Lincoln News: Lincoln To Focus On High Volume Segments

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

August 13, 2012

Lincoln will not be following in the footsteps of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Cadillac with low-volume niche markets. Instead, Lincoln will be focusing on the volume segments in the luxury segment.

It's easy to see why Lincoln is going down this path. Sales so far this year are down 11%. So that means we will not see a flagship Lincoln sedan for the time being.

Lincoln is betting on products like the new MKZ to help pull them out of this slump. Lincoln is also readying a new crossover based on the Ford Escape, possibly wearing the MKC nameplate.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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[riviera74]

In other words, Lincoln now is what Mercury was about 12-15 years ago. Great lack of vision, Ford.

[ocnblu]

Ford is clueless on the subject of Lincoln.

[Drew Dowdell]

There is just nothing good here. How can it be so hard to fix Lincoln!?

[Sixty8panther]

Good thing the dropped that antiquated Town Car.... er, wait that's right the

Town Car WAS their high volume seller.

FoMoCo is a joke. All that "We didn't need a bail out" talk and yet they're poised

to go no where. GM & Chrysler are making some awesome products and have

both taken large bites of Ford's fleet sales. Ten years ago 95% of the local law

enforcement used Fords exclusively and now a large portion of that market has

turned way from Ford. I have not seen a SINGLE cop car Taurus in all my travels

all over New England & the North East and yet about 25% of local police

departments have turned to the Dodge Charger while another 15% or so have

been buying Chevrolet Impalas & Tahoe squad cars & the new Caprice PPV is

about to take a large percentage of of the market locally.

I talked to a police officer high up in the ranks in Lowell's police department about

six months ago. he was driving the first Caprice PPV and the first NON-Ford that

Lowell has bought in over two decades and his reaction to my questions plastered

a huge smile on my face. He said most people who know police cars are turning

away from Ford and that the AWD Taurus is not even being considered, The

motor's sideways placement & delicate AWD is said to be useless for he police

application and he made it clear that Ford is losing 100% of their business to

either Dodge or Chevrolet. He said he Caprice was fantastic and indicated there

was a strong possibility they might go with the Caprice. Since then they're bought

two more, so that answers that question. Also, the Ford Expedition was replaced

by a Tahoe. I for one and very happy my tax money is being spent wisely, in this

one particular instance anyway.

[2b2]

Anyone know what the highest volume luxury model is?

or the highest "volume segments in the luxury segment"?

[Drew Dowdell]

Anyone know what the highest volume luxury model is?

or the highest "volume segments in the luxury segment"?

Without looking, I'm going to guess the Lexus ES is the highest volume luxury model.

[ZL-1]

Without looking, I'm going to guess the Lexus ES is the highest volume luxury model.

Most likely, that's the chunk of "high volume" they're after, not the Camry, etc volumes

[riviera74]

Nice to hear, Sixty8panther. I have always wondered why Lincoln wants to be as mushy and as poorly defined as Acura. WTF is Ford doing to Lincoln?! Dearborn is literally taking it on the chin from a debt standpoint and punishing Lincoln for it. Not good, especially given Mercury's final 15 years around. The Honda/Acura model simply does not work. Eventually everyone finds out that there is no reason to go upmarket in your automaker if there are two nearly-identical models in your stable with no real differences at all. At least with the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger/Challenger there are real differences that any driver can appreciate. My LincolnTouch and a waterfall grill are not enough to differentiate Lincoln from Ford. Period.

[Drew Dowdell]

My LincolnTouch and a waterfall grill are not enough to differentiate Lincoln from Ford. Period.

Is there any real difference between MyLincolnTouch and MyFordTouch?

[Robert Hall]

I would assume 'high volume' for Lincoln would be fleet/livery, though I don't see the MKT selling to that market as well as the hoary Town Car did...

[regfootball]

riviera74, on , said:

My LincolnTouch and a waterfall grill are not enough to differentiate Lincoln from Ford. Period.

Is there any real difference between MyLincolnTouch and MyFordTouch?

CUE, MyLink, Intillilink, it's all the same

[crash900s]

The last Lincoln I liked was the LS.

[Drew Dowdell]

The last Lincoln I liked was the LS.

I liked the idea of it, didn't like the interior.

[G. David Felt]

Ford must think they have the product to compete against Buick and yet they are farther from the truth than they realize. I suspect they need some major gutting of upper management. You know, those that have been sitting on their ass for the last 30 years.

[2b2]

Is there any real difference between MyLincolnTouch and MyFordTouch?

afaik: graphics

Anyone know what the highest volume luxury model is?

or the highest "volume segments in the luxury segment"?

