Lincoln's foray into the entry level luxury sedan market has gone through several changes over the past few years, starting with the introduction of the Zephyr in 2006 and evolving into the MKZ in 2007. In addition to the name change, Lincoln replaced the 3.0L V6 with a 3.5L unit, added a 6-speed automatic and provided the option of AWD. Now for 2010, Lincoln has given the MKZ a substantial refresh to keep pace in one of the most competitive segments. Follow the jump to see what's new for the MKZ, and check out our high-res image galleries below of official and live shots taken when we had a chance to preview the car in person last week.

Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, has confirmed that the Lincoln MKT crossover is due to be reveal this January at the Detroit Auto Show, while a refreshed MKZ will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Show in November.

Automotive News sat down with Derrick Kuzak, Lincoln's product development chief, to discuss what lies ahead for Ford's erstwhile luxury marque, and Kuzak was quoted as saying, "We do think that there is room for a smaller car in the Lincoln brand," but he was unable to provide any hard details on what - if anything - is planned.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lincoln MKT concept.

As reported earlier, Lincoln has given the MKT crossover the green-light, with the production version set to debut in Detroit this January and sales beginning sometime next year.

What's a Mercury? That's a question that's been on the lips of senior execs at FoMoCo for some time. Positioned between Ford and Lincoln, the badge-engineered brand has been lacking defined products for over a decade, but according to the Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product chief, that's going to change.

Mercury will be repositioned as an entry-level premium brand that will still slot in below Lincoln, but will be made up entirely of small vehicles and crossovers. Lincoln dealers, on the other hand, will be stocking mid-size sedans and larger vehicles, while Mercury will focus on smaller, more fuel-efficient products.

It's been a while since we've heard about FoMoCo's development of large rear-wheel-drive vehicles for Ford and Lincoln - no surprise considering the current climate. With fuel prices continuing their upward trajectory and CAFE standards looming on the horizon, Ford is apparently reevaluating the efficacy of offering RWD vehicles in a market starving for fuel efficient whips.

In addition to this morning's story that Ford is considering offering an EcoBoost four-cylinder on its F-150 pickup, Automotive News is reporting that Ford's use of turbocharged, direct-injected engines could expand to beyond 500,000 vehicles annually by 2012.

Autoblog talks design with Ford Design Director Peter Horbury.

As domestic automobile manufacturers cut production and lay off workers because they were caught off-guard when consumer buying habits switched to more fuel-efficient vehicles, Honda will effortlessly shuffle its production to meet U.S. demand for small cars.