Lincoln introduces a sleek new MKZ sedan
2013Lincoln MKZ / Ford Motor Co.
(MoneyWatch) Aiming to revitalize its lagging luxury brand, Lincoln has introduced a sleekly redesigned MKZ sedan just ahead of the New York Auto Show this week.
Crafted by a new Lincoln design team, the MKZ has the sweeping roofline of the so-called "four-door coupe" profile. The designers boasted that it has an especially large retractable glass roof. According to The Detroit Free Press, the new design signals "a new era" for Lincoln.
The new deign is part of an effort to differentiate Lincoln models from their Ford corporate siblings -- in this case the Ford Fusion. The new MKZ comes in a hybrid version that Ford Motor expects to be rated at 41 MPG in city driving and 36 on the highway. The standard gasoline 2.0-liter Ecoboost engine will come with expected ratings of 22 city, 33 highway.
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Some other features of the new MKZ:
- A push-button shift, an unusual feature in today's cars, gave designers more space in setting up the center console.
- A SYNC system plus MyLincoln Touch allows voice commands for phone, music and navigation. The Ford version of this system has caused complaints from consumers, but the company says the bugs have now been worked out with software updates.
- In safety features, the 2013 MKZ offers a warning system called Lane Keeping that alerts a drowsy driver starting to change lanes. It also offers collision warning system that starts to brake the car if a crash into the car ahead is imminent.
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What about those of us who do not want such things? Who do not want the "sunroof" that comes with any package that has the things we do want? When will the automakers stop forcing us to take the options we don't want so we can get the few options we DO want?
So I continue to drive my 6 year old car and refuse to buy a new one until the option "packages" go away. If that means I keep my car for anothe 6 years or 16 years, then that is what will happen.