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A Deeper Look Into the Lincoln Brand: Reviving or Dying?
The Lincoln MKR may be a key ingredient to reviving Lincoln
A night at the Ford theater: The Lincoln brand has been on a streak that 's been seldom duplicated over the last 10 years. Of course, we all know that the streak has been a bad one. Terrible, in fact. Sales have gone from well over 200k in the mid-90s to only 120k in 2006. The individual vehicles within the Lincoln brand have been left to rot in many cases, and the ones that have been updated are in the worst-possible market situation (see Navigator). In the rotting category, the livery special of the millennium, Town Car, rides on an ancient body-on-frame car platform. The Panther platform stems from the late 1970s LTD. Almost as ancient as the platform on which the Town Car rides is its powerplant. The 4.6L, two-valve V8 and four-speed transmission are shared with the F-150 of all things. There are still a slim minority that say the Town Car is classic American luxury, but with a chassis and powertrain that's older than many of Autoblog's readers, classic would be the operative word.
Many more products have been unceremoniously killed off without the benefit of a redesign. Since 2000, the Aviator and LS never saw a single design change and came to market severely disadvantaged. The Aviator has been a well-chronicled failure. It reportedly shared only 40% of its hardware with the Explorer off which it was based. Amazingly, just about the only area of the Aviator that is common with the Explorer is the exterior design. That's just crazy. What executive team approves new everything except the sheet metal? Sure it had a different grille and different front and rear lights, but the decision-making there was weak. Then you have the LS, which sold 50,000 copies in 2000. It sold 8,500 just six years later. When it came out, the LS had the BMW 5 Series within leaping distance. At the end, it had $10,000 rebate stickers on the windshield.
Continue reading A Deeper Look Into the Lincoln Brand: Reviving or Dying?
Luxury or Well-Contented, FWD vs. RWD: The definition of American luxury to many is a big car with a big trunk, a ridiculous V8, and perhaps most importantly, rear wheel drive. The Town Car fits the description quite nicely, but unless you own a taxi or limo company, you probably don't want one. Navigator and Mark LT have RWD and V8 engines, but they're gussied-up trucks. Everything else that's in the showroom now or in the confirmed pipeline is driven by the front wheels. Furthermore, there are no V8 engines to speak of.
The MKX is crucial to Lincoln's plan to gain all-important dealership traffic
Critics from every angle are calling this Lincoln's biggest mistake. You don't find FWD in a BMW or Mercedes. Most of the Lexus lineup is RWD, too. Same for Infiniti. As seems to be the case with everything, Toyota is the benchmark. Lexus has dominated the domestic luxury outfits, and Lincoln is merely following the leader. While the LS 460 and IS 350 are both RWD, the real volume for Lexus comes from the RX 350 and ES 350. Almost two thirds of Lexus' sales numbers come from those well-respected yet boring cash cows. In the past year, Lincoln has launched the MKX and MKZ. The MKX is better-looking than the Lexus RX 350, yet very similar in shape and capability. MKZ, too, is more interesting-looking than Lexus' ES 350 sedan and has similar dimensions. All four vehicles come with 3.5-liter V6 engines. The MKZ and MKX came first during Lincoln's time of need because they represent volume for the brand and its struggling dealers.
Looking into the near future: If the product lineup Lincoln has right now is kept up and not abandoned like in the past, then it's reasonable to assume that it can again hit 150-160k vehicle sales per year. That would put them back at the 2003 level. The next 12-18 months, however, will bring two and possibly three MORE products to Lincoln showrooms. The first vehicle to mention is the MKS sedan.
MKS will have rear-biased AWD and a 3.7 Liter V6 with possible turbo applications
Designed on the same platform as the Ford Five Hundred, the MKS will use good looks, efficient power, and rear-biased AWD to attract customers. Like the Five Hundred, the MKS will have plenty of interior space, and will represent a true competitor to the Cadillac DTS in the American large car luxury market. Sales projections will undoubtedly fall in the 25-35k range, which if attained will bring a needed boost to the brand's overall sales figures.
