Resuscitating Lincoln's Carmaker Image
Wow! Now that's more like it. Compared to the current LS, a nice car with a distinctly Bavarian image problem, the upcoming Zephyr introduced in Manhattan's Jacob Javits Convention Center as part of the New York International Auto Show is every bit a Lincoln.
 |
| The Zephyr, introduced at this year's New York International Auto Show, is distinctively Lincoln in appearance. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Or is it? From a styling standpoint the Zephyr dusts off many of the brand's pre-70s styling cues, delivering a refreshingly simple, understated elegance to an automotive landscape that seems bent on either boring its prospective customers to sleep or over stimulating the senses to the point of desensitization. The Zephyr, on the other hand, is American luxury at its best. But under the skin it's about as all-American as Kimiyasu Kudo pitching the 9th inning at Jingu Kyujo stadium.
 |
| The Zephyr, with its refreshingly simple understated elegance, is American luxury at its best. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Say what? OK, in English the Zephyr will be built off of Japan's Mazda6 architecture. Not a bad beginning for Lincoln's next midsize model, as the 6 has won just about every award it's entered since it came on the scene just over a year ago. Ford Motor plans to develop a total of ten new cars and SUVs off of the Mazda6 platform, for each of its Ford, Mercury and Lincoln nameplates.
Of course, by the time a Lincoln star appears at the center of its grille the car will not only have gone through major reconstructive surgery to the point where it will be impossible to detect any Mazda6 references in the Zephyr's design, but while front-wheel drive will be standard Lincoln will also offer an all-wheel drivetrain in top models.