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2016 Lincoln MKX gets 330-hp EcoBoost V6, new auto braking system

Lincoln has been treading water with the MKX. The crossover's sales were flat in 2014, and its appearance and mechanicals have been largely unchanged since its last redesign in 2011. That changes this fall, when the redesigned 2016 MKX goes on sale in the United States with a more powerful EcoBoost engine, an upgraded cabin and a host of new comfort and safety features designed to make the crossover more competitive and increase its sales. The MKX debuts Tuesday at the Detroit Auto Show, though pictures leaked last weekend. The new vehicle has at least 36 new features compared with the outgoing model, and perhaps the most significant is the addition of the optional twin-turbo 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, which is expected to make more than 330 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. That's a major jump from the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6, which is the only engine option available on the current vehicle. It continues as the standard engine for the 2016 model and is rated at 300 hp and 280 lb-ft. The engines are paired with six-speed automatic transmissions. Front wheel-drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is an option. Lincoln engineers focused on improving the driving character of the new MKX. The chassis is revised, and the rear suspension uses an integral link setup. It's also the first Lincoln to get adaptive steering. The body structure is updated and designed to keep more outside noise from the cabin. "Quietness is luxury," chief engineer Elaine Bannon said. The MKX was also redesigned with a focus on safety. The MKX is among the first Ford Motor Co. vehicles to get a new feature, called pre-collision assist. The technology will warn the driver if it senses a crash is imminent and apply the brakes. The technology is also launching this year on the European version of the Ford Fusion, the Mondeo. Additionally, the MKX gets a 360-degree camera that aids with parking. The camera is mounted behind the Lincoln star badge in the middle of the split-wing grille. It extends to offer a view of up to seven feet around the perimeter of the crossover. Lincoln also added an auto hold feature, which keeps the vehicle from moving when it is sitting in traffic. Lincoln underscored the MKX's new safety and technology with a more dramatic design for 2016. It has a swoopy appearance with fender flares similar to those on the MKC, and it's curvier and more creased than the outgoing MKX.

Ford defends plan to shareholders: ‘We're simply reinventing the American car’

Ford's top executives took heat from shareholders over their plan to do away with sedans as we know them in Ford's North American lineup, as the company held its annual meeting Thursday. Critics said the plan to shelve the Fiesta, Focus and Taurus, reduce the Focus to one crossover model, and concentrate on high-margin trucks and SUVs was a shortsighted abandonment of entire market segments of affordable vehicles. "This doesn't mean we intend to lose those customers," Ford CEO Jim Hackett said. "We want to give them what they're telling us they really want. We're simply reinventing the American car." Ford has said SUVs/crossovers and pickups will constitute 90 percent of its North American lineup by 2020. And though only the Mustang and new Focus Active will remain, it plans to add new vehicles going forward that offer better fuel economy and utility, including EVs and hybrids. Hackett characterized the shift not as an abandonment of traditional cars but as a transformation of them. "We don't want anyone to think we're leaving anything," Hackett said. "We're just moving to a modern version. This is an exciting new generation of vehicles coming from Ford." It was Hackett's first annual meeting as CEO, and for the second year it was conducted online rather than in person. The change to Ford's lineup is part of Hackett's overall plan to cut $25.2 billion in costs by the year 2022. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. blamed the negative reaction to the lineup plan on media coverage. "I wish the coverage had been a little different," he said. "If you got beyond the headline, you'll see we're adding to our product lineup and by 2020 we'll have the freshest showroom in the industry. The headlines look like Ford's retreating. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth." While Ford was clear about its plans for the Blue Oval, it has been less clear about the Lincoln brand. Hackett on Thursday said only that the Lincoln Continental, re-introduced just two years ago, would continue "through its life cycle" — but it has been such a slow seller that rumor has Ford killing the Continental again after that, and Hackett made no mention of a new generation. Presumably the MKZ sedan will go away when its twin the Ford Fusion does, but although Ford has outlined end dates for other models, the Fusion's departure is open-ended. The stock price has been a frustration for investors for years and has fallen 12 percent since the first of the year.

BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"