Without looking, I'm going to guess the Lexus ES is the highest volume luxury model.

tsk

finally found and (slightly) updated/added to my

Top Lux Mfg Sales List

_2011____2010___models

94,371 - 100,910 - 3 series

82,595 -- 95,790 - L. RX

69,314 -- 58,785 - C class

62,736 -- 60,922 - E class

57,511 -- 45,644 - Mini Brand

51,491 -- 39,488 - 5 series

40,873 -- 48,652 - L. ES

40,547 -- 35,776 - X5

35,835 -- 29,698 - M class

35,234 -- 34,672 - A4

29,669 -- 34,129 - L. IS

27,793 --- 6,075 - X3

25,139 -- 19,943 - GL class

24,908 -- 23,518 - Q5

24,310 -- 20,946 - GLK class

15,385 -- 16,379 - A5

14,381 -------- 0 - L. CT

12,258 -- 13,608 - S class

11,609 -- 16,450 - L. GX

11,299 -- 12,253 - 7 series

11,124 --- 8,675 - A6

-9,568 -- 12,275 - L. LS

-8,998 --- 7,976 - Q7

-8,832 -- 13,132 - 1 series

-6,561 --- 6,558 - A3

-6,270 -------- 0 - A7

-6,192 --- 6,257 - X6

-5,700 --- 1,521 - A8

-3,903 --- 2,418 - 6 series

-3,746 --- 7,059 - L. GS

-3,479 --- 3,804 - Z4

-3,167 --- 3.983 - L. LX

-2,864 -- 10,663 - L. HS

-2,236 --- 1,531 - TT

-1,145 ----- 799 - R8

if anyone could redo the list by segments, that'd be great!

I don't know all the models listed well enough to do it without research I don't have time/energy for

THO

imho the 5-series is Not the same segment as a Lexus ES

...etc...

even if they are cross-shopped

Edited August 15, 2012 by 2b2

[smk4565]

They still make Lincolns?

[ocnblu]

[ocnblu]

The picture I posted above is the best photo I've seen of the new MKZ. One thing Lincoln could do quickly and cheaply to distance themselves from corresponding Fords is to create a unique color palette. And not just in name only. Every color on the MKZ is also available on the new Fusion. Lazy on Ford's part.

[regfootball]

the MKz photo.....if someone had not said, who makes this car, it would be very tough for most folks to identify it as a Ford / Lincoln product. It's androgynous.

[2b2]

They still make Lincolns?

"...maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon..."

...One thing Lincoln could do quickly and cheaply to distance themselves from corresponding Fords is to create a unique color palette...

still hoping to hear about a "Bespoke Program"

[2b2]

for some reason can't edit ^

so

...One thing Lincoln could do quickly and cheaply to distance themselves from corresponding Fords is to create a unique color palette. And not just in name only. Every color on the MKZ is also available on the new Fusion. Lazy on Ford's part.

I'm ashamed I forgot

there IS a unique color for each the MKZ & Fusion

MKZ gets the lovely Smoked Quartz

while the Fusion gets Ice Storm (tho only on the Hybrid)-(which may or may not be the same as their old Ice Blue Metallic)

[ocnblu]

Ice Storm/light blue is listed for the MKZ. Not sure about Smoked Quartz, which appears to be a purply gray... is it perhaps Violet Gray, as on the 2012/13 Fiesta?

[2b2]

^ oops, sorry, I didn't double check on the Z

as for Smoked Quartz,

I think it's one of those new paints that change greatly with its surrounds

but basically a rich gray

here's a recent video

favorite frame:

Edited August 26, 2012 by 2b2

[ocnblu]

Is it possible that my distaste up to now for the new MKZ is coming from a place more of misunderstanding?

Because this video makes the car look unique, elegant, slab-sided and clean, yet with drama... traits of the few truly classic Lincolns we can name.

Maybe my earlier taunts of "too technical and cold" were not correct, and a better phrase would be "utterly refined, modern, yet still an echo of past greatness".

As GM fans, we like to point to 1959 as a watershed year for the "longer, lower, wider" look that has forever taken hold as the "correct" proportion for an automobile... yet, it seems, GM was behind the times with their '59 models, by at least one year, if not two, if you count the '57 Mopar products.

Check out this period Ford video. The Lincoln is clearly longer, lower and wider, with brave, futuristic styling. Sorry I couldn't embed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8HzUJh-MpY

[2b2]

^ I really disliked the new Z until I saw an early video - either on a turntable or the camera orbiting around the car

THEN it made sense

tho

I'm still withholding judgement until I see it in person

&

Kudos on keeping an open mind, ocnblu