The Lincoln MKS luxury sedan is entering the 2010 model year with refinements to body and suspension systems, more standard equipment, but also with the addition of the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, the first V-6 direct-injection twin-turbocharged. Prices will range from $40,870 for the FWD version and go up to $47,760 for the EcoBoost AWD.

The MKS comes standard with a 3.7-liter, 24-valve variation of the award-winning Duratec engine that delivers 270 hp at 6,500 RPM and 265 ft.-lb. of torque at 4,250 RPM. Lincoln MKS is equipped with a six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission.

The 3.5 Liter EcoBoost V6 found under the hood of the all-wheel-drive 2010 Lincoln MKS will produce 355 HP and 350 ft-lb of torque, all on regular grade gasoline. The twin turbocharged 6 cylinder provides the output of a V8 while returning a minimum of 17 MPG around town and at least 24 MPG during highway driving.

For 2010, Lincoln MKS was been treated to a ground-up review of its structure in an effort to improve upon its already ouststanding noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics. Additional bracing and strategically placed sound-deadening materials have produced a new level of cabin isolation, providing MKS drivers with a sense of sanctuary.

Press release after the jump.

Press release

The 2010 Lincoln MKS, Lincoln's flagship sedan, enters a new era of powertrain refinement: MKS's standard 270-horsepower V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission have been engineered to improve performance and smoothness. And with the addition of the all-new available EcoBoost engine, the 2010 MKS delivers the luxury and comfort standards unique to Lincoln with a powertrain that produces a compelling combination of V-8 power and V-6 fuel economy.

Balanced power, boosted efficiency

Fuel efficiency comes standard on the Lincoln MKS – and customers have a choice of two powerful yet practical V-6 engines. A 3.7-liter, 24-valve variation of the award-winning Duratec® engine family is standard. Delivering 270 hp at 6,500 RPM and 265 ft.-lb. of torque at 4,250 RPM, this engine has been tuned to provide brisk acceleration and smooth power delivery, along with EPA-estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg city/24 highway for Lincoln MKS with the 3.7-liter engine and FWD.

For an even more performance-oriented driving feel, Lincoln MKS also offers a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6. This engine provides 355 hp at 5,700 rpm, while generating 350 ft.-lb. of torque from 1,500 through 5,250 rpm – all while returning an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway with AWD.

EcoBoost’s unique combination of power and efficiency also makes the EcoBoost MKS the most fuel efficient all-wheel-drive Lincoln MKS available, topping the normally-aspirated AWD model by 1 mpg city and 2 mpg highway.

EcoBoost is a global Ford strategy to deliver the power that customers want, combined with the fuel economy they need. Combining gasoline direct injection with twin turbochargers and a smaller-displacement engine, EcoBoost can match the power output of larger, naturally aspirated engines while yielding torque gains and maintaining equivalent fuel economy.

Pressurized direct injection enables a higher compression ratio, while twin turbochargers work in tandem to reduce lag associated with earlier turbocharged engines. Even with additional horsepower, fuel economy is optimized by an increased compression ratio – enabled by a charge cooling air – and sophisticated knock controls.

Lincoln MKS is equipped with a six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission. This advanced six-speed gearbox offers the driver a choice between fully automatic operation and manual control.

In addition, paddle shifters are integrated into the steering wheel spokes. Intuitive to operate, a squeeze back on either paddle will deliver an upshift, while a gentle push forward on either paddle will induce a “matched-rev” downshift.

This capability makes the Lincoln MKS driving experience sporty yet smooth. Unlike some other competitive transmissions, SelectShift won’t “second guess” the driver with an override shift. With SelectShift, manual control is truly manually controlled.

All-wheel drive is optional in the Lincoln MKS with the standard 3.7-liter V-6. The AWD option enhances the vehicle’s capability in a variety of weather conditions. The sophisticated AWD system is fully automatic, using an advanced array of internal electro-mechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque between front and rear wheels as needed. AWD is standard in the Lincoln MKS with the available EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6.

