2017 Lincoln MKZ Shows Off New Look, 400HP Turbo V6

BOLD RIDE

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Posted by George Kennedy  

                              

 

What a difference a nip-tuck makes. Prior to this week, the Lincoln MKZ was a forgotten car in a largely forgotten lineup. Were it not for the occasional McConaughey Lincoln ad or handsome MKC crossover passing by, we might have forgotten about Ford’s premium brand altogether. But looking at the 2017 Lincoln MKZ makes us think we were unwise to count them out so soon.

 

Debuting at the 2015 Los Angles Auto Show, the new-look MKZ has ditched the swooping grille and headlights for a far more stately design. You can still make out the silhouette of the pre-facelift MKZ. The more conventional grille an headlights are very attractive, even if they ape the Jaguar XJ. We’ll take that over the outgoing design any day of the week.

Behind that grille is a new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 making an impressive 400 horsepower. The most the previous V6 could muster was 300 horses. Power is sent through an automatic transmission to all wheel drive.

 

 A Hybrid model will also be available, as will 245-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4. Those models will route power to the front wheels.

 

The MKZ is also getting a new interior It will also feature a crash-avoidance feature that doubles as an active cruise control system in traffic.

 It will match the speed of the vehicle in front of it at a safe distance. Pricing has not yet been announced, but we suspect it will be in the $36,000 to $50,000 range, with the 400-hp model being found at the top of that spread.