I've just finished a week in the new Lincoln MKS and I'm stunned.

This new flagship sedan is the first Lincoln I've driven that wasn't a glorified Ford. So that would make this car the first real Lincoln I've driven.

Lincoln MKS is a fitting flagship for the brand. It has sophisticated, efficient V-6 power, a richly trimmed interior and an option for all-wheel drive. Pricing begins at $40,000.

The MKS is a large, five-passenger sedan, with front-or all-wheel drive. It is thoroughly contemporary and notable for not offering a V-8 engine. Instead it has a very capable 273-horsepower, 3.7-liter V-6 engine and new six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.

With pricing that ranges from $40,355 to $47,000, the MKS doesn't have to be a savior to the brand, but it is a fit flagship — a halo — to show off the brand.

Lincoln appears to be headed back as a purveyor of emotional styling with a full measure of wood, leather and chrome. The MKS is a distinctively American package of comfort and technology features, but nothing that the driver doesn't need. And no gimmicks or flash — like joystick controllers to select music or temperature and no rotating shifter dial that rises from the console.

What it has is richness of style, inside and out.

I had several encounters with passers-by who went out of their way to stop and take a second look at the test car.

The second question was typically: "It's a Lincoln?"

And of interest to me was the younger ages of the admirers. Lincoln is a mature brand with pricing that requires gainful employment, but I was talking with men and women in their 20s and 30s.

Maybe it was the test car's gorgeous dark blue metallic paint that contrasted so well with the Cashmere Ultimate Leather interior. No other manufacturer does an interior as inviting as this one.

The leather, by Bridge of Weir, the Scottish company that tanned hides for the Continental Mark II, is the softest and most organically treated leather ever used in a Lincoln. It wraps seats that are well-stuffed to massage, support and tenderize the backside. The front seats, heated and cooled, have 12-way power adjustment, including lumbar.

The leather-covered dash is double-stitched and looks exotically expensive. The light-colored headliner with optional dual-panel sunroof creates an open, flow-through environment. Ebony wood trim, used for some models, is reclaimed from furniture makers and other sources.

Lincoln's trademark outside door keypad has been updated and is now an "invisible" SecuriCode keypad on the driver-door pillar. Swipe a hand over the area and the keypad lights up and allows unlocking without a key.

Lincoln says the rear doors have the largest opening of other cars in this class, but access would be better if the doors opened a bit wider. The back seats, just as full as the front seats, are heated.

Another point of detail is how the doors cover the rocker panels and allow a lower step-in height. The design shields the rockers from dirt and weather, which will help keep slacks and shoes cleaner when entering or exiting the vehicle.

Nothing says luxury like a quiet ride and the MKS feels so solid and soundproofed that even cars passing on the interstate seem far away. But the suspension and steering are not numbing to control and feedback.

Large four-wheel disc brakes give forceful, refined stopping power. Braking is integrated with ABS, traction and electronic stability controls.

Wheel sizes range from 18-inch standard to 19 and 20. The test car was a smooth roller with the 19s as part of the Ultimate package.

Lincoln/Ford took a stand when it planned a V-6 engine for the MKS, betting that consumers would place more value on fuel economy than the number of cylinders. After all, power in this segment is more about how fast the car gets to 60 mph than how many cylinders it has.

This engine is strong with a good sound. The 3.7-liter V-6 is rated 273 horsepower on 87 octane fuel, or 275 on premium.

Fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg city, 24 highway for front-wheel drive and 16/23 AWD.

Later in the model year an optional ($700 estimated) turbocharged, 300-plus-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 will be available. The so-called EcoBoost technology combines turbocharging and gasoline direct injection, which gives comparable power to a V-8 and as much as 20 percent better fuel economy, Ford says.

No need to wait for that engine, though. The MKS is complete now.

2009 LINCOLN MKS AWD

Body style: large, five-passenger, front-or all-wheel-drive sedan

Engine: aluminum, DOHC, 3.7-liter V-6 with four valves per cylinder and intake variable, camshaft timing

Horsepower: 273 at 6,250 rpm (275 with 91 octane fuel)

Torque: 270 at 4,250 rpm (276 with 91 octane)

Transmission: six-speed SelectShift automatic

EPA fuel economy estimates: 16 mpg city, 23 highway (17/24 front-wheel drive)

DIMENSIONS

Trunk space: 18.4 cubic feet

Front head/leg/shoulder room: 39.7/41.9/58.6 inches

Length/wheelbase: 204.1/112.9 inches

Curb weight: 4,276 pounds (4,127 FWD)

FEATURES

Standard equipment includes: dual-zone automatic temperature control, reverse sensing system, SecuriCode keypad, one-touch up and down power front windows, fog lights, Easy Fuel capless fuel-filler system, high-intensity-discharge headlights, power mirrors, six-speaker audio system with six months of Sirius satellite radio, overhead console with lights and storage for sunglasses, front and rear floor mats, lighted door and steering-wheel switches, auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, three 12-volt power points, heated rear seats, 12-way power (heated and cooled) front seats with power lumbar, leather-trimmed seating surfaces with seat-color-keyed tuxedo stripe on seat backs, rear fixed trunk pass-through, SYNC, universal garage-door opener, lighted visor mirrors, remote keyless entry, power tilt and telescopic steering column, 18-inch wheels and P235/55R T-rated all-season tires

Safety features include: dual-stage front air bags, safety canopy system, and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, brake assist and traction and electronic-stability controls

PRICING

Base: $40,355, including $800 freight charge; price as tested, $46,070

Options on test car: Ultimate package (includes navigation and technology packages), $5,715, and adds Intell Access pushbutton start, rear window power sunshade, GPS navigation, rearview camera, THXII sound system with 5.1 surround, 19-inch Premium Paint Cast Aluminum Wheels, dual-panel moonroof, Ultimate seating trim with seat color-keyed suede strip in the center of the seatbacks; embroidered Lincoln Star logo on the front headrests

Mark Maynard is driving in cyberspace at mark.maynard@uniontrib.com.

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