2022 Lincoln Zephyr: iconic nameplate returns for Chinese luxury sedan

Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln has abandoned passenger vehicles in the United States, however that hasn’t stopped it from launching its new Zephyr sedan in China.

Unveiled at the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show, the Zephyr readopts a famous badge that has been placed on a plethora of Ford Motor Company vehicles since the 1930s – namely the previous Lincoln Zephyr, one of many predecessors to the MKZ and Continental sedans discontinued in 2020.

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Set to remain exclusive to the Chinese market, where passenger cars remain popular with buyers, the Zephyr is expected to go on sale in the People’s Republic during the first quarter of 2022.

Reportedly based on the same transverse front-wheel drive Ford C2 platform as the Focus and Escape – as well as the Chinese market Evos – the Lincoln Zephyr is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Specific powertrain details are not yet known, however, the four-cylinder mill is likely related to the turbocharged version found in the Ford Escape and Maverick.

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With a wheelbase stretching more than 2900 millimetres, the Zephyr places an emphasis on rear seating space and legroom – an important focus for Chinese consumers. Local media reports the luxury sedan is 4982mm long, 1865mm wide and 1485mm long, placing it between the outgoing MKZ and Continental dimensionally.

At the front, a full-width light bar is divided by Lincoln badging, placed on a large front grille surrounded by a pair of sleek headlights and C-shaped air intakes.

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A strong character line along the side, flush door handles, angular rear tail-lights reminiscent of the Audi A7 and worded Lincoln badging round out the styling of the Zephyr, which sports a sedan boot lid despite its liftback-like swooping roof line.

The Zephyr will be available with two styling appearances: a chrome-laden luxury version, and a sporty blacked-out trim likely badged 'Black Label'.

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Inside, wall-to-wall screens house a large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and massive 27-inch SYNC+ infotainment system that stretches across the entire dashboard. Passengers are treated to plush leather seating with blue accents, with a 128-colour ambient lighting system and air fragrances also available.

Safety-wise, the Zephyr features Lincoln’s ‘Co-Pilot 360 Assist 2.0’ suite of driver assistance technology, alongside the brand’s new ‘ActiveGlide’ system which debuted on the facelifted Navigator. This allows for Level 2+ autonomous driving capability – a position coined by Mobileye as a "crossover from driver assist to some level of autonomy" above Level 2, but not quite at the set Level 3 autonomous standard.