The
2006 Lincoln Zephyr is on a quest to stand out not only from its less expensive sibs, but also from the crowded
entry-level luxury segment at large. As we went over in the first part of our review, the exterior is handsome yet
doesn’t step outside that safe, conventional styling box where powerful impressions are often made by the daring
stroke of a designer’s pen. And that tail borders dangerously on being a liability.
The Zephyr,
however, does have one secret weapon in its pursuit of a peerless quality: its interior. Having driven a number of
Fusions, we thought we knew what to expect after unlocking the Zephyr’s doors via its key with integrated
lock/unlock buttons. But after stepping over the classy Lincoln sill plate and nestling into the comfy perforated
leather seats we gazed up at a most unexpected site – the interior of the all-new 2007 Lincoln Navigator!
Read on to find our impressions of the Zephyr’s inner sanctum after we double-checked the monroney to
make certain we were in the right vehicle.
The
angularity and deep relief of the Zephyr’s dash is a bit shocking at first sight. Our general sense of
déjà vu that followed resulted from sitting in Lincoln’s next-gen Navigator at the Chicago Auto
Show in February. Both interiors feature symmetry on either side of the center console that’s highlighted by this
pair deep concavities with soft-touch frames. Truth be told we were ready to pan the Zephyr’s interior early in
the week for feeling too sharp, flat and truck-like. So many of today’s interiors, however, feature flowing
curves and flush everything that Lincoln’s approach has grown on us and stands apart as one of the
vehicle’s defining features. Not everyone agrees with our interior assessment, however, as a straw poll conducted
with friends and family resulted in an even split. But that’s the purpose of a polarizing design: attract
attention and create strong emotions in its audience either for or against.
At this point we’re comfortable
with the interior’s aesthetics and feel downright stylish behind the wheel. But style often succeeds thanks to
the failure of function, so it was important we start pushing buttons, twisting knobs and yanking levers. The HVAC
controls located at the bottom of the center console are standard Fusion fare, except for class perks like controls for
the heated and cooled seats. The Zephyr also gets extra points for controlling the climate of the seat backs as well as
the cushions.
Dominating the center dash is
Ford’s familiar touch screen nav system with GPS mapping that’s only available in combination with the
superlative THX II sound system. Fourteen speakers, including a prominently placed center channel speaker on top
of the dash, divide the outgoing acoustics into distinct channels of audible bliss. A pair of amplifiers also ensures
that you can thump bass with the best of them. We’re familiar with the nav system and have praised it in the past
for not requiring an IT department to operate, but are dismayed at the rather large fitment gaps around the unit.
Our tester eschewed the standard polished wood trim for the optional Satin Aluminum package ($195), which replaces
the bands of bark normally encircling the cockpit with ribbed aluminum trim that better compliments this
interior’s color palette. A silver analog clock a lá Infiniti has been placed between the two center vents
to add a touch of class, despite a digital clock residing less than six inches away on the nav screen.
Once
you stop smudging the nav screen with you fingertips your hands will come to rest on the Zephyr’s steering with
integrated cruise and audio controls that are easy to operate via your thumbs. Peering through the wheel you’ll
find the Zephyr’s white-on-black gauges and an information display nestled between. Fortunately the Zephyr
deviates here from the new Navigator, which features square gauges that resemble geriatric timepieces.
As was
previously mentioned our testers seats featured both heating and cooling functions. The captain’s chairs up front
earned our favor for their long cushions and comfy foam. While spirited driving will quickly have you crushing the
compliant bolsters, the 10-way power adjustability on both front seats at least ensures any size driver can find a
comfortable position. The Zephyr’s rear seats are large enough for two average adults to travel in comfort,
though its 37-inches of legroom don’t come close to approaching the Buick Lucerne’s 41.4-inches. The
Zephyr’s trunk, however, only gives up a single cubic foot to the Lucerne’s rear cellar (16 vs. 17 cu. ft.)
though gains it right back by using gas struts to support the trunk lid instead of the Lucerne’s space-robbing
hinges.
So far the Zephyr’s inner sanctum has pleased both our sense of sight and touch. The dash
design is unique and while off putting to some stands as the sedan’s most defining feature. Love it or hate it,
that dash just won’t be ignored. The black and silver colors that separate the soft touch materials from the hard
plastic and aluminum trim also satisfy our aesthetic tastes. While some may niggle over the HVAC’s placement at
the bottom of the center stack (a common Fusion complaint) and points are deducted for the large gap surrounding the
nav unit, the Zephyr’s interior is at least one of the car’s components that lives up to the entry level
luxury standard set by its competitors.
We’ve got one more review to go in
which we’ll be cranking the seat heaters and heading out on the open road to learn whether this platform’s
capable handling characteristics have been faithfully transferred into Lincoln’s littlest luxury sedan.