They should have never altered the Mark series after VIII.

 

I'm still confused why Expedition and Navigator didn't get a 3.5 EB, 5.0 and 6.2 at the same time when F-150 did.

 

Some of the insiders have claimed that Ford sorta messed up with the last Expy/Navigator update, which was pre-Alan, and made them diverge from the F-150 too much. To the point that drivetrain mods can't just be kicked from F-series to Exp/Navi, independent engineering has to be done.

 

Ford spends $1B, plans 7 new models to reposition Lincoln

Alisa Priddle/ The Detroit News

After several failed tries, Ford Motor Co. vows that this time, its revival of the ailing Lincoln brand will succeed.
Lincoln, whose sales zenith exceeded 231,000 cars in 1990, is at the bottom of the luxury brands today, with U.S. sales of 57,800 through August.
Dearborn-based Ford has a lot riding on Lincoln's recovery — and not just its $1 billion commitment to the effort. Successful global automakers need a luxury brand for buyers to move up to, or risk losing a high-margin sale to the competition. Think Toyota and Lexus; Chevrolet and Cadillac; Honda and Acura.
Ford executives say the distractions are gone now — namely the Mercury, Volvo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Mazda brands, which were part of the Ford family but have been jettisoned in recent years. Only mainstream Ford and premium Lincoln are left to vie for the automaker's resources and management attention.
Ford lured designer Max Wolff from Cadillac, giving him a design studio separate from Ford brand projects. A team of about 120 designers, engineers and marketing personnel are dedicated to reimagining Lincoln.
They'll roll out seven new Lincolns by 2014 to try to stake a bigger claim in the luxury market. In addition to updating the MKS, MKZ, MKX, MKT and Navigator, Lincoln will add a compact car.
Derrick Kuzak, head of product development, insists the new Lincolns won't be rebadged Fords. While they may share underpinnings, he said, the similarities end there.
New Lincolns, for example, will include fully retractable glass roofs and push-button electronic gear selectors, freeing space in the center console."If it looks different than a Ford, customers might be willing to pay more for it," said analyst Dave Sullivan of research and forecasting firm AutoPacific Inc. in Ann Arbor.
"Lincoln cannot survive as a Ford trim level. That won't cut it anymore."
Goal is a unique experience

Lincoln's success as a premium brand in the United States will be measured by how it competes against Cadillac and Lexus, Kuzak said in an overview of future plans for Lincoln.
"We need to reposition Lincoln," he said.
The Dearborn automaker wants its cars and crossovers to provide a unique driving experience — the responsiveness of a BMW and the comfort of a Lexus, Kuzak said.
Sullivan said the strategy could work: Aim for BMW handling and make up for any shortcomings with an affordable, fuel-efficient and technologically advanced vehicle with a more luxurious interior.
Rebecca Lindland, analyst with IHS Automotive Inc. in Greenwich, Conn., has seen some of the new designs.
"I was really impressed, far more than I expected to be," she said.
"People might be underestimating what we have planned for Lincoln," said J Mays, the automaker's head of design and chief creative officer.
"Lincoln is going to shoot up quite a lot higher than it is today."
That is necessary, Sullivan said, because in its current form, "I don't know anybody who aspires to get a Lincoln."
Ford has asked buyers and dealers to accept on faith that the new Lincolns are coming. But time is of the essence.
Auto shows have come and gone in recent years with no new Lincoln offerings. Finally, a revamped MKS will be unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show in November and a concept of the next-generation MKZ will be unwrapped at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
While work continues behind the scenes at Lincoln, its competition is charging ahead. GM has been overhauling Cadillac and revitalizing its Buick lineup; traditional German luxury brands show no signs of losing ground.
Decline came over time

Lincoln's descent didn't happen overnight.
Following its 1990 sales peak, when it was the top luxury brand, the nameplate had a resurgence from 1998-2000 and enjoyed a brief, golden period as part of the Ford Premier Automotive Group. That unit was formed in 1999 to oversee the automaker's high-end marquees: Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo.
For the first time in 50 years, Lincoln had its own designers and engineers and the brand flourished with its new lineup and image.
But the absurdity of housing domestic Lincoln with the European imports, in California, as part of a group run by a German executive based in London became evident, and Lincoln was repatriated to Dearborn in 2002.
Things took a turn for the worse.
While Cadillac invested in new rear-drive cars, Lincoln's rear-drive sedans were starved of cash, and its new offerings were rebadged, front-wheel-drive Fords.Mays said he and about four other design directors have made attempts to reinvent Lincoln since 1997, but "every time we crept up and leveled off. Part of that is because we were more interested in the PAG (Premier Automotive Group) brands."
Ford shed those exotic brands under the tenure of CEO Alan Mulally, who took over Ford in 2006.
But Lincoln still lacked direction, and sales have been in decline for a decade.
Ford insists the direction is clear this time. In addition to the design studio, Lincoln has its own powertrain engineers. While there will be engine-sharing with other Ford products, the calibration and the throaty V-8 sound from a V-6 will be uniquely Lincoln.
All its models will offer all-wheel drive, and there will be eight-speed automatic transmissions; Ford counterparts start with six.
The cars will have an electronic chassis control suspension system, active noise control and electric steering.
And technology unique to Lincoln, to attract young, educated progressive luxury buyers. "To grow the brand," Kuzak explained, "we need a new base of customers and that requires technology that is intuitive and useful" without alienating current customers.
Vincent Trasatti Jr., owner of East West Lincoln in New Carollton, Md., said he thinks the emphasis on technology will resonate with shoppers.
"It will help identify Lincoln as trendy and sophisticated buyers," he said.
"I feel great about Lincoln. It is finally getting the management attention it deserves."
Trasatti and the other Lincoln dealers are part of the plan. Starting this month, dealers are being measured against new standards for signs, staff and training, showrooms, lounges, car washes and other amenities to pamper customers.
Ford is also on track to reduce dealerships in the top 130 metropolitan U.S. markets from 500 to 325.
Kuzak believes the efforts are not too little, too late.
"It is always the right time to introduce great products," he said.

