The updated Lincoln MKZ borrows the distinctive new grille introduced on the Continental Concept.

The launch of the MKZ sedan three years ago was a critical move for Lincoln as it set out to reestablish itself as a credible player in the luxury market. The new model was more stylish, more sophisticated, but still fell short of meeting key competitors head-on.

This time, Lincoln isn’t holding back. Taking a number of its design cues from the widely praised Lincoln Continental concept, the upcoming, mid-cycle refresh of the MKZ takes the sedan even more up-market, with an attention to detail normally reserved for import brands like Lexus, Audi or Mercedes-Benz.

“We’re closing the gap very, very rapidly,” said Kumar Galhotra, the president of Lincoln Motors, during a sneak preview of the 2017 Lincoln MKZ ahead of its official unveiling at the L.A. Auto Show.

While the new model continues to ride on the same front-wheel-drive platform and doesn’t undergo any changes to its basic dimensions, it takes on a much more dramatic presence, in large part owing to the influence of the Lincoln Continental concept vehicle revealed at the New York Auto Show last April.

A closer look at the new grille and the 2017 Lincoln MKZ's adaptive headlamps.

(Click Here for complete coverage of the 2015 LA Auto Show.)

The MKZ becomes the first Lincoln production model to pick up on the show car’s distinctive nose. It abandons the “split-wing” grille first launched on the 2013 MKZ in favor of a design that subtly repeats the shape of the classic Lincoln emblem. The grille is framed between narrow adaptive LED headlamps and lower air intakes framed in strips of chrome.

“It’s more about seduction and elegance,” explained chief Lincoln designer David Woodhouse, rather than the more “aggressive and overt” faces preferred by many European luxury brands.

The basic coupe-like silhouette carries over, but subtle tweaks to the rear give the 2017 Lincoln MKZ a lower and wider stance.

The prior model was faulted, more than anything, for not taking things far enough inside, the cabin looking like a slightly gussied-up Ford sedan. Not so the new MKZ. It adopts a wealth of luxurious materials, such as Bridge of Weir leather and an Alcantara headliner. But it’s more than just switching to a better tannery. Luxury, as much as anything, is all about the details, and that’s where the new MKZ shines.

The Lincoln Continental Concept made its debut last April at the New York Auto Show.

The quad-LED headlamps, for example, also pick up on the shape of the Lincoln emblem, while there are subtle etchings in the wraparound daytime running lights. The new MKZ uses sensors to tell when the driver approaches, at night triggering a lighted “welcome mat,” once again, in the Lincoln logo shape.

Inside, there are other subtle touches, such as the chrome trim that frames the back of the headrests, and the stitching and perforated patterns of the rear seats.

The new MKZ also sees the return of knobs, buttons and switches – notably including manual controls for volume, tuning and seat heaters – that had been abandoned in favor of touchscreen controls on the prior MKZ iteration.

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The sedan also adopts the newest version of parent Ford’s infotainment system, Sync 3. It largely overcomes some of the big complaints about early Sync generations. It’s quicker to respond to touch commands — including smartphone-style pinches — and the voice recognition system can handle relatively normal speech, rather than forcing a driver to learn a series of arcane commands simply to pair a phone.

The new MKZ will use Bridge of Weir leather and an Alcantara headliner.

Two new Revel audiophile-quality sound systems will be available, meanwhile, one with 14 speakers, the other with 20.

As you’d expect of any modern luxury sedan, the new MKZ will be loaded with advanced technology, including not only its infotainment system, but various active safety systems. These include a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection and auto-braking, adaptive cruise control able to come to a complete stop and then start up again in traffic, and an enhanced auto park system that can not only handle parallel and perpendicular spots but also get you out of that spot.

On the more mechanical side, the 2017 Lincoln MKZ finally gets its own, exclusive powertrain, a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 that is expected to make 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque in the all-wheel-drive version, according to Rob Rosenbach, the MKZ Consumer Marketing Manager. And it will use torque vectoring – shifting power to the left or right wheels – to enhance cornering.

It's all in the details. Two of the Revel speakers and the hand-stitched leather.

There will still be a single-turbo 2.0-liter EcoBoost powertrain, as well as a 2.0-liter hybrid package, both with available all-wheel-drive.

“The goal,” stressed Rosenbach, “was not just to deliver a laundry list of technologies.” Lincoln, he added, was more focused on the “ownership experience.”

That might sound like a cliché, but it holds up to some scrutiny. The idea is to engage the driver in a welcoming way, from the moment they approach the vehicle to the time they put it in park, explained Galhotra, and there the details matter, as well.

Lincoln will be targeting the new MKZ primarily at the popular Lexus ES when it comes to market in mid-2016. That’s a tall order but from initial indications, the Detroit maker could have a better shot of making a real stand in the luxury market than it has in decades.

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