The 2010 Lincoln MKZ was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show earlier today, and according to Chief Engineer JD Shanahan this new model is building on its success with a new interior, new features, a quieter ride and an exterior that has a more progressive look.
Click on 
to hear audio. Use right mouse click to download.
| Cut #1: |
"Features a split-wing grill, in the front, surrounded by all new sheet metal on the fenders and hood new facia, just gives the car a more progressive substancial look to it. The current car is good the new one's even better." :13 sec. |
| Shanahan says while the exterior has a new look, so does the interior, with upgrades throughout. | |
| Cut #2: |
"The door trims for example now instead of plastic pull cups are a 360 degree wrapped leather and chrome, the instrument panel that had to be all new both for styling and because we couldn't fit all the new features and technologies. We now have an eight inch touch screen and voice activated Nav, eight inch is one of the largest in the segment, the features and technologies we've put into the car are just amazing." :25 sec. |
| Shanahan says the MKZ offers an all new sport tuning package that gives the car a new look with 18-inch aluminum wheels, a more aggressive looking darkened grill and headlamps, while the interior has aluminum inserts, lighter colored accent piping on the seats with the most important part of the sport model, the handling package. | |
| Cut #3: |
"It's a sportier steering and handling then the base model, and that just opens up a new dimension, when you couple that with the select shift, which is now standard in the Lincoln MKZ for 2010, which gives us the individual geer control, and if you add in the optional all-wheel drive, then you truly have a new sportier driving experience for all weather conditions." :22 sec. |
| According to Shanahan, the Lincoln MKZ is not only turning heads, but changing consumers minds about what their next vehicle purchase will be. Shanahan says the 2010 Lincoln MKS is going after the Lexus ES 350 and the Cadillac CTS drivers, but it often goes beyond that. | |
| Cut #4: |
"An interesting factoid is that with our near 50-percent conquest rate as we look a little deeper into details people trading up from a Camry or Avalon are more likely to take an MKZ then an ES 350." :11 sec. |
| One of the reasons for that is related to the extra special attention given to the sound package provided in the Lincoln MKZ. | |
| Cut #5: |
"We’ve done several things to build on that comfort and cruising, for example we now have accoustic laminated windshield, thicker rear-glass & more shielding and we've redesigned the sound package throughout, so our wind noise is now best in class, better than ES 350, better than CTS." :16 sec. |
| 2010 MKZ joins the new MKS and will followed by the MKT luxury crossover next summer to expand the Lincoln portfolio. |