The next product in the Lincoln portfolio to come next year will be a Fairlane concept-based Lincoln people mover. No pictures of this vehicle have been shown anywhere, but it will have room for six or seven. Ford brass have stated that this vehicle will be the first to truly show how Lincolns and Fords can have similar underpinnings yet drastically different exteriors. Numbers for the Lincoln crossover will again likely fall in the 25-35k range. The next possible Lincoln pulls a page from Lexus' book. With RWD and great looks, the MKR concept shares a lot in common with the Lexus IS, which accounts for the remaining majority of the japanese automaker's vehicle sales.
Click the above image to view more MKR pictures from the Autoblog Galleries
The MKR has a lot going for it, but perhaps the most important facet of this good-looking American luxury vehicle is its Mustang-derived platform. That makes it feasible for production while giving Lincoln much-needed RWD luxury cache. The vehicle looks a bit larger than the IS but shares sporty proportions and sleek design. A "halo" vehicle like this for Lincoln could drive traffic into showrooms and spur sales in general. The MKR is purely a concept, but if a similar car receives the all-important green light for production, it could and would be a crucial component of the Lincoln brand strategy.
Lincoln just may be for real: In just two years, Lincoln's production numbers can go from 120,000 vehicles to well over 200,000. Pricing that ranges from $30,000 to $60,000 keeps the brand firmly planted in the luxury arena while giving potential customers a less expensive luxury option. AWD across the lineup gives Lincoln one slight edge against Acura and Lexus, and superb sales and service satisfaction will help retain whatever customers Lincoln has left. Overall satisfaction from JD Power has been good, and Ford is trying to get better. The area Lincoln will need the most help in is with the journalists and analysts. RWD somewhere in the product line will help a lot.
The wild card in this scenario is the MKR, but there's a good possibility that some form or offshoot of this vehicle will hit the market in due course, with the platform and engine being the surest bet. Just imagine, too, if the Town Car actually gets a rock-solid update with a new chassis and powertrain. The sky could be the limit.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
theautoprophet 8:07PM (2/01/2007)
"The 4.6L, two-valve V8 and four-speed transmission are shared with the F-150 of all things. There are still a slim minority that say the Town Car is classic American luxury, but with a chassis and powertrain that's older than many of Autoblog's readers, classic would be the operative word."
Guys, this is sloppy work. Like the "old pushrods" that GM is using, the Ford modular engines have been evolving with the times. They all have to--emissions regs get tighter and tighter. In case you didn't notice, these "old" engines are getting updates like aluminum blocks, electronic throttle control, variable valve timing, etc.
And so what if the V8 is common between the sedan and pickup truck? Do you complain when Chrysler puts the Hemi in a sedan? Did you forget that the Hemi is "old" pushrod technology?
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Michael Karesh 10:00AM (2/01/2007)
Interesting editorial.
You seem to flip-flop on FWD, though, first implying it's Lincoln's main problem, then noting that most of Lexus' volume comes from FWD models. I should add that the RWD GS has been a sales disappointment for three generations at this point.
I don't see the MKS as a DTS competitor, the proportions and appearance are too import-oriented. I'm seeing a stronger match with the Infiniti M. Though the M is RWD, many of those sold are AWD, and the MKS will be available with AWD. Problem is, Infiniti only moves about 25k of these a year.
In general, for Lincoln to come back it needs a distinctive, strongly appealing look shared by every model in the line, thoroughly competitive drivetrains, leading-edge features (Bluetooth, keyless start, MyGig, etc.), and class-leading interior fit and finish. I don't see any of this happening yet. The best I can say is that the interiors are distinctive, but I don't sense that many people love what they see there, if they even bother to look.
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Bocephus 10:02AM (2/01/2007)
I have seen both the MKS and MKR in person and I have got to think that if they can bring similar vehicles to those to market Lincoln could be back on track. The MKR, in my opinion, was one of the sharpest looking vehicles at Detroit this year.
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DJ 10:25AM (2/01/2007)
I have said it before and still believe they could make it happen. Ford needs to position Lincoln not against Cadillac, BMW or MB, but against Acura, Infiniti, Lexus and Audi.
Bring the Euro Mondeo over as a TSX/A4/IS fighter, position the MKZ against the TL/A6/ES/G35, the MKS against the RL/M45/GS and the MKX against the FX35/RDX/RX350. Right now, Lincoln has pricing and equipment advantages with the MKZ and MKX (which feature for feature/dollar for dollar, may be one of the best croosover/SUV values out there).
TEAR DOWN and rebuild the Lincoln dealerships to compete too.
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PuffyC 10:28AM (2/01/2007)
The day will come when Ford will regret not taking Lincoln seriously. They should be doing to Lincoln what GM has done to Cadillac. Ford has let Lincoln die on the vine and that will turn out to be a very costly mistake for them.
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che culattone 10:34AM (2/01/2007)
"Ford needs to position Lincoln not against Cadillac, BMW or MB, but against Acura, Infiniti, Lexus and Audi."
I think you made a mistake there buddy. You probably meant 'Ford needs to position Lincoln not against Audi, BMW, or MB, but against Acura, Infinitiy, Lexus, and Cadillac.' Little mistake, but shows your lack of knowledge of the luxury market...
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SGV 11:03AM (2/01/2007)
Just a few clarifications on the section of your editorial where the origin of Lincoln problems is described (not that they make any difference but for historical accuracy is important, and it makes your rant sound a bit off-base):
1. The Panther platform was introduced in the fall of 1978 in the new 1979 downsized full-size Fords. This would be late 70s, NOT "early 70s"
2. The 4.6L V8 engine in the Town Car is far from being "Almost as ancient as the [panther] platform". The modular family of V8 engines of which this 4.6 was its first entry, dates back from 1995. That's 17 whole years after the introduction of the panther platform. By the way, the 4.6 Triton engine used in the F-150 is a significantly different engine.
All of the above doesn't make any different in the sad state of affairs at Lincoln but it does bring a little bit of justice and perspective. The Town Car is not a throw back from the early 70s but rather the early 80s with a very competitive and competent mid 90s engine, which one of its very close cousins (lot closer that the Triton that you erroneously wrote was the same engine) the 4.6L in the Mustang GT just made Wards 10 best engines list.
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Tal D 11:04AM (2/01/2007)
From a consumer standpoint, I totally agree Lincoln is in dire need of product updates; new models and renewed engineering of Town Car( if they decide to keep it.)
The proposed new model MKS and concept MKR may be Lincolns way out of the hole. Let's hope so.
As archaic as the TownCar platform and engine may be,
it is still roomy and a very comfortable ride.
The engine delivers decent power and surprsingly pretty good fuel mileage on the highway.
We had a rental TownCar for several weeks and the fuel mileage average was equal to or slightly better than my wifes 2005 Chysler van that stays on the road most of the time but in the shop at that time.
Only complaint: lack of feel between the tires on the road and the steering wheel. There was essentially none.
BEST of LUCK LINCOLN
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AZMike 11:27AM (2/01/2007)
boy, this one makes absolutely no sense. looks like a high-schooler wrote it.
first, you say the Town Car has a "ridiculous" V-8 (why is this ridiculous?), and then you gripe there are no other V-8 engines in the Lincoln car line.
since when has a $45,000 Town Car been competition for a $75,000+ Lexus? answer: it isn't, and never has been. if you're looking for the grille-and-tail lights badge engineering job, it's the Mountaineer, NOT the Aviator. I thought the Aviator looked incredibly nice, and I'm not really a fan. sorry to see it go.
there are many of us out there who could care less about making the incredibly retrograde step back to RWD...and that comes from someone who lives in a place it never snows. if memory serves me correctly, I had much better luck PULLING that red Radio Flyer wagon around the yard when I was a kid than PUSHING it. don't think that cars are any different. I find it interesting to talk to friends and customers who do live in snow country about their experinces with the "new" RWD: they all say it's a real step backward, traction control or not. most are having to buy snow tires again, something they haven't done since the 70's. would you call this progress?
please don't shove that "standard AWD" crap down our throats. if you're going to offer it, make it an option. at this point, there are more of us who live in places it doesn't snow than places it does. AWD serves no purpose to me, and I don't want the increased maintainence and decreased MPG that come with it.
in case you think I'm typing this on a computer in a nursing home, you're wrong. I'm 52, and bought my first new Town Car in 1985. I was 31. I've had a Lincoln or Cadillac in my garage ever since. there have been others in there, too (Lexus, MBZ), but I always came back to the domestics. they were much more reliable (compared to the MBZ), and have a real soul (compared to the Lexus).
