Lincoln waving goodbye to the waterfall 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.