Lincoln's Primary Focus: Core Segments

Long way to go, sure, but there has never been a more exciting time to be a Lincoln fan.

Just two new products (after the Continental) by 2020?? That's a thoroughly underwhelming claim.

Just two new products (after the Continental) by 2020?? That's a thoroughly underwhelming claim.

I agree. It's a step in the right direction but still seems like the same thing I have heard three different times over the last fifteen years (ever since the LS debuted). 

 

Just two new products (after the Continental) by 2020?? That's a thoroughly underwhelming claim.

I agree. It's a step in the right direction but still seems like the same thing I have heard three different times over the last fifteen years (ever since the LS debuted). 

 

Agree that it is underwhelming but if they do it right and get these 3 products dead on right and continue to improve the others, this is a long distance race, not a sprint and as such, they need a long distance plan to distance themselves from FORD.

Sadly many FORD/Lincoln dealers at least in Washington state are one mega dealer so you go in and find fords on the same floor as Lincoln. This needs to change as it hurts Lincoln more than Ford.

Need Separate show rooms as well as product.

Agreed on 2 new products by 2020.  Some luxury makers put out 2-3 new products per year.  I bet one of the new products is a Lincon version of the Explorer.  That will be the the 3 row crossover bigger than MKX.  Then Lincoln will have an Escape, Edge, Explorer and Navigator clone.  Which will help with their mission to distance themselves from Ford.

The 2nd product I bet is a Focus based Lincoln sedan that they will try to call a 3-series competitor.   When you look at luxury market sales, 3-series is by far the #1 seller, C-class and Lexus IS are up there too.

Still shocked as to why there isn't a rear drive Lincoln using the Mustang platform.   

Because there's no way to effective way to peddle a pony car as a luxury car unless you peddle the luxury car* as the pony car

*(with cosmetic surgery everywhere and emphasis on V8 and heritage and wickedness)

Rebadging a Mustang as a Lincoln does not a luxury car make.

Lincoln has far bigger plans going forward than repeating what they have been criticized for doing too much of in recent years.

Okay, what about after 2020?

What then? is that the review time? Is Lincoln worthy of keeping?

They're only worthy as long as Ford is willing to bear the expense of making them. Making a Lincoln coupe on a Mustang is a no-brainer. Heck, I'd be the first the high-five an executive that comes to his/her senses to do so. Because it's easier to mask the current S550 chassis faults when it's a plush personal coupe. Do it Lincoln, people want it, it's just some design change, no need for extraneous engineering. AWD, and they've got something for someone who wants different everyting.

Brand not heard of, plus a car based on a dying luxury concept - there is a buyer for that, and Lincoln could easily beat Genesis or Inifinti at it. 

I am not saying badge job a Mustang.  The Mustang is bigger than a 3-series though.  Mustang has a 107 inch wheelbase, are Ford engineers not smart enough to put a 3-4 inch stretch on that wheel base to make it 110 inch and make a small rear drive sedan that is a 185 inches long?  Engines are no problem you have the 2.3 turbo 4 that Lincoln already uses, you could use the 2.7 turbo V6.  

Lincoln's problem is everything they make is a Ford chassis and they even share some body panels and hard points on the interior.  How about Lincoln create a car from scratch?  

Rebadging a Mustang as a Lincoln does not a luxury car make.

 

Lincoln has far bigger plans going forward than repeating what they have been criticized for doing too much of in recent years.

A more ambitious automaker would have developed a premium RWD platform and spun an affordable performance coupe off of it.

Ford's ambitions appear to lie elsewhere. To say the least.

I am not saying badge job a Mustang.  The Mustang is bigger than a 3-series though.  Mustang has a 107 inch wheelbase, are Ford engineers not smart enough to put a 3-4 inch stretch on that wheel base to make it 110 inch and make a small rear drive sedan that is a 185 inches long?  Engines are no problem you have the 2.3 turbo 4 that Lincoln already uses, you could use the 2.7 turbo V6.  

 

Lincoln's problem is everything they make is a Ford chassis and they even share some body panels and hard points on the interior.  How about Lincoln create a car from scratch?  

That epitomizes my biggest criticism of Lincoln. Ford just isn't allowing any ambition for Lincoln to be great. They gotta get on the bandwagon and dare greatly.

The promises that Ford made about Lincoln for years and years have not been satisfied. Even CD6, and Lincoln exclusive powerrtrains were made on shaky agreements. 

It's not that there's glaring issues with sharing engines. I totally understand how Cadillac product plan-nerds/fans must have gritted their teeth how the ATS-V would not end up getting a V8 as an option, a world class V8 from a Corvette, not from a Camaro as some try to spin it as.

one of the primary reasons the ATS-V got the turbo V6 rather than the V8 is because it allowed the engineers to place the engine lower and move the mass further back in the chassis to improve balance.  They weren't gritting their teeth on that one, it was an engineering decision.

10-15 year plan sounds like a long time, but then again, if the goals are high, the ascent takes longer.

But for me, it's the journey, not just the destination. Lincoln will be the talk of the town come January, with the reveal of the Conti and of course what is most certainly the Aviator concept.  Those two vehicle alone will replace the poor selling MKS and MKT.  And of course the alum Navigator is not far behind.  So although their long term plans may reach far out there, I have little doubt their short term product plans will do wonders to invigorate the brand.

What does that even MEAN?

Lincoln has had three styling languages in four years, and were supposed to trust their vision for the next decade and a half?

You want to impress me, Lincoln?

D6. Stat. Nothing else is gonna cut it, especially with the Koreans bringing it with Genesis.

'trust' has little to do with style directions past to yore.  You purchase what is in front of you, that you either like or dislike....and more will like this.

And yes I do trust a brand who is trying hard, taking risks and re-inventing itself repeatedly, if it feels it's not at a level it needs to be.

The hardest-working man is a drowning one. If you ain't got a strategy you ain't got nothin'.

Lincoln ain't got nothin'.

The hardest-working man is a drowning one. If you ain't got a strategy you ain't got nothin'.

Lincoln ain't got nothin'.

says you...and several other haters.

And there it is, the "haters" term. When one has nothing left to debate constructively, it makes an appearance.

Lincoln isn't taking risks. They continue to re-engineer Fords, and they continue an asinine level of engine/powertrain sharing. The existence of the Edge Sport 2.7EB is answering a question no one asked, and blatantly steals exclusivity from the slick new MKX. An Edge Sport with 300 hp/310 lb-ft from the 2.3T would have been sufficient.

Their sudden dramatic change in design language is perplexing, especially when the new face is widely seen as derivative and the recent "split wing" models have been praised for their original and handsome appearance.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

One Ford: the millstone around Dearborn's neck. The glass ceiling that it cannot penetrate.

The Camaro is all the proof you need to know that the above statements are true.

Just two new products (after the Continental) by 2020?? That's a thoroughly underwhelming claim.

I thought that myself at first. Then I thought about it and it isn't that far out from what they've been doing. I mean we just received a "new" Navigator(2015), MKC(2015) and MKX(2016). The Continental will be out in 2017 along with the MKZ so we're looking at 2 new vehicles in 3 years..(2018-2020) not great but nothing terrible for a small market company. That is a 6 car company that expanded 1 car last year 1 car next year and 2 of the previous 5 are all new by 2017.. not really that bad. I mean they only have 6 vehicles in their lineup right now after the MKC was added.

'trust' has little to do with style directions past to yore.  You purchase what is in front of you, that you either like or dislike....and more will like this.

And yes I do trust a brand who is trying hard, taking risks and re-inventing itself repeatedly, if it feels it's not at a level it needs to be.

Explain all of the risks involved in rebadging a car as opposed to making their own platforms? I feel like they do the opposite of taking risks. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY like the MKC and MKX but that doesn't mean they have taken any serious risks with anything in their lineup. The biggest risk will be the Continental.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

One Ford: the millstone around Dearborn's neck. The glass ceiling that it cannot penetrate.

The Camaro is all the proof you need to know that the above statements are true.

lol, Classic 'Bong Camaro plug.

The Camaro is the most solid evidence that trickle-down works. In time there will probably be more examples (especially if Omega spreads to Buick). That's not a plug for the product. That's a plug for the system-a system that Ford is planning to copy eventually with D6.

 

'trust' has little to do with style directions past to yore.  You purchase what is in front of you, that you either like or dislike....and more will like this.

And yes I do trust a brand who is trying hard, taking risks and re-inventing itself repeatedly, if it feels it's not at a level it needs to be.

 

Explain all of the risks involved in rebadging a car as opposed to making their own platforms? I feel like they do the opposite of taking risks. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY like the MKC and MKX but that doesn't mean they have taken any serious risks with anything in their lineup. The biggest risk will be the Continental.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

One Ford: the millstone around Dearborn's neck. The glass ceiling that it cannot penetrate.

The Camaro is all the proof you need to know that the above statements are true.

lol, Classic 'Bong Camaro plug.

 

Risks?

Sure.

Looking back a few years, there was plenty of risk. Some of which good, some not so.

1.       Navigator was a risk, and really started the full sized luxury SUV segment

2.       Blackwood was quite the risk

3.       LS was a risk, and huge departure from the Town Cars of that day.

4.       Original EcoBoost was a Lincoln MKS, very risky too.

5.       MKX was somewhat risky.

6.       Several design languages (and designers), also a risk.

7.       Hybrids

8.       400 hp sedans with sophisticated AWD systems are the latest.

9.       Aluminum bodied SUV soon.

10.   Did I miss anything?

11.   oh yeah, MKT was a huge risk.

Anyway, far more risky than what they were doing in 1995, when sales were high and competition was low.

And going forward, what they are doing with flexible platforms would hardly be considered risky, but in fact brilliant.

So risk is not just throwing an existing V8 into a low volume niche sedan.

And there it is, the "haters" term. When one has nothing left to debate constructively, it makes an appearance.

 

Lincoln isn't taking risks. They continue to re-engineer Fords, and they continue an asinine level of engine/powertrain sharing. The existence of the Edge Sport 2.7EB is answering a question no one asked, and blatantly steals exclusivity from the slick new MKX. An Edge Sport with 300 hp/310 lb-ft from the 2.3T would have been sufficient.

 

Their sudden dramatic change in design language is perplexing, especially when the new face is widely seen as derivative and the recent "split wing" models have been praised for their original and handsome appearance.

Exactly. What is the "risk" in a new nose job? Want to take a risk? A proper RWD/AWD Lincoln coupe would be a "risk". A real RWD Continental would be a "risk". Putting a new nose on the same face is not a "risk".

Now, let me finish my haterade. I'm still thirsty.

Still shocked as to why there isn't a rear drive Lincoln using the Mustang platform.   

If such a car was made, you'd be the first to declare it unsellable because it's a Lincoln based on a pony car.