With its Ford stablemate, the Fusion being axed after the 2020 model year, it was only inevitable that the MKZ would go to the chopping block as well especially after a recently announced partnership between Lincoln and Rivian. Lincoln revealed that MKZ production will end after the 2020 model year at the Hermosillio Assembly Plant in Mexico with no successor planned.
Like the Fusion’s demise, the MKZ’s is due to the explosion in SUV and CUV demand, with the MKZ being consistently outsold by not only the Navigator, but also the smaller Aviator and Corsair. This follows up a batch of old rumors back in 2018 that indicated that 2019 was going to be the final production year, but Lincoln backtracked and opted to keep the MKZ around a bit longer due to the commendable sales volume that the model was generating. In fact, Lincoln was rumored to even be considering a rear wheel drive successor that would have potentially revived the Zephyr name, but shifting market forces have perhaps put a damper on that plan.
it will be a shame too to see the MKZ go considering that the current generation model was a big step up over the ill conceived version that it replaced earlier in the 2010s. Combining a design language that was a relatively new breath of fresh air for the brand back then with state of the art technology, the MKZ was the proverbial herald of what was to come for the brand, and it had a strong start in terms of sales and demands. Lincoln’s announcement regarding the MKZ’s retirement hinted that the Hermosillo facility would be retooled for production of new products, though both Lincoln and Ford stopped short of what exactly those products will be. However, given the push for both brands to be purely focused on utilities, we will not be surprised if the products in question are more utilities. We also had the opportunity to sample a MKZ Black Label a few years ago, where it managed to impress us with its potent 3.0 liter turbocharged engine, as well as its high amounts of luxury.
With the MKZ being shown the door, the only sedan left in Lincoln’s lineup is the full size Continental, but that model too is living on borrowed time, and will most likely be axed after the Coach Edition completes its production run, for those that need a brief recap, this variant gets its inspiration from the 1960s, and features a pair of ultra chic and equally sleek suicide doors.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.