AW: Smart call: Is the time right for Lincoln's blend of luxury And economy in the MK

[Scotsman]

Smart call: Is the time right for Lincoln's blend of luxury And economy in the MKS?
By BOB GRITZINGER

The Lincoln MKS uses the platform that underpins the Ford Taurus.

Back in 2005, when Lincoln's brain trust chose front- and all-wheel drive and V6 power for the company's next-generation flagship luxury sedan, that decision seemed shortsighted in the face of a market turning toward big rear-drive V8s running unrestrained on $2.30-per-gallon gasoline.

Today, with that same gallon hovering at and above $4, those same product planners who bet economy and front-drive over max performance for the LS replacement look positively prescient.

Their car, the 2009 MKS that goes on sale in late June, may not wield V8 thunder to drive rear wheels as do its predecessor or its competitors, but today's V6 is already nearly as strong as the V8 in the last LS--and a twin-turbocharged V6 waits in the wings.

Built on a modified large front- and all-wheel-drive chassis from the Ford Taurus/Taurus X and the Mercury Sable, the MKS adds Lincoln refinement via a revised front and rear suspension. The front changes limit lift under acceleration; this allows inclusion of higher-output engines than the chassis originally was designed to handle (the original Five Hundred was powered by a 200-hp, 3.0-liter V6). The rear suspension changes include optional 20-inch wheels and tires--a move that is incorporated into the Ford Flex. They should eventually make their way to the Taurus and the Sable.

Under the hood is a 3.7-liter, dohc, 24-valve V6, a Lincoln-exclusive variant of the Taurus 3.5-liter engine that produces 273 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque (275 hp and 276 lb-ft on premium fuel). Power goes to the front or all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with a SelectShift shifter. While the 3.7-liter engine's output is close to that of the 3.9-liter, 280-hp, 286-lb-ft V8 that powered the LS in 2006, the car's last model year, the MKS feels as if it could use more power to go with its substantial road presence and weighty feel.

That will come next spring, when the 2010 MKS, possibly dubbed GTI, gets an EcoBoost 3.5-liter twin-turbo, which promises 340 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. Lincoln says that this option will produce V8 performance with V6 fuel economy, likely in the 19-mpg range. The same six-speed trans will be used, with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters on the performance model.

Lincoln's dilemma this year: hawking an all-new car with an engine that will be all but outmoded in a year's time. Why buy a lesser V6 when a performance-oriented turbo powerplant is just around the corner?

Lincoln hopes that those first-year buyers--and those who follow--will be lured by MKS features such as active cruise control; Sync voice-activated audio, telephone and navigation controls; Sirius satellite weather and traffic mapping; a 600-watt THX surround-sound audio system, and a host of other high-end goodies.

The MKS will need those luxury bits against competitors such as the Cadillac STS, the Lexus GS and the Acura RL, because underneath this is a car that really competes more closely with the front-drive Buick Lucerne. That said, the drive quality is quiet and stable, with little roll or dive and little understeer for a front-drive-based chassis. The steering is well centered and responsive, leaning slightly to the heavy side. Engine noise is noticeable under heavy acceleration, but most of the time, noise rarely permeates the well-insulated cabin.

Time--and next year's engine--will tell whether Ford and Lincoln made the right call on this flagship sedan. But it's worth remembering that at the same 2006 Detroit auto show where Lincoln's underwhelming MKS concept debuted, Chrysler rolled out the crowd-pleasing Imperial concept, a stretched mega-300 that promised limousinelike appointments and unparalleled power for the masses.

Who looks smart now?

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...731814855/1065

I believe the forthcoming 3.5 liter "Ecoboost" V6 has DI as well. Imagine what GM could do by implementing turbocharging on the 3.6 DI V6, you'd be looking at almost 400hp I'm sure. The muscle car area has been ushered to a new time and place (that's with the idea that they'd use such an engine in one of the Zeta/Alpha cars).

[Mr. Wyndham]

The MKS is a formidible car, but I'm farily confident that GM has some tricks up their sleeves. If the Invicta (sounds so much better than Lacrosse) is intended to sell directly against the MKS, it doesn't make sense for GM to enter the game as second-best.

Should GM decide to put in their current DI 3.6, it's already got more power than than the MKZ's base V6, at a rating of 280-some hp in the Lambdas, and it's also got better fuel economy, presuming both vehicles are similar weights/demensions. Ford's EcoBoost is "waiting in the wings", like the article said, it won't be ready for the car until 2010...and don't assume GM is ignoring the potential of a Turbo-V6.........

Epsilon II - the platform intended to underpin the Invicta is FWD/AWD ready, just like the MKS. Except, unlike Ford's platfrom, Epsilon II is brand new, debuting in 2008 under the Opel Insignia.

It should be interesting to see these two go at it. But I think the Invicta has a definite shot at besting the Lincoln.