Lincoln MKZ (United States of America, 2005-present)

The Lincoln MKZ (previously known as Zephyr) is a mid-size, entry-level luxury car. In 2005 Lincoln revived the Zephyr name with a model based on the same CD3 platform as the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan. The Zephyr was offered with a 3.0 L DOHC Duratec V6 engine with 6-speed automatic transmission. The Zephyr was marketed as successor of the Lincoln LS in 2006. But already a year later, in 2007, the car received a slight update and was rebadged and sold as MKZ.

For the 2010 model year the MKZ was facelifted again, receiving an updated exterior and interior, new suspension tuning and a new SelectShift 6-speed automatic transmission. In 2010 a hybrid electric version of the MKZ was presented at the New York International Auto Show.