MKS replaces venerable Town Car as marque's high-end luxury sedan

Special to the Star

WASHINGTON–It's the end of an era, and the beginning of another. For 2009, Lincoln finally puts its venerable Town Car away, and replaces it with the all-new MKS sedan.

The new model takes its place as the brand's flagship sedan, offered in front- or all-wheel drive. The company will still make the Town Car, at its plant in St. Thomas, Ont., but strictly for fleet sales.

While it's built on a widened version of the platform that slips under the Taurus, the MKS has no equivalent in the Ford lineup, unlike the MKZ (based on the Ford Fusion) or the MKX (a version of the Edge). This new model marks the beginning of the company's push to give Lincoln more stand-alone character; expect such styling cues as the "double-wing" grille and heavier C-pillars to eventually make their way throughout all models.

Also new is a 3.7 L V6 engine, derived from the company's 3.5 L Duratec family, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.

In 2009, the MKS will be the first to get Ford's new EcoBoost engine, which uses twin turbochargers and direct fuel injection for improved power with up to 20 per cent better fuel economy and 15 per cent less CO2 emission reduction, according to the company. It'll also then go into the new Flex; eventually, Ford plans to put it in half a million vehicles annually.

Other new MKS features include a capless fuel filler system (which also eliminates the engine light that can come on if you don't tighten your fuel cap properly on many vehicles), proximity key with push-button start, available adaptive cruise control, adaptive high-intensity headlamps that pivot when you turn to light up the curve ahead, and a cool new keypad system that replaces the previous button system.

It's now a glossy black panel that displays the numbers only when you run your hand over it; enter the code, and you can unlock the car without the key fob. It sounds like a redundant system, but customers love it, and Ford has used it for decades.

Ford's also counting on customers loving the standard Sync, which provides voice-activated integration with devices such as cellphones, audible text messages and music players. One designer enthused about a driver being able to walk toward the car while talking on the phone, with the car opening and starting "keylessly" as the call transfers seamlessly into the Sync system. Impressive, but I'd just as soon have people think of phone calls and driving as two separate entities.

The long list of high-tech features also includes rain-sensing wipers, which I tried out when a thunderstorm moved in. As with similar systems from other manufacturers, they worked fine in steady rain, but had trouble identifying drizzle. Three words: variable intermittent wipers. We're smart enough to know we need to turn them on when it's raining.

The interior's very well done, and while it's a bit busy with several different patterns and textures, it's very attractive overall, especially with the tasteful spattering of chrome. The front and rear seats are heated, and the front ones are cooled as well; the leather is vegetable-tanned, the steering wheel has real wood inlay, and there's a power rear sunshade.

But while side and curtain airbags are standard, there aren't any active head restraints, a surprising omission given the importance of rear crash protection and the role these devices play.

As expected, the MKS is exceptionally roomy, both back and front. The trunk is enormous, but there's a very high lift-over to reach into it. The engineers have put a great deal of effort into making this car quiet, including acoustic laminated glass in the windshield and side windows, and engine and road noise is almost non-existent.

There is no faulting this Lincoln's powertrain. The MKS is heavy – the AWD version is a staggering 1,940 kg – but the V6 moves it along at an impressive clip. Acceleration is smooth and linear, and the transmission shifts almost imperceptibly, with no hunting for gears on hills.

The ride is equally big and silky, but it falls apart on the steering, which is far too loose. There's too much play in the wheel, and while it's fine in a straight line, the car feels wobbly and unsettled on winding roads.

Ford says it's aiming the MKS at vehicles from Cadillac, Lexus and Infiniti, but it's going to have to dial in the front end much tighter if it expects to draw owners out of those vehicles. The Europeans taught us long ago that a car doesn't have to be soft to be luxurious. This Lincoln's handling is a throwback to the plush experience of bygone days that most manufacturers have left behind.

The AWD runs primarily in front-wheel under ideal conditions, but it's capable of sending up to 100 per cent of its torque to the rear when necessary.

It should prove handy for Canadian winters, and hopefully the promised winter wheel package for the 19-inch alloys will be available by the time the snow flies. Twenty-inch wheels are optional; the 18-inch wheels standard on U.S. cars aren't available here.

I do like that the AWD is a stand-alone feature, though, and you don't have to add other options in order to get it.

The MKS comes in a single trim line, with FWD starting at $45,599 and AWD at $47,799. In the U.S., the FWD model is $7,934 less, while the AWD is $8,244 under ours.

A Canadian spokesperson said that's because the car is priced to its Canadian competition, rather than to its U.S. parent. There must be more to marketing than I can figure out, because my gut instinct would be to slap the U.S. sticker on it and watch customers jam the door for such a deal.

While it's going to be a small-volume niche vehicle, the company is counting on this Lincoln to bring a new group of younger buyers into its fold.

I think it'll do well with its established core group of older buyers, who will be impressed with the strides made in the powertrain and the interior, and who will probably overlook the handling.

It certainly has the amenities and the interior to be a conquest vehicle. Some fine-tuning in the front-end department, and this MKS should be able to sit firmly among its peers.

Toronto Star