The first generation of the Lincoln MKZ was launched in 2006 and was sold until 2012, and the current generation of the MKZ is the second generation model and the first sedan launched by the Lincoln brand after returning to the Chinese market. Its exterior styling is divided into the early model and the later model, the early model is significantly different from the traditional impression of the old Lincoln sedan, with a flying wing grille, and the overall style is very avant-garde. The later model adopted a new family-style design style, and the design elements of the flagship Lincoln Continental were transferred to the MKZ, and the overall exterior design was significantly upgraded, which was very successful.
The Lincoln MKZ and Mondeo are both from Ford's CD4 platform, and there is little difference in terms of powertrain, and they are also petrol and hybrid, the petrol version uses a 2.0T EcoBoost engine, which is divided into high and low power versions, the low power version has a maximum output of 204 horsepower, and the high-power version has 253 horsepower, mated to a 6F50 6-speed automatic transmission. There will also be two 3.0-liter V6 engines overseas, mated to a 6F55 automatic transmission.
If you really like the Lincoln brand or this model, it is recommended to give preference to the gasoline version, because the hybrid version is currently inferior to the hybrid systems of Toyota and Honda in terms of price and experience. Ford's hybrid system is a single-motor parallel hybrid system in principle, with a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle engine with a maximum power of 101kW and a permanent magnet motor with a maximum power of 88kW, which are connected by an E-CVT continuously variable transmission with planetary gears, and a 1.4kWh battery pack in the trunk.
The MKZ hybrid system looks similar to Toyota's THS, but it doesn't look like it when driving, because it has a wide range of pure electric driving speeds, as long as the battery is more than 2/3 of the battery, even if it exceeds 120km/h, it can also be driven by pure electric driving, when the battery is less than 1/3, the engine will always give priority to charging the battery, and then drive through the motor, which is a bit similar to Honda's i-MMD. At high speeds, the MKZ hybrid can reach a fuel consumption of 5-6L per 100 kilometers, which is very good, but when driving in urban areas, compared to Toyota and Honda's 5-6L hybrid system, the MKZ will be about 8 liters.
Another disadvantage is that the battery occupies a large part of the trunk space, and it cannot hide the battery under the rear seat like Toyota and Honda, and the practicality is an obvious shortcoming, which is an important reason why we recommend buying the gasoline version.
Although the gasoline version is still using the 6AT, it looks a little outdated, and the previous reliability reputation is also very average, but in the process of use, this 6AT does show very good ride and downshift speed, but at high speed, due to the lack of super gear, so the fuel consumption will be high.
MKZ's sound insulation and shock absorption are in the middle and upper reaches of the same level, environmental sound insulation and wind noise suppression are excellent, the main noise source is the engine and tire noise, because the engine sound is really not good, so it will be disturbed when the speed comes up, and the tire is Michelin PS3, and the tire noise suppression is very general. The toughness of the shock filter is just right, while retaining a bit of thickness, but not the obvious drift like the Lincoln Continental.
After the mid-term facelift, the MKZ retains the original integrated center console, and many touch buttons in the car have been replaced with physical buttons and knobs, which are convenient for blind operation, and the multimedia also supports Carplay. In its class, the MKZ's front storage space is excellent, with plenty of storage space at the bottom of the center console and storage compartments in front of the cup holders, thanks to the push-button shift placed on the left side of the center console.
MKZ is an original imported model, not a long-axis version, the knee room in the rear row is not sufficient, the seat cushion is also short, coupled with the design of a small slipback, passengers sitting in the back row are easy to push their heads, and the ride experience is relatively poor.
The U.S. "Consumer Reports" gave a score of 2 (out of 5) to MKZ's reliability expectations, in the reliability report, MKZ's performance has not been very good, the high incidence of failure points is mainly the suspension system and the car's electronic system, other components also have different degrees of failure rates, coupled with the defects of imported models in terms of maintenance, in general, MKZ is not a worry-free model.
With an excellent safety record, the MKZ has been selected for the TSP and TSP eight times in the IIHS, with the first generation being selected as TSP in 2009-2012, the TSP in 2013/2014/2016, and the TSP in 2015.
Lincoln MKZ test report