DETROIT -- Lincoln's 2006 Zephyr, which Ford Motor Co. hopes will lure younger buyers to its U.S. luxury brand, will have a base sticker price of $29,995, including shipping, Lincoln announced Thursday.

The Zephyr goes on sale in the fall.

The five-passenger mid-size sedan is Lincoln's attempt to attract drivers in their mid 30s. Its average customer is considerably older.

"The Zephyr makes the Lincoln brand more relevant to a new generation of younger customers who are ready to move to a luxury vehicle," Al Giombetti, Lincoln Mercury's president, said in a statement.

Powered by a 3.0 liter V-6 engine, the front-wheel-drive Zephyr has a highway fuel economy in the upper 20s, the automaker said. It also has a six-speed automatic transmission. Lincoln will offer 3.5 liter V-6 and all-wheel drive versions next year.

The Zephyr has six premium options, including a moonroof, navigation system and chrome wheels, that could raise the price to $35,575, including shipping.

The sedan, built on a version of the Mazda6 platform, will be manufactured with the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Lincoln has sold 51,667 vehicles through May, a 7.4 percent drop from 2004's five-month performance, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

DEARBORN , Mich. , June 16, 2005 – Lincoln Mercury today announced pricing for the all-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, a mid-size, five-passenger luxury sedan joining Lincoln 's lineup in the fall of 2005. The 2006 Zephyr features a starting manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,995 and comes loaded with a number of premium standard features.

With the all-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln will introduce an entirely new generation of consumers to the qualities that have made Lincoln a classic American luxury marque for more than 70 years. Zephyr has a bold and distinctive exterior design – a rich, inviting interior with high-quality materials and a confident, luxurious driving character.

"The new Zephyr is all about accessible luxury," says Al Giombetti, Lincoln Mercury president. "The Zephyr makes the Lincoln brand more relevant to a new generation of younger customers who are ready to move to a luxury vehicle."

Zephyr is designed to deliver a comfortable ride and excellent driver response. Its suspension is designed to absorb more of the harshness of daily driving before it can reach the passenger compartment. Standard 17-inch tires with a wide P225/50 profile, power rack-and-pinion steering, a fully independent suspension, thicker front door glass and advanced door seals have been engineered and tuned with an emphasis on comfort, quietness and confident handling.

In addition to its attainable price, Zephyr features a full complement of standard premium equipment along with only six options, making the Zephyr easy to order for customers and dealers.

Major standard equipment includes a 221 horsepower 3.0L DOHC 24-valve V-6 engine with 6-speed automatic transmission; 17-inch machined aluminum wheels; anti-lock braking (ABS); traction assist; side air bags and side air curtains; a luxurious and stylish interior featuring dark ebony or light maple wood, leather and satin nickel trim; AM/FM stereo with six-disc CD/MP3 player with six speakers; intermittent speed-sensitive windshield wipers; dual-zone climate control; driver-memory leather seating surfaces; front center console with adjustable armrest; universal garage door opener; power adjustable, driver-memory heated exterior mirrors with puddle lamps; tilt and telescoping steering wheel with redundant audio and climate controls; heated, 10-way power driver and passenger seats with power lumbar and recline; new projector-beam headlamps and LED taillights; and rear-seat reading lights.

The six available options include:

Industry-exclusive THX II-Certified ® audio system featuring 14 speakers – ten primary speakers deliver surround sound; two front and rear center-channel speakers add acoustical depth; and two subwoofers augmented by power amplifiers deliver deep, rich bass – and a quick-loading six-disc player compatible with normal audio, MP3 compressed or text format CDs ($995).
DVD-based navigation system on a single disc that features a sharp, 6.5-inch-wide screen and text-to-speech technology for travel directions aloud in English, Spanish or French. Includes THX II-Certified ® audio system as detailed above ($2,495).
High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps designed to produce more light, last longer and use less energy than typical incandescent headlamps ($495).
17-inch 8-spoke chrome wheels ($895).
Perforated premium leather cooled front seats ($495).
Power moonroof ($1,200).
The MSRP of a fully-loaded Zephyr featuring all available options is $35,575. All prices include destination and delivery.

The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr is one of the five new products Lincoln will introduce over four years and is part of the much larger transformation of the Lincoln showroom. "We're beginning a renaissance at Lincoln , and it starts with the Mark LT and Zephyr this year," says Giombetti.

Following this year's release of the Lincoln Mark LT luxury pickup and the new Lincoln Zephyr, the Lincoln Aviator will be introduced. Soon thereafter, two additional sedans will join the lineup. "With all the new products, we feel confident in our ability to grow Lincoln Mercury sales from 300,000 annually to 500,000 by the end of the decade," adds Giombetti