Wow, good news for Lincoln’s updated MKZ! The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently did a round of updated testing on all the latest crop of new vehicles. The Lincoln MKZ and Mercedes-Benz R-Class were particular bright points.
This is surprising! The original car, based off the CD-3 platform that underpins the Fusion and Milan, was the Lincoln Zephyr. When tested by the IIHS, it performed merely acceptable overall and in the head on tests. Ford then made some changes and requested a retest as the MKZ. It fared good in those tests, but it’s still surprising to see the car go from relatively unexceptional in terms of crash test ratings to an IIHS Top Safety Pick.
The Lincoln MKZ and Mercedes-Benz R-Class received good ratings in all areas tested, including the 40-mile offset barrier test and 3,300 pound side impact barrier moving at 31 mph. The IIHS also said that it’s new testing better reflects real-world accidents then previous testing.
While they both received great ratings, we have yet to see how they fare under the new roof strength crash tests. I suspect that will be coming later! These awards are designed to drive safety improvements for the whole class, so they are tough to win. For now you can be confident that these two vehicles are exceptional in their class for safety. A job well done, Lincoln!
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