2006 Lincoln MKZ 3.5L AWD 6AT (262 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lincoln replaced the LS lineup in 2005 with the Zephyr, which was quickly rebadged as the MKZ for the 2007 model year, a nameplate that followed the carmaker’s naming system.

Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln needed a new mid-size sedan to replace the aging LS, which was built on an older RWD platform shared with the Jaguar S-Type. The solution came from Mazda, which had one that it used for the Mazda 6. The blue-oval brand used the same underpinnings to create the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan. However, the most luxurious version was the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, a nameplate that the brand hadn’t used since the ’40s. Meanwhile, Lincoln considered renaming its entire stable, besides the Navigator, so for 2007, the Zephyr lost its fashionable name and adopted the MKZ moniker.

The 2007 Lincoln MKZ had a front fascia that featured 14 vertical slats and one horizontal that crossed them. The carmaker’s badge took center stage and occupied the entire height between the hood and the bumper. At first sight, it looked like a refreshed Zephyr, and in a way, it was one. The lower bumper was new, and round fog lamps were sported on the lower side, in the apron, surrounded by chromed trims. In addition, the center air intake was also crossed by a chromed horizontal slat. The HID headlights looked identical to the one from the 2006 Zephyr.

Lincoln’s design team didn’t have to make too many changes to the car’s profile, which resembled the one from its siblings, the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan. The chromed trims on the lower part of the window line emphasized the car’s ascending waistline, which started behind the A-pillars and ended on the C-posts. The automaker offered the car with 17-inch aluminum wheels that emphasized the car’s upscale look. At the back, the automaker placed broad taillights interrupted on their mid-section by horizontal reversing lights. Furthermore, the trunk lid boasted Lincoln’s tall and narrow chromed badge. Underneath the bumper, the MKZ had two round exhausts, which replaced the double squared ones from the Zephyr.

Inside, the car manufacturer worked hard to create a luxurious ambiance for its customers. The dashboard was clearly divided into two zones, one for the driver and the other for the side passenger, with a center stack as a border between them. Ford’s luxury brand installed a clean-looking instrument cluster fronting the driver, with silver rings around the speedometer and tachometer. At the same time, the fuel level gauge and the coolant temperature gauges were placed above them in the middle of the instrument panel. The automaker also noticed the importance of new technologies, so it continued offering a DVD-based navigation system similar to those installed in the luxurious Navigator SUVs. The 2007 Lincoln MKZ offered comfortable, leather-wrapped seats at the front and a bench seat for three in the back. Thanks to the long wheelbase of the vehicle, those seated in the back had enough legroom.

Under the hood, the 2007 Lincoln MKZ featured a 3.0-liter powerhouse inherited from the Zephyr. However, Ford quickly replaced it with a more potent, larger, 3.5-liter engine. All the oomph was sent as standard to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission provided by Aisin. Since the Mazda 6 also had an all-wheel drive system, Lincoln introduced that option for the MKZ. Unlike its Japanese brother, the American mid-size luxury vehicle wasn’t available with a six-speed manual.