It was replaced by the tenth generation Lincoln Continental,[7] With sales beginning in the summer of 2008 for model year 2009, standard equipment included radar autonomous cruise control system, optional adaptive HID headlights,[8] automatic HID headlights, foglights, capless fuel filler marketed as Easy Fuel, foldable power adjustable mirrors with memory, 18x7.5-inch machined aluminum wheels, 6-speaker audio system with an AM/FM radio and 6-disc in-dash CD changer, Sirius satellite radio with a six-month prepaid subscription, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming rear view mirror with compass, 12-way, heated and cooled power driver and passenger seats, heated rear seats, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel with memory, universal garage door opener, two sunglass holders, Lincoln SYNC, intelligent access system with a push button start, and SecuriCode Invisible, a keypad system mounted on the driver's B-pillar with a capacative touch panel, to enable tiered or time-restricted permissions, i.e., the code giving access to the vehicle but not its operation, the code being easily changed to prevent subsequent vehicle access.

The standard MKS interior uses dash-top leatherette and two real wood trims, depending on leather color: ebony reclaimed from furniture makers and others sources, minimizing environmental impact, and olive-ash with a grain pattern created when the roots of two trees grow together.

[9][10] Interior leather, supplied by the Scottish company, Bridge of Weir, uses vegetable dyes and a chromium-free tanning process for a softer surface.

[11] As with other models using the D3 platform, including its Ford Five Hundred and fifth and sixth generation Ford Taurus predecessors, the MKS unibody was designed to channel impact forces around the passenger compartment using a system marketed as SPACE architecture (Side Protection and Cabin Enhancement), an adaptation of Volvo's Side Impact Protection System (SIPS)[12] dating to the period when Ford had owned Volvo Cars as part of its Premier Automotive Group.

Interior revisions included a revised instrument panel, front digital instrument cluster and touch capacitive switchgear, "Multicontour" seats, revised interior wood choices (Prussian Burl and Brown Swirl Walnut), auto high beam, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system, electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) and a continuously controlled damping (CCD) system.

MY 2016: For 2016, the final model year for the MKS, the rear trunk lid featured widely spaced lettering spelling out L I N C O L N across its width.

A reviewer from Canada's National Post gave the MKS a positive reception in a comparison test with the Cadillac STS and Infiniti M45, two cars that Ford picked to bring along.

[17] Ford introduced its EcoBoost V6, an all-aluminum, twin-turbocharged, direct injection 3.5 L DOHC V6, in the 2010 MKS[18] arriving in showrooms in the summer of 2009.

[6] The MKS has dimensions comparable to the 2010 Audi A8 4.2 FSI quattro, a sedan with all-wheel drive which is equipped with a naturally aspirated 4.2 L V8 engine with direct gasoline injection.

The MKS also undercuts several mid-luxury cars with V8 engines and all-wheel drive by $10,000, such as the Audi A6 4.2 FSI quattro and the Infiniti M45x.

[19][20] While praised for its large interior and long list of features, the MKS has been criticized for not being as refined as other luxury sedans in a similar price range.

The MKS made its first appearance as a concept car at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, presenting Lincoln's design direction for their new full-size flagship sedan.

Instrumentation and controls featured satin nickel inserts and chrome trim with backlighting provided by white LEDs.