The Los Angeles Auto Show got under way this morning with a very significant world debut from Lincoln. With the demise of the Town Car, Ford’s luxury brand needs a new flagship appropriate for its redesigned lineup that includes the MKZ, MKX, Mark LT and Navigator.

The 2009 Lincoln MKS seems to fit the bill. Carrying styling cues similar to the smaller MKZ, the new MKS “makes a confident statement about Lincoln” according to Peter Horbury, executive director of Design for The Americas.

Lincoln hopes this new flagship sedan will bring a younger buyer to the Lincoln brand. To accomplish this, not only is the new Lincoln a stylish luxury sedan, it has a number of high-tech features designed to appeal to a younger demographic.

New features include the SYNC system, which is built by Microsoft and was first introduced in the Ford Focus. SYNC, which will be standard on all Lincolns, allows consumers to access music on a variety of devices using voice commands.  Also featured is the new SIRIUS Travel Link, which provides real time traffic updates, movie listings, radar weather forecasts and even listings of local gas stations with the fuel best prices.

Rather futuristic-looking is Lincoln’s Next-Generation Keypad, which uses heat-sensing technology to light up a keypad of LED backlit numerals embedded in the driver-side B-pillar.  The driver can access the car by punching in a 5-digit code.

When the new MKS goes on sale early in 2008 it will be powered by a 270-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 engine teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission. MKS will also be available with full-time all-wheel drive.

Less than a year after launch, it’s expected that MKS will be the first vehicle to get Ford’s upcoming new gasoline turbo direct-injection engine technology.  According to Ford the new engine will offer the power and torque of a V8 with the fuel-efficiency of a V6.