Starting back in 2006, Ford revealed its concept car at the North American International Car Show. Since that time, it has been in production. Now, the summer of 2008 has finally come and the Ford Chicago Assembly plant will make the new flagship car accessible to the public.

The 2009 model’s 3.7L DOHC V6 engine will feature a twin turbocharged EcoBoost. If the 2006 Zephyr and 2007 MKZ’s 3.0L V6 Duratec engine weren’t big enough for you, Lincoln has given plenty of reason to upgrade. The new AWD sedan model also features a brand new body style that has both a sleek and powerful appeal.

The new mid-size MKS has been reported to start between at $37,665 for the front wheel drive version and $39,555 for the all wheel drive model. The luxury vehicle and contains 270 horsepower and has sporty performance overtones.

But in an already loaded class, the 2009 MKS will have an enormous task to compete with the Acura RL ($46,280 – $53,700), Cadillac STS ($43,215 – $78,215), Lexus GS ($44,150 – $52,620), Audi A6 ($42,950 – $56,300), Infiniti M ($43,900 – $52,750), Mercedes-Benz E-Class ($51,200 – $85,300), BMW 5-Series ($44,300 – $58,500), Jaguar XF Series ($49,200 – $62,200), Volvo S80 ($38,705 – $49,210).

So far, the MKS has had great reviews and there’s a lot of buzz surrounding the American made luxury sedan. Most complaints about Lincoln in the past have been because its platform is almost identical to Ford Taurus and Mercury models. This isn’t the case as Lincoln has made a great effort to change the car into its own brand. Overall, the MKS has all of the standards of a luxury vehicle but is priced much lower than most foreign makes. Hopefully, the sales will speak attest to that within the next few months.