It’s funny how history has a tendency to repeat itself. The year was 1922 and Lincoln was headed for the scrap heap, facing bankruptcy due to dismal sales resulting from poor product offerings. Ford swept in and saved the struggling company by making huge investments in new engines and new models. More than 85 years later, we’re back to square one. The brand that once was the official vehicle of U.S. presidents now finds itself searching for its niche in the crowded luxury vehicle market. After achieving the rank of the top-selling luxury brand in 1998, Lincoln has been a bit schizophrenic in determining its future direction. First there was the plan to take on BMW and the European luxury brands through products like the LS, a midsize rear-wheel-drive sedan. Then came the decision to jump head-first into the truck wars through the introduction of the Blackwood, a luxury pickup that was long on style and short on utility. This was followed by the Mark LT, a “Lincolnized” Ford F-150, the Zephyr, a high-end Fusion, and the MKX, a cousin of the Ford Edge. And let’s not forget the new nomenclature that replaced names with letters. In short, for the past five years Lincoln has been at a crossroads. That’s about to end, according to insiders, who point to the ’09 MKS full-size sedan as the product that signifies that Lincoln’s design future includes paying homage to some of the most important vehicles from its past.

Design plays a vital role when it comes to resurrecting any brand, one just needs to witness the remarkable resurgence of Cadillac as proof that design can change perceptions quickly. Lincoln has taken that lesson to heart, and the MKS stands as a template for the brand’s future design language. Its split waterfall grille and clean bodysides come from those heady days when Lincoln meant something, in this case 1941 and the first Lincoln Continental. The problem, however, is that the visual appeal is muted. Every car needs a strong face, and the MKS has a very tasteful and contemporary one, but the car’s overall dimensions—204 in. long, 75.9 in. wide and 61.5 in. tall (MKS borrows its platform from Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable)—do not afford the opportunity for that face to transfer into a sleek, elegant body. Instead, the body looks chunky and overbearing with steel covering two-thirds of the side, leaving only a third of the space for glass. At the rear, the vertical tail lamps have been pushed out to the edges further accentuating the design’s girth. If there is one thing the exterior design of MKS clearly displays it is the tension between those who want the brand to become more cutting edge, and those committed to keeping the brand more conservative. If this is truly to be Lincoln’s new flagship, someone should have picked a bolder design direction.

The confusion continues under the hood, where MKS faces its biggest problem: power. Unlike the rest of the competition which offer V8 engines, Lincoln decided to limit the MKS to a 3.7-liter V6, derived from the 3.5-liter found in the MKX and MKZ. While producing a respectable 273 hp and 265 lb.-ft. of torque, it fails to deliver on its core purpose: fuel economy. The front-wheel drive V6-powered MKS is rated at 17 mpg city and 24 highway, while the rear-drive V8-powered Cadillac STS achieves 15 mpg city and 24 highway. Is it just me, or shouldn’t one expect that a V6 mated to a six-speed automatic transmission—which provides very smooth shifting and good response in passing situations, by the way—to achieve better fuel economy numbers than a rear-drive V8 sedan? As a luxury buyer, I am going to expect both performance and greater fuel efficiency.

On a more positive note, the ride and handling of the MKS is smooth and confident. Suspension is shared with the Ford Flex so there’s little expectation for road-hugging thrills, but that’s not what this car is all about. The suspension is ideally tuned for long highway treks or quick suburban jaunts, a likely combination of scenarios for MKS buyers, but lacks an underlying feeling of handling finesse in the corners.

The biggest positive is the interior. MKS engineers and designers admit they battled with purchasing to prevent any cost-cutting that would diminish the quality of materials and fit-and-finish, and they should display their battle scars proudly. The attention to detail in the cockpit is pleasantly surprising. Soft-touch surfaces abound and the best feature is the leatherette material stitched onto the top of the instrument panel, a feature you’re more likely to find on premium European cars. The design team also paid careful attention to reducing cutlines that interrupt visual flow. For example, the glove box door stretches all the way from the passenger door to the center console, eliminating the traditional door cutline. However, one foible exists where the center stack and console meet—the Lincoln logo sits atop what looks like a small door used to hide a storage area, but there’s no door or storage space at all. It’s a rather odd solution for an interior design whose stated goal was clean visual flow.

For Lincoln to succeed, it needs to be bold and stand out from the crowd. The MKS is a good attempt, but not enough for everyone to recognize Lincoln is back in the game, and that – if left to fester – could create more problems for a brand that was once the marque of U.S. Presidents. It is one part of Lincoln’s history that should never be allowed to repeat itself.

Verdict:

+ The MKS has one of the best interiors ever to come out of the Ford design studio with immaculate attention to detail.

- More akin to a doddering senior citizen than a spirited middle-ager when it comes to ride and handling, the MKS fails to provide significant fuel economy benefits even with its V6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission.