Auto Braking is Standard on 2019 Lincoln MKZ, V6 Becomes Exclusive

A report from CarsDirect said that Lincoln is killing one of the variants of the 2019 MKZ, which is the up-scale sibling of the Ford Fusion. The American auto brand is doing this not without reason. It’s apparently pretty tired seeing the slow sales of the luxury sedan, hence it thinks some changes need to be done to boost the MKZ’s performance in the market.

So Lincoln has decided to remove the most luxurious Black Label from the trim options and the 400 HP twin-turbo V6 engine from the mid-level Select variant. The machine will now only be available in the most expensive Reverse variant. In addition, Lincoln is trying to boost sales by adding automatic emergency braking as a standard equipment.

Getting dropped from the MKZ trim options doesn’t mean that the Black Label will be totally eliminated, of course not. It will still be available in other models such as Nautilus and MKC, offering not only the most luxurious features, but also high-class customer service.

There’s a 4-year maintenance plan that includes routine service with free pickup and delivery, as well as car wash. Customers are even granted access to exclusive events in restaurants. All top Lincolns sell well with such a service, except with the MKZ where this strategy fails.

The 2018 Lincoln MKZ is now still offering the old trim options that include Premiere, Select, Reserve, and Black Label; with the twin-turbo V6 engine available from the Select upwards. For the 2019 model, however, the options were changed to Base, Reserve I, and Reserve II; with the V6 engine only available in the Reserve II.

The top variant is also significantly more expensive than the 2018 Select variant. Now it has a MSRP of $48,740 (front-wheel drive) and $ 51,740 (all-wheel drive), compared to the Select which is priced at $42,175 (front-wheel drive) and $45,065 (all-wheel drive). In other words, to get the most potent engine in the 2019 Reserve II, you will need to pay more up to $6,600.