Slackers Wanted

Remember Generation X as an angst-ridden bunch, derided as the slacker set?

Maybe they didn't turn out so bad after all. Why else would auto makers now be pitching luxury cars to them?

Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln Mercury Div. is taking demographic aim at Gen X'ers in marketing its all-new '09 Lincoln MKS flagship sedan, touted for elegant design and high technology.

Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1982, got a bum rap for being lazy, because many of them temporarily faltered after graduating from college only to find limited career opportunities, says Sheryl Connelly, a Ford trend tracker.

“Faced with such limitations, a lot of them became entrepreneurs and succeeded,” she says. “Gen Xers are starting to increase their accumulated wealth and are approaching their peak earning years.”

That enables many of them, in their 40s now, to buy luxury cars, she says.

It's something of a belated honor to the one-time scorned generation that Lincoln is pitching the MKS particularly to them, because it is intended as a special renaissance vehicle for a division that has seen better days.

Lincoln sold 131,487 units last year, with 0.82% of the market share, according to Ward's data. It hasn't surpassed 1% since 2000.

MKS designers harkened back to the brand's roots, borrowing from and freshening up design details from Lincolns of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

The car's signature design feature is a split-wing grille influenced by the '41 Lincoln Continental. Other styling features include kickups over the wheel and a rear end that appears to be bumper-less. Slim taillights stretch across the width of the back, like Lincoln taillights of the '60s and '70s.

The MKS shares the same platform as the Ford Taurus and new Ford Flex.

The 3.7L DOHC V-6 is a derivative of the 3.5L Duratec in two sister Lincolns, the MKX cross/utility vehicle and MKZ sedan. The 3.7L delivers 273 hp without premium fuel and about 275 hp with it. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic.

The MKS confidently grips the pavement on a drive along the winding, hilly country roads of northern Virginia, near the nation's capital.

The car's ride and handling are its fine points, with the independent suspension tuned just tight enough for a luxury car being pitched to relatively young consumers who want some feel of the road.

The horsepower is sufficient for anyone but luxury car owners who want blazing speed along with all the amenities.

Interior technology features include Sync, a voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft Corp.

The MKS also offers a new-generation navigation system that provides real-time information, including traffic and weather. Also debuting is a state-of-the-art THXII surround-sound audio system.

With the music off, the vehicle is billed as the quietest in its segment, thanks to such innovations as specially laminated windows.

The interior gizmos are great, but most of them — such as adaptive cruise control and the rear-view camera — are hardly new by now.

Although packed with driver-information technology, the MKS instrument panel manages to be uncluttered. It avoids putting the driver into sensory overload.

Perhaps the cockpit is too simple. The lower center stack below the climate controls is dead space, just a flat surface with the Lincoln nameplate on it. It appears to be a questionable use of prime space, as if something should be there. Ford says something will be, in later models.

Exterior technology highlights include adaptive cruise control; adaptive high-intensity discharge headlamps that pivot to increase the driver's field of vision; and a capless fuel-filler system that seals shut when the nozzle is removed.

Through July, 315 of the top Lincoln dealerships in the U.S. are holding special events to show the new car to invited guests, many of them Gen X'ers.

Base price is $39,555, including an $800 destination fee. The sticker price reaches $46,070 with various options, such as 20-in. (50.8-cm) aluminum wheels and a dual-panel moon roof.

The MKS is going after two main competitors, the Cadillac STS and the Lexus GS. Lincoln touts the MKS as costing about $4,000 less than the STS.

'09 Lincoln MKS

Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive option, 5-passenger sedan

Engine: 3.7 DOHC Duratec V-6

Power: 275 hp @ 6,250 rpm

Torque: 276 lb.-ft. (374 Nm) @ 4,500 rpm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Wheelbase: 112.9 ins. (286.7 cm)

Overall length: 204.1 ins. (518.4 cm)

Curb weight: 4,127 lbs. (1,796 kg)

Base price: $39,555

Fuel economy: 17/24 mpg (13/9.8 L/100 km)

Competition: Cadillac STS; Lexus GS