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Ford sets rules for dealers selling electric cars: Fixed no-haggle pricing

Are you tired of reading about shady dealers marking up cars and taking advantage of buyers? Apparently, Ford is, too. According to The Drive, The Blue Oval issued a warning at its annual dealer conference, telling franchisees that they have until the end of October to decide whether to commit to fixed, no haggle pricing or be cut out of selling EVs. Ford is far from the only auto brand watching its dealers make up their own pricing, but it’s been one of the quickest to act on the issue. Earlier this year, the automaker split its business operations, with one part of the company focusing solely on electric vehicles and powertrain development and the other continuing FordÂ’s gas vehicle development. If dealers want to sell EVs, theyÂ’ll have to opt into the rules for Ford Model E (the brandÂ’s electric business arm) — one of which is a commitment to transparent, no-haggle pricing. Once theyÂ’ve agreed to the terms and conditions, Ford dealers become Model E Certified. The automaker views this as an opportunity to push more of its network toward a model that Tesla and other startups adopted. Many younger buyers favor direct sales, as it limits the in-person time required to buy a car and makes the purchase process easier for many. This is undoubtedly an annoyance for dealers, but theyÂ’ve long been asked to make investments to promote new products and initiatives. The shift to electrification has required the franchisees to make even more significant commitments, and in some cases, sizable financial investments, to meet automakersÂ’ new requirements. Automakers, including Ford, have provided off-ramps for dealers not interested in making the switch to EVs. Cadillac saw an exodus of more than a third of its dealer network after it issued new rules for electric vehicle sales. Ford will likely see some attrition with this policy change, but itÂ’s offering dealers an opportunity to “spend more to make more,” so to speak. Stores already committed to selling EVs can promise to invest an additional amount – up to half a million dollars – to build additional chargers and invest in other equipment. Those that do can earn an “Elite” designation on their Model E certification and are not subject to allocation limits and other speedbumps that other certified dealers see. Earnings/Financials Green Ford Lincoln Car Buying Car Dealers Electric

2018 Lincoln Navigator Review | 900 miles in mid-century opulence

PORTLAND, Ore. — Driving the 2019 Lincoln Navigator on my usual 80-mile evaluation route just wouldn't be sufficient. The quick jaunt through downtown Portland and out into wooded mountain roads couldn't possibly do justice to a vehicle intended for the literal long haul. All those seats; all that cargo space; all that comfort and opulence. What the Navigator needed was a road trip, so I took two of them — within five days, over 900 miles and a grand total of 20 hours and 17 minutes in the 24-way power-adjustable, massaging, ventilated saddle. The first journey would be from Portland down to Bend, Ore., and then working my way gradually back through central Oregon backroads. This included winding two-lane highways where the Navigator's excellent adaptive cruise control system maintained its distance (and my sanity) when stuck behind parades of Outbacks, before the 450-horsepower EcoBoost V6 of Raptor fame could dispatch them from across the dotted yellow line. Enough really can't be said about how masterful this engine is — so smooth, so powerful and so quiet. It's perfect for a Lincoln. It also got 20 mpg over the course of the full 900 miles, which compares to the EPA's 21 mpg highway rating. Pretty good given the mountainous terrain and the liberal throttle applied to keep up with a pair of substantially sportier cars I was trailing as part of a photo shoot. Not that the Navigator was really able to keep up with anything once the road got tighter and twistier through the lava fields of the Willamette National Forest. Though I still concur with my initial praise of the Navigator's independent rear suspension and steering that "provides consistent, appropriate and reassuring weighting," there's no getting around the laws of physics. This is a gigantic land craft pushing three tons that's best kept at a relaxed pace – also perfect for a Lincoln. As for the ride, which disappointed during my Navigator first drive in Southern California, the "omnipresent nervousness" I reported didn't really materialize on better pavement in Oregon and later in Washington. True, it's not quite as supple as a unibody Range Rover or Mercedes GLS would be, but it doesn't suffer from the near constant vibration over even the smallest bumps you get in a Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon XL. On the subject of comfort, though, those 24-way front seats can't be ignored.

Why the 2015 Lincoln MKC is 'holding some powder'

Earlier this month in our first drive of the 2015 MKC, we told you that Lincoln finally had a new vehicle in its arsenal worth crowing about. So with the compact premium crossover now finding its way into dealers, why aren't you seeing its likeness plastered on billboards and barraging you on television? It's because Lincoln is "holding some powder."
Those are the words of Lincoln's global director, Matt VanDyke, who tells Autoblog that the company is holstering some of its marketing guns because it's keen to avoid repeating the ill-timed efforts that blighted its last rollout, the MKZ. That vehicle's launch early last year was beset by various delays related to manufacturing and quality. The cadence issue was so dire that by the time the model reached showrooms in volume, Lincoln had already blown most of its budget on things like Super Bowl ads that ran weeks or even months before customers could check one out in person. It was a particularly trying series of events for parent Ford because the MKZ and its oversized marketing spend were charged with relaunching the Lincoln brand to the public.
Keen to avoid repeating the same timing issue and mindful of consumers' habits at this time of year, Lincoln is taking a different strategy with the MKC. According to VanDyke, "What we don't want to do is try and fight the summertime - people using television being down, and other mass media when school's out. New television shows aren't on." Of course, that doesn't mean Lincoln is sitting idle. VanDyke says, "By no means are we quiet during the next 90 days. This year, we're going to really spend the next 60 to 90 days using digital and social media, in-theater advertising and the like, and once we have full availability at dealerships, we'll really ramp up the advertising later on in the summer." Part of that early media effort includes immersive digital marketing like Lincoln's clever Dream Rides web experience.