試車, 攝影: Calvin Chan

 

DRIVER'S NOTES

 

What is a Premium?

• 2014 model carries over unchanged from the 2013 MKZ.
• Is the only vehicle in Canada where there is no premium for choosing the hybrid model over the gas engine models. Essentially, the 2.0L gas-powered MKZ and the Hybrid MKZ both start at an MSRP of $37,460 - finally a company that has got it right. This marketing tactic actually makes us want to opt for a hybrid without having to cough up any extra cash.
• Never have Lincolns appealed to me, until this one. Stereotypically viewed to only be driven in by white-gloved black-suited chauffeurs. But the MKZ... this car I want to drive.

Exterior

• Front fascia resembles a swan with wings, or maybe an eagle, perhaps a phoenix... whatever rocks your boat. Bottom line is, it looks stunning.
• The full width LED tail-light panel emulates the rear of a Dodge Challenger, especially at night when all you see is a parallel streak of red light.
• Slanted roofline makes way for a trendy look, but subtracts away the headroom available to passengers sitting in the rear.
• The MKZ slips into the latest AMG trends with chrome rectangular exhausts that blend into the bulk of the rear.
• Opening an MKZ door mimics that of receiving a nice firm handshake. Its door handles feel like a million bucks and mimics the tactility found on a BMW 7-series. And as with handshakes, its all about the first impression.
• Lincoln has certainly done a good job disguising the Ford Fusion that lies underneath its skin.
• Our test cars from Lincoln always seem to be painted in silver. Shame, as the red and blue colour options I've spotted on the road really stand out from the crowd, check it out and build your own on the Lincoln Website.

Engine / Trims

• Three trims available:
  • 2.0L Ti-VCT I-4 Ecoboost engine, FWD, 240 hp, 270 lb-ft
  • 3.7L 24-valve Ti-VCT V-6 engine, AWD, 300 hp, 277 lb-ft
  • 2.0L Atkinson-Cycle I-4 Hybrid Engine, FWD, 141hp (188 total hp), 129 lb-ft
• We tested the 3.7L V-6 and the 2.0L Hybrid trims

Performance / Handling / Comfort / Fuel Economy

• The 3.7L V-6 300-hp engine delivers smooth torque throughout its rev-band, comparable "oomph" to the 335i and S4. Its hair trigger gas pedal makes it difficult to drive smoothly at low speeds without jerking you forward - a delicate right foot pays off.
• The 2.0L I-4 Hybrid engine brings good torque off the line with the assistance of the 1.4kWh Lithium-ion battery, but does not deliver a strong power-band. It loses a considerable amount of torque once it hits 4000rpm.
• With the 3.7L engine we managed a combined fuel economy of 12.1L/100km (Lincoln's specs give a conservative 9.9 combined). With the Hybrid engine however, the fuel savings are noticeable. We were managing a constant 5-6.0 L/100km. That is almost the same as the pricey Ford C-Max Energi that we tested a few months ago.
• Though the MKZ runs on the Ford Fusion chassis, it sure does not show. Its new adaptive suspension absorbs a lot of the potholes and road imperfections, giving an extremely comfortable ride, one you would expect from a true Lincoln.

Interior

• The traditional Lincoln cabin that lives up to its name; quiet and comfortable, thanks to an adaptive suspension and active noise cancelling.
• Took us a whole five minutes to figure out how to start the car - the engine START button is cleverly blended into the very top of the dashboard buttons.
• Has Aston Martin inspired gear selector buttons - except they stack vertically
• The gas engine trims get a sport button (S), while the hybrid variant replaces it with a low gear button (L).
• Even the instrument gauges are different between the gas and hybrid trims; the hybrid gauges display fuel economy, battery usage and power delivery, while the gas trim has the traditional left-tachometer and right-speedometer.
• Leather wrapped steering wheel fits your hands like a glove, and warms it up too
• A rather plastic-y dashboard. Buttons are replaced by touch-sensitive scrolling controls; swipe left for cold, swipe right for hot. The buttons that are have been left behind (gear selector buttons) do not give much tactile feedback.
• The optional $3450 panoramic roof is a must-have. Its the widest retractable roof in the industry and not only looks stylish, but it floods the cabin with sunlight. Though, its one major drawback is when retracted, it covers nearly half of the rear windshield, giving a very limited and narrow view of the cars behind you. It's like all the cars have been cut in half.
• Six-panel massaging seats on the bottom and back of the seat. You can even customize the intensity and frequency of each panel. I seriously do not know of any other 50k luxury sedan that has this. Simply replaces a $3000 massage chair.

Technology

• MyLincoln Touch = Lincoln's infotainment system. A copy and paste of MyFord Touch, and that's not a good thing.
• Laggy and houses infinite sub-menus. Luckily, Ford and Lincoln acknowledged these downsides and are adding more knobs and buttons to the newer 2015 redesigned interiors.
• Pressing on the touch-screen also leaves noticeable fingerprints, not something I want in a car costing 50k.
• THX II Certified Audio System delivers quality bass and acoustics, but does not compare to likes of the Harmon Kardons found in the German competitors.
• The blind-spot mirrors are a nice change - It lights up as a circular dot rather than those cluttered two-car symbols that most cars show these days. Simple and less distracting.

Competition

• Competition is insane when it comes to entry-level luxury sedans, especially with so many choices to choose from; our German counterparts with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes, the Japanese with Infiniti, and now south of the border with the Americans and Lincoln.
• A starting base price of $37,460 for the 2.0L engine and the Hybrid, while the 3.7L V-6 AWD starts at $41,855. Put into perspective, the Q50 3.7L AWD starts at $43,400, roughly $1500 more expensive than the MKZ
• Don't even ask about the Germans - A fully loaded 2014 Lincoln MKZ 3.7L stickers at around the starting price of a BMW 335i.

Summary

• Good looks and competitively priced against its oversea rivals.
• Suffers from a plastic-y interior and mediocre infotainment system
• Almost there Lincoln... almost there.

 

watermarked pictures - Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

unwatermarked pictures - Lincoln MKZ 3.7L V6

Specifications:

型号 Model: 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
廠方建議售價 Base Price: $37,460

Price as Tested: $51,725
軸距 Wheelbase(mm): 2850
長闊 Length/Width/Height (mm): 4930 / 1478 / 2116
引擎 Engine: 2.0L Atkinson-Cycle I-4 Hybrid engine
最大馬力 Horsepower-HP: 141 / 6000rpm (188 hp net total)
最高扭力 Torque-LB-FT: 129 / 4000rpm
波箱 Transmission: Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (e-CVT)
擺佈 Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, FWD
前懸 Suspension-Front: MacPherson struts with aluminum lower control arms, stabilizer bar
後懸 Suspension-Rear: Multi-link independent with aluminum lower control arms, stabilizer bar
煞制-前 Brakes-Front: Vented disc
煞制-後 Brakes-Rear: Vented disc

循跡操控系统 ABS/Traction Control: Standard

油耗 Fuel Consumption (City/Highway/Combined)- L/100 km: 4.0 / 4.0 / 4.0 (we managed 5.0-6.0)
輪胎尺碼 Tires: Michelin Primacy