Detroit Auto Show - Ford unveils new sedan to revive Lincoln brand

Lincoln was once the pinnacle of luxury. Continental limousines carried presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan. Town Cars ferried executives through Manhattan. Athletes and rappers cruised around in Navigator SUVs.

But over the last two decades, the Lincoln lineup grew stale as Ford transformed its other cars and trucks with new designs and features. Now it's finally Lincoln's turn for an update, one that aims to show customers the brand can make more than hearses and airport limos.


It's been a long wait. For years, Ford saw more promise in other luxury brands it was buying, like Jaguar and Volvo. Many Lincoln models became too similar to their lower-priced Ford siblings. Sales suffered.

Lincoln sold a little more than 85,000 vehicles last year, down 63 per cent from the brand's peak in 1990. At one time, it was the top luxury brand in the US. But Lincoln is now outsold by seven other luxury brands, including Lexus and Infiniti. Presidents since Bill Clinton have ridden in Cadillacs.

Saving Lincoln has been on Ford's back burner for a long time. The automaker decided first to tackle more pressing matters like downsizing and returning to profitability. After a five-year turnaround, the company is making money again. CEO Alan Mulally has shed Ford's other luxury brands and is ready to focus on turning Lincoln into a real competitor that can attract wealthy buyers and fat profits.

Fourteen months ago, Ford assigned a team of 180 designers and engineers to focus on Lincoln full time. The company recently opened its first dedicated Lincoln design studio since the 1970s.

Buyers will see the fruit of those efforts at the Detroit auto show, where Ford on Tuesday pulled the wraps off an MKZ sedan that is close to the model that will go on sale this fall. The new MKZ is one of seven new or revamped Lincolns due out by 2015, when the Lincoln brand will celebrate its 100th birthday.

The 2013 MKZ is already getting some critical buzz.

Among the MKZ's features is an all-glass roof that opens automatically and slides over the back window, giving both front and rear passengers a convertible-like ride. It still has Lincoln's split-wing grille, a tribute to the 1938 Lincoln Zephyr and one of the brand's most recognizable features. But designers toned it down after complaints about the ungainly maw on the most recent Lincoln sedans.

The car is longer and wider, giving it a more luxurious look, and it has an elegant, clean dashboard with flush buttons for controls instead of knobs. The concept car - in a rich reddish brown dubbed "cognac" - has cream leather seats perforated into a pattern that's meant to resemble champagne bubbles.

Right now, Lincolns are essentially rebadged Fords, built on the same underbody but with different designs and more bells and whistles. The MKZ will start to break from that; while it will still have Ford's basic architecture underneath, it will have its own engines and transmissions. Future Lincolns will have their own platforms for the first time since 1999.

The MKZ will feature some of the same safety systems offered in the 2013 Ford Fusion, including an alert that warns drivers if they're swerving out of their lane. Other options will be unique to Lincoln, including a button that automatically adjusts the suspension and steering if the driver wants a sportier, road-hugging feel.

Ford isn't revealing fuel economy or price right now, but expect the MKZ to start around $41,000, which is similar to an Audi A6.