10 Things You Need To Know About The 2013 Lincoln MKS

Lincoln is a luxury brand that has been largely unable to forge a strong identity of its own over the past decade, which is part of what makes the new 2013 Lincoln MKS such an important step forward for the Detroit-based automaker.  The 2013 Lincoln MKS gives the company a fresh flagship sedan that distances itself further from the Ford Taurus platform on which it is based, and its looks help it to appeal to buyers younger than those who have traditionally parked Lincoln vehicles in their driveways.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2013 Lincoln MKS.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS still rides on the same general platform as the year before but a number of tweaks and changes have been made in order to substantially improve the car when compared to the outgoing model.  Highlights include a transmission tunnel brace that helps to stiffen the car, a feature that is aided and abetted by the decision to use solid mounts to connect the Lincoln MKS' electric steering rack directly to its front subframe.  Larger, vented brakes help to haul down the MKS from triple-digit speeds with greater ease, and they also provide a unique torque vectoring capability that is designed to distribute torque to the outside wheel thanks to a tapered shape that gently acts on the inside wheel when accelerating out of a corner.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS also sports a dramatic new look, especially from the windshield forward where it shares no sheet metal with the 2012 edition of the car.  Particularly evident is the thinning of the sedan's twin grilles, which still bear their toothy smile but are no longer as dominating of the automobile's front styling as they once were.  Revised headlights also help to reduce the visual impact of the Lincoln MKS' forward view.  Out back, the trunk has been reshaped in order to provide easier access, and the interior of the Lincoln has been given an extra splash of personality through the addition of extra wood and metallic trim, as well as a dashboard and instrument panel that have been reconfigured for a more aesthetically pleasing presentation.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS starts out with a 3.7-liter V-6 engine under the hood.  This unit has been tuned to provide 304 horsepower and 279 lb-ft of torque - a considerably 28 pony upgrade over the 2012 MKS that helps make the base Lincoln MKS much more competitive on the luxury scene from a performance perspective.  The sedan is also available with a twin-turbo, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 that now matches the same power rating as the unit found under the hood of the Taurus SHO (365 horses and 350 lb-ft of torque).  The 3.7-liter mill is available with the option of all-wheel drive while the EcoBoost engine gets all-wheel drive as a matter of course.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS has managed to improve on its reported fuel mileage when compared to the first generation of the car, despite offering more power across the board.  When outfitted with the 300 horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 the Lincoln MKS returns 18-mpg in stop and go driving and 27-mpg on the highway.  The EcoBoost is within spitting distance of those figures regardless of the fact that it is penalized by the extra weight and complexity of its standard all-wheel drive system, posting 17-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway.  These impressive results are made possible in part by the use of an advanced six-speed automatic transmission as well as the integration of several efficiency-oriented features including active grille shutters to improve aerodynamics.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS is now more rewarding to drive thanks to a series of changes and updates that have been made to its suspension system and chassis.  All models benefit from this engineering attention, as the vehicle's transmission features a Sport mode that not only improves the swiftness and authority of each gear change but also commands the MKS' Continuously Controlled Damping system to adopt its most aggressive setting.  Sport mode, which can be selected from the sedan's Drive Control menu, additionally tightens throttle response while dialing back the automobile's electronic nannies.  Normal and Comfort modes are also available.

The 2012 Lincoln MKS starts off in the generously-equipped FWD trim, which comes with parking assistance, HID headlights, keyless entry and ignition, heated mirrors, heated and ventilated leather seats, dual automatic climate control, the MyLincoln Touch vehicle interface, a CD player, the SYNC multimedia and communications system, Wi-Fi internet capability, and power adjustments with memory settings for the driver's bucket.  The AWD model is sold with the same level of gear but adds all-wheel drive, while the EcoBoost trim features 20-inch rims instead of the 19-inch wheels offered as a standard feature.

Buyers who are interested in adding a heaping helping of additional features to the 2013 Lincoln MKS can select the Premium package, which includes convenience items such as a navigation system, power adjustable pedals, a rear sunshade that activates at the touch of a button, and a heated steering wheel.  It also comes with a navigation system, a surround sound audio system, and a blind spot warning system that offers cross traffic detection to assist drivers when backing out of a parking space.  Selecting the Elite package bundles all of the above with a lane departure warning system, heated rear seats, upgraded front seats, wood trim, and a feature that can automatically parallel park the MKS.

Two of the previously-mentioned standard 2013 Lincoln MKS features - MyLincoln Touch and SYNC - are at the cutting edge of what is currently available in the driver interface arena.  MyLincoln Touch makes use of a series of configurable touchscreen displays in order to replace traditional vehicle controls and gauge readouts, offering complete control over what is presented directly in front of the driver as well as on the center stack.  SYNC is charged with managing mobile devices such as phones and media players, and also provides natural language voice recognition capability that can be used to interact with the vehicle's navigation system, stereo, and hands-free calling system.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS can be had with the overwhelming level of safety features that luxury sedan shoppers have come to expect in its segment.  Forward airbags, seat-mounted side airbags, and side curtain airbags that deploy along the entire length of the sedan's passenger compartment are standard, as is an electronic stability and traction control system.  Blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning (with lane keeping assist) and adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning are also available with the car, which helps to bring the MKS up to speed in terms of protective technologies.

Previously, Lincoln MKS was often passed over by premium car buyers looking for a dynamically interesting driving experience to go with their high tech features and plush interiors.  The 2013 Lincoln MKS has tightened things up behind the wheel to the point where it is now an attractive full-size sedan option that is capable of being mentioned in the same breathe as stalwarts like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Audi A6.  Priced at a starting MSRP of $42,810, the Lincoln MKS is in some cases significantly cheaper than its competitors (E-Class) as well as better equipped out of the box (A6).