeneration nav system, with 3D map images and split-screen capability uses SIRIUS Travel Link™ (with Sirius radio) to provide up-to-the-minute traffic and weather info, as well as gas prices, station locations, movie times/titles/addresses, and sports scores. The optional rearview video camera displays on the navigation screen when reverse gear is selected and helps the driver avoid hidden obstacles. A pair of moonroofs is available, but the rear roof window doesn't open. Available sonar-based sensing systems both front and rear help tight parking maneuvers. Radar-based adaptive cruise control can maintain a uniform following distance behind a lead car.

In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, the rare ebony wood trim available on some models is reclaimed from furniture makers and others sources. With elegant styling, plenty of room and very attractive pricing, the 2009 Lincoln MKS will be an appealing alternative to full-size luxury cars, both domestic and foreign.

About the Author

Mac Demere is an auto journalist, vehicle tester and race driver who competed in the NASCAR Southwest Tour and Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

* Using premium fuel; preliminary data not yet certified.