Mike
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mk 1:15PM (2/01/2007)
I have to agree with #6.
MERCURY should be aimed at Acura, Audi, Infiniti, and the mid-level near-lux driver-oriented cars
Lincoln should be going after BMW 5&7, etc... Mercedes, Lexus, and Cadillac.
Maybe a slightly lower price point, but why cap off lincoln in the market segment that should be, and used to be, Mercury's?
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MikeW 11:56AM (2/01/2007)
Ford isn't Toyota.
Lincoln has one product that doesn't completely suck, the MKX with 3.39 axle ratio. Look at how slow the GMC acadia was in C&D with the 3.16 axle ratio (0-60 in 8.1, 1/4 16.4@85, 0-100 of 24.1)
The MKZ still uses the AW 6 speed auto instead of the GM/Ford one. Ford could position the lincoln as 3.5V6 front drive with the 3.16 axle ratio, and the haldex type drivetrain with the 3.39, while the Ford Fusion gets front drive 2.77 & 3.5, and 3.16 for its haldex type drivetrain. (until ford give the MKZ the 3.7)
The navigator has NEVER had four wheel drive, while the escalade has had a center differential from day one.
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Andy 1:16PM (2/01/2007)
I currently drive a Lincoln LSE and have been happy enough with it that I'd purchase another one. But I don't see an offering I want in their plans. I think the MKS is handsome in an Acura-derived sort of way. I'm open to the idea of a twin-turbo V-6 in place of the V-8, too. But with respect to #9 I don't have any interest in FWD. I've had torque steer before, thanks. And living well outside the snowbelt AWD just means lower fuel mileage and more maintenance.
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Avinash machado 12:39PM (2/01/2007)
What about building a Lincoln on the Jaguar XJ platform and using the aluminum technology. It could make a great flagship car for Lincoln.
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Accordsforall 12:41PM (2/01/2007)
Hmmm
Every time Lincoln gets a decent vehicle.. they manage to screw it up.
The LS was a fantastic piece of american design.. but it wasnt supposed to sit and rot on the vine. It wasnt updated. It wasnt touched. I think It was one of the non rebadged cars Ford had at the time, DE2 platform I think..
The Blackwood was a F-150 with more options and a wooden bed. They can that.. yet STILL bring over a vehicle.. that IS A F-150.. and its best luxo package. I ask.. for what?!
The Avaitor is a loss for words. Its an Exploder. Peel off that plastic grill and chrome light trim and ya find the same vehicle.. over at mercury WITH THE SAME LIGHT TRIM, for 2-3g more than at Ford.
Why the Edge is out is one thing I dont get.. but REBADGING IT as the new Crossover for Lincoln is the same problem they had with the Exploder. Dont these damn people learn!?
The MKZ / Zephr is a loss. Its just a Fusion for Lincoln. It took them.. however long and however much to publish the name and advertise the heck out of Zephr.. then they change the name to "try" and reflex on its "MARK" heritage, yet they toss that way with MKX, MKZ.. w/e nomenclature.
As for as the Continental / Town Car goes, the people who drive those SOFAS as daily commuters are a dense as the block thats moving the damn car. A total loss... even tho they havent touched it design wise.. IN YEARS.
In short.. THE HELL.. WITH LINCOLN
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Phil 12:43PM (2/01/2007)
The Navigator never had four-wheel drive??
Have you lost your mind???
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iamhoff 1:40PM (2/01/2007)
Comment 1, the flip flop isn't really that, so much as it is an acknowledgement of reality. RWD brings the prestige, FWD allows for volume and cost sharing, much like the ES and RX for Lexus. Once they've got some showroom traffic and revenue coming in, then they can justify spending proper $$ on the MKS, a PROPERLY DONE LS (that was a great car that Lincoln didn't know what to do with), a RWD flagship halo coupe, etc. Lexus is known as the big luxo provider (LS) and they're getting there with sporty (GS, IS) and all those are RWD. Their volume, though, is made thru the ES and RX.