 

IMHO, the number one thing to turn Lincoln around would be to drop the whole MK* name B.S. Bring back Town Car, Continental, Mark series, Capri. Even some new names would be refreshing, none of this letter crap. I bet that without Googling, half of us (TMS members) couldn't identify all of Lincoln's line-up with the current naming system. How the hell do they expect somebody to buy a car if they don't even know what it is??

 

^^^
+111111111 ...

 

 

^^^ Agreed 100%

And, and, and... they could take the Mustang platform, change some panels, add a body kit and add all the luxury of a Town Car and call it a Capri! What the hell, put air bags on it, too.

 

I work at a ford dealership and I don't even know all the stupid mk names...

 

Well there is only 4 of them and they're not that hard to figure it out: MKZ/Fusion, MKS/Taurus, MKX/Edge, MKT/Flex. But the point is, the buyer shouldn't have to think "Hmmmm, is the MKX the sedan or crossover ..."

 

The thing that really irks me, I guess its because I used to own a Mark VIII. but MKX, the closed thing we may ever seen to a Mark X, is a freaking SUV. It seems like insult to injury that its taillights look just like the last generation Mark's.

 

Friend of mine who used to work a a F/M/L said the MK_ thing was explained to him as they wanted people to use "Lincoln" more and the model name less. I think somebody invented that explanation after the fact, but it does have a certain marketing logic to it.

 

While I also think Lincoln needs a V8 RWD "halo car" as part of the plan, the Capri name should either stay on a Ford or remain buried (in the US market) with the Mercury brand (RIP).

 

I see a few things that could be done to help in the short term:

1 - Drop the MK_ nomenclature. Probably the single biggest mistake of Lincoln in the past decade. Confuses people, doesn't really reference anything, and don't really make sense. Sure, the other luxury companies use letters and numbers, but sometimes being unique is a good thing.

2 - Bring the Falcon platform over here. With Mazda pulling out of AAI in the next few years, you could concievably bring over the existing platform in the short term, until a global "One Ford" approved version is made, and build it on the same line as the Mustang (using identical powertrain tech), and utilize a plant that is severely underused.

3 - MKT becomes your specialty vehicle. Face it, they aren't selling, and right now, their best uses are for hearses and limos. Keep it that way, and focus on getting the Explorer based vehicle to market.

4 - MAJOR differentiation between MKS/Taurus and MKZ/Fusion after refresh. Stop cannibalizing sales from one another by offering similar drivetrains and sheetmetal. More substantial body alterations for Lincoln models. These are your bread and butter models, give them some proper attention.

5 - Offer a no-cost hybrid option for every model possible. Make that your niche and ride it hard. It's been touted that this was a good move in the MKZ, now offer some of your other vehicles with that same mentality and see what happens.

 

sorry, double post

 

not that I am agreeing or disagreeing with you, but did you know that Capri was a Lincoln before Ford or Mercury had it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Capri

 

Wow, learned something new. The Capri name has more resonance with me as either the Ford (Europe) or Fox-bodied Mercury (USA) RWD sporty coupe models. "Lincoln" and "Capri" just don't sound right together IMO.

 

I always think of my 79 Capri RS... lol. It would be nice to see the name live on. (In its original form no less)

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/28/l...erfall-grille/

Lincoln is moving away from its current grille design, a source tells AutoWeek. Using diplomatic terms, the source says the new design will be less pronounced, which will hopefully translate to "a less disfiguring overbite" in the metal. The MKR-inspired waterfall grille has been applied across the entire line of Lincoln vehicles with varying degrees of success. What works on an MKS makes an MKT resemble a baleen whale.

There's a pile of cash being thrown at Lincoln right now, and with good reason – the brand sorely needs to differentiate itself from the lineup of parent company Ford if it has any hope of competing in the wider luxury marketplace. The new grille design may show up at the Los Angeles Auto Show on refreshed MKS and MKT models, which are expected to ride atop revised suspensions, redone brakes and updated steering.