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Lincoln Continental to end after one-and-done generation?

After only 18 months on sale, the vultures of rumor have begun circling above the Lincoln Continental. Ford Authority says "sources intricately familiar with Ford Motor Company's future product plans" for the domestic luxury brand say the Continental won't get another chance at life after this generation. Those sources didn't detail Ford's reasons for dispatching the executioner on another sad task, but if this is true, even the reasons we can only guess make enough sense to justify the move. The Continental launched into a crossover mania still mushrooming in strength like some Marvel villain, the equivalent of a new dinosaur hatching a few months before the Chicxulub Impact Event. In 18 months, the Continental sold 18,846 units, 12,012 of those sales happening in 2017. In the U.S. this year, sales amounted to 1,573 units through February, about 25 percent down on the annualized monthly rate. It could be worse: The Lexus GS has found 1,009 U.S. buyers so far this year, the Acura RLX, 285. Conversely, the Cadillac XTS — yes, a fleet darling — secured 3,163 sales in the same period. And the German kingpins live in another dimension, with BMW scooting 5,641 5 Series models off dealer lots, and the Mercedes E-Class boasting 8,411 sales of all three variants. Even the much more expensive and much more profitable Lincoln Navigator rang up 2,351 sales in the first 60 days of 2018. That's disheartening reading, especially after Ford reportedly spent more than $1 billion to bring the Continental to market. Sedan segment woes look to have killed the Continental's platform siblings, too, making the Lincoln's demise simply part of the cull. The CD4 architecture also underpins the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Ford canceled the Fusion redesign and won't commit to making either vehicle after 2020. Lincoln's passenger car sales declined more than 30 percent last month; meanwhile, Lincoln needs to spend its money on the crossovers that are selling, and investment in the coming three-row Aviator that will replace the MKT. Ford has a CD6 platform in development that suits front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Under previous CEO Mark Fields, a new Fusion, Mustang, and MKZ would ride on the CD6, as well as the new Explorer and a Lincoln brother. Those plans left with the previous administration, and company sources told both Ford Authority and The Truth About Cars not to expect a Continental revival on that architecture. Related Video:

2020 Lincoln MKZ gets price and trim changes, new packages

The Lincoln MKZ doesn't have much longer to live, slated to meet the executioner later this year. The team in charge isn't letting the brand's penultimate sedan die unloved, Ford Authority reporting a raft of cosmetic changes and packages that can set the 2020 model apart from others. The three engines, FWD or AWD, and hybrid option stand pat. There's been the expected trim rationalization, though, and some noteworthy price changes. Last year's nine trim combinations are whittled to five in 2020 — the base hybrid, Reserve I in FWD and AWD, and Hybrid Reserve II are no more. The new base models see an increase in MSRP, but there are big savings on the Reserve models. The remaining trims are listed here with their price differences compared to 2019, after the $995 destination charge: Base FWD for $37,745 (+ $755) Base AWD for $39,745 (+ $755) Reserve II FWD for $44,495 (- $2,445) Hybrid Reserve I FWD for $43,495 (+ $3,505) Reserve II AWD for $45,495 (- $2,445) Outside, four colors in the current palette disappear: Empire Blue Metallic, Magma Red Metallic, Red Carpet Metallic and Silver Radiance Metallic. Four new colors take their places: Blue Diamond Metallic, Crystal Copper Metallic, Ingot Silver Metallic and Ruby Red Metallic. A new, bright aluminum 19-inch wheel with ebony pockets is available on all four trims. There's a lot more happening on the packages page, Lincoln throwing five new bundles at the configurator. Only one can be specced on the base MKZ and the MKZ Hybrid, that being the Convenience Package that gathers features such as a tilt/telescoping steering wheel with memory, power trunk lid with soft close, voice-activated touchscreen navigation, and Lincoln Experiences Phase II, which means dynamic signature lighting and smart power mirrors. That suite tacks $2,000 onto the price.  Three packages can be had only on the MKZ Reserve with either engine option and the MKZ Hybrid Reserve. The Elements package runs $800 for goodies like heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated rear seats. The $3,000 Luxury Package adds full LED headlights, Multi-Contour front seats with Active Motion, and the 20-speaker, 1,200-watt Revel Ultima Audio System. The $1,595 Monochromatic Package can only be ordered in Infinite Black or Platinum White. Both hues get upper grilles and other body trim in the chosen color, as well as 19-inch polished black wheels.

Lincoln MKC recalled because start button located too close to touchscreen [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Ford spokesperson Kelli Felker responded to our questions and let us know that the fix for the push-button start on the 2015 MKC has the switch moved to the top of the of the column of gear shift buttons instead of the bottom. Owners should be notified about both campaigns "toward the end of February." After massive campaigns from General Motors and to fix Takata airbag inflators, 2014 will undoubtedly go down as The Year Of The Recall. And with little time to spare, Ford is getting in just under the wire to adding two more to its yearly total. The larger of the campaigns is actually one of the most bizarre campaigns we've heard of all year. Lincoln is recalling 13,574 units of its 2015 MKC compact crossover in North America to move the location of the push-button ignition switch on the dashboard. According to the automaker's announcement: "Due to the switch's close proximity to other controls, occupants are inadvertently shutting off the engine while driving." The button is located near the bottom of the touchscreen, which can apparently make it possible to hit by mistake. Back when Autoblog first drove the new MKC in June, we came away very impressed, but noted: "... we're still not completely sold on the aforementioned pushbutton transmission selector ... it still seems somewhat gimmicky and it can't be operated by feel alone, as you might when shifting a traditional console-mounted lever from Park to Drive." According to Lincoln, there have been no reported accidents or injuries stemming from this button misapplication. Of the affected vehicles, there are 11,144 in the US, 2,033 in Canada and 397 in Mexico. To fix the problem, dealers are moving the button to a different location and reprogramming the powertrain control module. According to Automotive News, models built since September already have a different layout. The change was reportedly done to match the rest of the Lincoln lineup. The second recall covers 12,205 units of the 2014 Ford Escape (2015 model year pictured below) and 2015 Lincoln MKC in North America because of a problem with nickel plating on the fuel pump. The issue can cause the pump to seize, which can cause the crossovers not to start or stall while driving. The automaker is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this fault. Dealers are replacing the fuel deliver module to fix the situation. Of the affected vehicles, there are 9,038 in the US, 3,074 in Canada and 93 in Mexico.