And to "che" (#6), whatever DJ meant, YOU showed your ignorance with your "Infinity" comment.
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roadside observer 1:04PM (2/01/2007)
Mr. Shunk, it would be nice if you checked your facts first ...
1. The Panther platform does not have its roots in an early 1970s LTD. It was introduced for the 1979 model year as Ford's downsized full-size passenger-car offering.
2. The 4.6L engine in the Town Car is not the same as the one in the F-150. The horsepower ratings may be the same, but the engines are different. The truck engines have different internal components, a different intake manifold, and different PCMs. The F-150 also has two different V8s(4.6L, 5.4L), whereas the Town Car only has a 4.6L.
3. As for the engine being nearly as "ancient" as the chassis, Ford's modular engine family made its debut a little over ten years ago ... hardly "ancient," and not nearly as old as the Panther platform itself(see #1 above).
4. The transmission used in the Town Car is Ford's 4R70 automatic, which is also used with the 4.6L V8 in the F-150 - but get a 5.4L engine in the F-150 an you get a 4R75 transmission, which is related to the 4R70 but not exactly the same, and most likely would not swap into the Town Car. It would not surprise me if the gear ratios and the PCM calibration in the 4R70 truck transmission are different from that in the Town Car, too.
If you want to go off on Lincoln, feel free to do so. But do it with facts and not assumptions - OK?
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mk 2:14PM (2/01/2007)
The Lincoln LS was a DEW98 platform car, IIRC, and was platform shared, (rebadged/restyled) as the Jaguar S-type.
Lincoln, and Mercury could do well, if properly done, with refitted versions of the upcoming XF. OR at least applying some of the XF components th the S197 Mustang Chassis, to produce a nice mercury sport sedan, and the MKR into a production version.
I still think that the C-XF, sans the jaguar cues, and a bit de-contented, could make a wicked Mercury RWD sport coupe-ish sedan to compete with the G35, splitting between the coupe and sedan bodystyles. Audi A5 is coming, too... Acura RL/TL-S, Lexus IS, etc. With a supercharged AJ V8, Twin-Force Turbo V6, or 4.6-5.4 modular V8 could be in the ring with the IS-F, or proposed G-series Infiniti Coupe, with their V8.
Lincoln MKR could make a nice new RWD Luxo-perfomance Continental, and could replace the LS properly. It would be intended to go up against the 5-series, E-class, GS, M45, and STS(-V). Leave FWD/AWD-based transverse-engine rebadge/upgrade of the 500 chassis for a Town Car-replacement competitor to the DTS.
All they have to do is have the guts and determination to build, market, and sell them, rather than the bureaucratic inertia to continue on their road to the grave.
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Eric 3:56PM (2/01/2007)
I'm also a proud LSE owner. I never fell in love with a car as much as I did with this one. The LS could have, ney, should have been Lincoln's shining star throughout the early 00's. Instead they let it it sit with that god awful 5 speed tranny with only a mild increase in HP and a minor restyling for the '03 model year.
I agree with #6 and #15. Mercury should be refreshed and aimed at the Lexus/Acura segment. Lincoln should be a DIRECT competitor to Cadillac, though I don't see them pulling too much business from MB and BMW. They need to put something fun like the MKR in production. MKR = XLR or CTS killer?
I'm definitely considering an MKS as my LSE replacement especially if it comes with the twin turbo V-6.
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Zanary 7:04PM (2/01/2007)
Okay, it's like this (and I'll assume everyone's read the corrrections by now)...
1. The MKR couldn't be a clearer hit. If production hasn't already been greenlighted, Alan Mullaly isn't the man Ford needs.
2. The MKS must debut with serious power, the SYNCH system, and continue the quality the D3 platform has shown to date.
3. The Town Car needs a successor ASAP. The recent Continental concept certainly showed a fantastic way to go, and it looks timeless enough that it could still work.
4. Mercury should, indeed, be Ford's $25K-40K brand. While the MKZ should stay in the 30's, it needs more differentiation and maybe the 3.7 version of the new V67. Hell, make a vicious version with the twin-turbo setup. 415 hp, awd, tighten up the bodywork a bit...and scare the hell out of Audi and Acura at the same time.
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