Body and Suspension Improvements

For 2010, Lincoln MKS was been treated to a ground-up review of its structure in an effort to improve upon its already ouststanding noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics. Additional bracing and strategically placed sound-deadening materials have produced a new level of cabin isolation, providing MKS drivers with a sense of sanctuary.

The structural enhancements have been supplemented by suspension improvements designed to further improve NVH while also enhancing the driving experience when pushed hard. Mounts and bushings have been extensively revised, and spring/shock tuning and front suspension geometry has been reworked to give drivers exceptional handling capabilities in a full-size luxury vehicle.

In addition to the refinements found throughout the MKS line, EcoBoost models take the tuning one step further. Larger stabilizer bars front and rear provide flatter cornering characteristics, and an entirely new front subframe aids in further adjustments to the suspension geometry. Combined with dual roll restrictors, the EcoBoost MKS is equipped with handling dynamics perfectly matched to its powerful, responsive engine – without sacrificing the luxurious ride Lincoln owners demand.

Meticulous Interior Detail

The meticulously detailed 2010 Lincoln MKS delivers a precision-crafted environment resplendent in premium leather trim and real wood and metal accents.

Elegant, flowing surfaces create the feeling that the interior has been sculpted, rather than constructed. The flow-through center stack is topped with an integrated information screen that also serves as the screen for the available navigation system. Standard leather-trimmed seats are double-stitched and feature an exclusive Lincoln perforation pattern on the inserts.

A philosophy of "guilt-free luxury" means Lincoln MKS strives to use materials and processes that reflect the finer things in life but not at the expense of the world around them. Examples include:

•  Leather for the seats by Bridge of Weir, the same Scottish company that supplied hides for the iconic Continental Mark II, was chosen for its high quality and its organic, chromium-free tanning.
• Ebony wood, used for some models, is reclaimed from furniture makers and others sources to offer a beautiful and rare wood with minimal environmental impact.

Lincoln comfort seats, developed for the MKS, feature side bolster supports designed for spirited driving. The standard heated and cooled 12-way power driver and front-passenger seats offer four-way lumbar (up, down, inboard and outboard) for added comfort on long trips.

Rear seat passengers also enjoy a luxury experience that begins as they enter the cabin, via the largest rear-door opening of its class. MKS also offers standard heated rear seats.

Recessed into the front and rear door openings, cleverly designed hidden rocker panels allow for a lower step-over height, making it easier to enter or exit the vehicle. This design helps shield the rockers from the elements, reducing the likelihood of soiling shoes or trousers when entering or exiting the vehicle.

Active and Passive Safety Innovations

The Lincoln MKS features an advanced structural safety system that combines octagonal front frame rails, tunnel rails, and support members designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment. Lincoln MKS also features Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture® to optimize side-impact occupant protection.

The SPACE system integrates a hydroformed high strength steel tube embedded in the floor that runs the width of the vehicle from B-pillar to B-pillar and along the rocker panels to form a safety cage to help protect passengers in side impact incidents.

Also included is the enhanced Personal Safety System™, combining multiple technologies to help tailor the air bags and safety belt functions to each individual passenger and the particular accident circumstances. The system can identify variables, such as severity of the crash, weight of the individual passenger and safety belt usage to adjust air bag deployment force.

Active systems play a key role in MKS safety as well. Collision Warning with Brake Support provides the driver with a “heads-up” display that flashes on the windshield if the system senses a potential collision with the vehicle in front of it. If the driver doesn’t respond and a collision is imminent, the system will pre-charge the brakes and increase brake assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when the driver does brake.

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Immersed in Premium Technologies

Lincoln MKS delivers technologies aimed at making life luxurious for both the driver and passengers. A holistic approach was used to develop these features, where ease of use and intuitive operation were key objectives. Nowhere is this focus more apparent than with the available Active Park Assist, enabled by advanced Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS).

This technology employs an ultrasonic-based sensing system, as opposed to video camera-reliant competitive offerings, making parallel parking a breeze. Active Park Assist activates at the touch of a button, determining an adequate parking spot, detecting the edges of adjacent objects to calculate an optimized angle, then steers the Lincoln MKS into the spot while coaching the driver through conventional throttle and braking inputs.

