Lincoln has been in a scary position for the last decade, maybe longer. While General Motors has been able to convert Cadillac from a stodgy, old man's car to a brand with modern, avante-garde design, Ford has been clueless when it comes to Lincoln. When Ford owned Jaguar, Lincoln shared some engines and components with Jaguar to be a step down from it. Since then, Lincoln has just been versions of Ford products with bigger engines and more luxury features. It has not been enough to sell the brand to buyers. Lincoln says that this concept "strongly hints" at a production version of the new MKZ that will be on sale later this year. 

At this year's North American International Auto Show, Lincoln showed a concept for the next generation MKZ designed by J Mays. The car is a long sedan with skinny A-pillars and a thick C-pillar. Like the Lexus LF-LC, the roof area between is a large expanse of glass. That gives the interior a very airy quality and increases outward visibility. 

“With the Lincoln MKZ Concept, we are not introducing a new car. We are essentially introducing a new brand. The MKZ Concept is the next step in the reinvention of Lincoln, something we’ve been quietly but aggressively pursuing,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford Motor Company group vice president for Global Product Development.

Mechanically, the MKZ Concept uses an Ecoboost engine with a continuous damping, adjustable suspension. the production version will be available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.