Once part of Ford’s Premiere Automotive Group, Lincoln now goes it alone as Ford’s American market luxury car brand but continues a strategy aimed at broadening its customer profile beyond those buying their last car…
Previewed last year in concept car form, the Zephyr is instrumental in this strategy and uses cues explored in the Navicross concept from Detroit 2003 which in turn was informed by the 2002 Continental concept much derived from the classic ’61 Continental.
Sitting below the Jaguar S-type based LS, the Zephyr is the smallest Lincoln ever and shares the front wheel drive platform with the Mazda 6 and new Ford Fusion. The exterior also shares a lot with the Fusion, glasshouse and door panels look the same and as such it inherits that car’s blandly handsome appearance, adding some well executed details such as the recess in the trunk that frames the badge.
Inside is Lincoln’s house style symmetrical, vertical IP and generally exceptionally impressive attention to detail - forms, materials, colours and overall graphics coordinated eloquently, with the exception of the circular carry-over air vents that jar with the rounded corner square theme – but a design identity so encumbered with the past that it’s walking backwards into the future. Handsomely bland, brilliantly executed, but still with a slight whiff of walking stick.
Alright first off, the Zephyr name dates back to the early 30's when it was a huge Lincoln sedan. But now this has to be the sharpest thing out from Lincoln in decades! Lincoln has just lost all appeal to me, then I saw this car's photos from the New York Auto Show this past year. And let me say as an anti-Ford fan, this car is awesome... I hate Ford, but these Mazda sibling cars, are pretty sharp for being the dull Ford vehicles many Americans have come to love and have many problems w/. Styling are good w/ these cars, but in typical Ford fashion, we may have to look at this car again in a year to see if it is holding up, to the same old Ford quality built problems!
I've never been a fan of the Zephyr. Lincoln has come along way to acheive that, and it is a nice car, but it's still not up-to-date with styling. I guess Lincoln's still going with that grandma look.
2006 Lincoln Zephyr:
