We like the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan plenty. They stand as true competitors to the 2007 Toyota Camry. We also wrote nice things about their non-identical triplet, the Lincoln Zephyr. So why review the 2007 Lincoln MKZ when the 2006 Zephyr full test posted here in June? Isn't the MKZ just a Zephyr with a different chrome badge on the trunk lid?

With lots of public support stemming from the relative success of the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, it wasn't a stretch for managers in the Glass House to expect similar reactions from a Lincoln product built on the same front-drive platform.

In the post-modern world, the name Zephyr has zero resonance. The word is a throwback to a time when Classicism was taught in schools and new-fangled home appliances like toasters and belt-driven washers had names like Prometheus and Brobdingnag. These days, most people will probably confuse "Zephyr," a soft, warm breeze, with "Zamphir," the pan flute guy, a "musician" who can ruin with mindless energy everything from Abba to Wagner.

With prices starting at $37,665 for the FWD version and $39.555 for the AWD version, the 2009 Lincoln MKS redefines the American luxury. Next to the other new models from Lincoln, the MKZ sedan and MKX crossover, the 2009 MKS wants to bring the Lincoln brand into its right place on the luxury market.

Lincoln unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show the new 2010 MKZ mid-size sedan. Sales will begin in spring of 2009 and production will be made at Ford’s Hermosillo (Mexico) Stamping and Assembly Plant.

The Lincoln MKS luxury sedan is entering the 2010 model year with refinements to body and suspension systems, more standard equipment, but also with the addition of the new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, the first V-6 direct-injection twin-turbocharged.

Lincoln is offering the 2010 Navigator with safety and technology upgrades, but also with new standard equipment. The Navigator will be available in standard and L version, both offered in either 4x2 or 4x4 trim. Prices will range from $54,400 to $59,465.

For 2010 the Lincoln MKX is offering available all-wheel-drive, standard heated-and-cooled front seats and available heated rear seats. And for 2010, its 265-hp engine and six-speed automatic transmission have been extensively refined to increase fuel mileage. Prices for the MKX start at $38,345 for the FDW version and at $40,195 for the AWD version.

Lincoln unveiled today at the New York Auto Show, the 2011 MKZ Hybrid. This is the company’s first ever hybrid vehicle, but a logical step if you consider both the Ford Fusion and the Mercury Milan are also available with hybrid drivetrains.