2017 Lincoln MKZ Gains Continental-Like Face, 400-HP V-6

In preparation for the highly anticipated Lincoln Continental luxury sedan launching next year, the updated 2017 Lincoln MKZ gains the new corporate face first shown on the Continental concept earlier this year. The midsize sedan also gets a new party piece: a 400-hp, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter V-6 engine that will be exclusive to the Lincoln brand.

We see plenty of Jaguar influence in the new MKZ’s front end, which will eventually be found across Lincoln’s lineup. LED headlights flank the mesh grille that has a prominent Lincoln badge at its center, and the rear end is left mostly unchanged. The interior receives the latest Sync 3 infotainment system along with upgraded materials, and Lincoln has thankfully replaced the old MKZ’s touch-capacitive controls with real buttons and knobs.

The other big news for the MKZ is a newly available 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 to replace the outgoing 3.7-liter naturally aspirated V-6. Output is a whopping 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque when paired with all-wheel drive–a full 100 hp more than the current MKZ’s V-6. Front-wheel drive MKZ models with the twin-turbo V-6 will make a bit less power, and the 2.0-liter turbo-four and hybrid powertrains carry over unchanged. The new, exclusive-to-Lincoln V-6 powertrain is a big part of the brand’s goal to differentiate itself from Ford, and Lincoln will accordingly drop Ford’s “EcoBoost” badging for this engine.

The new engine certainly will offer a whole lot more performance than anything in the MKZ’s competitive set, which includes cars like the Lexus ES and Acura TLX. A new “Driver’s Package” will be available for 3.0L AWD models, with different suspension tuning, torque vectoring capability, and some visual accents to set it apart. We’ll have to wait to drive the car to see if the Lincoln MKZ has the chassis prowess to match its prodigious power, but early details suggest Lincoln is making comprehensive improvements over the current, 300-hp Lincoln MKZ 3.7 AWD.

As the latest step in the Lincoln brand’s goals for growth, the 2017 Lincoln MKZ will go on sale next year after making its debut at the 2015 Los Angeles auto show.

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