In addition to completing a parking maneuver quickly, Active Park Assist also works in uphill parking situations, unlike some competitive systems on the market.

Also working in conjunction with EPAS, Pull-Drift Compensation is a software-based technology that helps drivers offset vehicle pulling or drifting that can occur in steady crosswinds or on uneven roads. Pull-Drift Compensation uses sensors to constantly measure the steering input applied by the driver to help maintain the vehicle’s path; it automatically compensates for slight steering input changes caused by environmental factors such as road crowning or steady crosswinds

On the road, Adaptive Cruise Control allows the driver to set and maintain vehicle speed, while radar monitors traffic ahead of the Lincoln MKS. This optional system automatically adjusts speed and slows the vehicle to maintain the set distance behind traffic ahead.

MyKey allows parents or other concerned owners to restrict certain Lincoln MKS features when in the hands of a MyKey driver. MyKey encourages safety belt usage, provides earlier low fuel warnings, engages applicable driver aid systems and sounds chimes at preset speeds while limiting audio system volume and top vehicle speed.

A New Level of Connectivity

Lincoln SYNC® is standard on MKS. This award-winning voice-activated communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft fully integrates Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones and digital media players into the vehicle.

New this year, SYNC with Traffic, Directions & Information provides simple hands-free access to personalized traffic reports, precise turn-by-turn driving directions and up-to-date information including business listings, news, sports, and weather.

Lincoln MKS is offered with two audio technology choices. Standard is an AM/FM In-Dash Single CD/DVD/MP3 capable unit with 10 speakers, SIRIUS® Satellite Radio with six-month prepaid subscription, an auxiliary input jack and a USB port.

The available Navigation Package includes an internal hard-drive for map and point-of-interest information storage, THX® II Certified Car Audio System with 14 strategically aimed Premium Audio speakers. In addition, a SIRIUS Travel Link™ prepaid subscription is included with the Navigation Package, providing coast-to-coast weather data, forecasts, fuel prices, sports scores, movie listings and more (SYNC: Traffic, Directions & Information is not available with the optional Navigation Package).

The available Navigation Package also enables the driver to display personal photos on the center stack-mounted touchscreen. The system can store and display up to 32 photos, sized 1.5MB or less. The home screen can be personalized, by display or desired information or photos in one, two or three panel views.

Both audio technology choices feature an internal Jukebox hard drive for storage of up to 150 hours of recorded audio entertainment. Users can browse the Jukebox via touch screen or voice control. Gracenote® technology will display the CD cover when a selected track is playing.
 

MKS Safety Technologies

Standard and available 2010 Lincoln MKS safety features include:

• AdvanceTrac® with Electronic Stability Control
• Collision Warning with Brake Support
• Belt-Minder® – driver and passenger
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) System – 2nd row (2)
• Personal Safety SystemTM – seat belt pretensioners, load limiting retractors, dual-stage front air bags, driver seat position sensing & crash severity sensing
• Side impact air bags – driver and front passenger
• Safety Canopy® System
• MyKey
• SOS Post-Crash Alert SystemTM

MKS Technology and Connectivity Features
Standard and available 2010 Lincoln MKS technology features include:

• SYNC hands-free communications and entertainment system with Traffic, Directions & Information
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Active Park Assist
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• SecuriLock® Encryption Passive Anti-Theft System (EPATS)
• THX II-Certified audio system
• SIRIUS Travel Link
• Adaptive HID Headlamps
• EPAS with Pull-Drift Compensation
• Rain-Sensing Wipers
• SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry Keypad
• Forward and Reverse Sensing System
• Reverse Camera System
• Easy FuelTM Capless Fuel-Filler System
• Voice-activated navigation system
• Universal garage door opener
• Rear Window Power Sunshade
• Intelligent Access with Push Button Start

The 2010 Lincoln MKS is available in FWD and AWD configurations. All MKS models are built at the Chicago Assembly Plant.

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