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MyFord Touch getting buttons and knobs back to counter criticisms

Ford deserves credit for being a front-runner in offering advanced infotainment technology with its Sync and MyFord Touch systems, but continued consumer complaints over its confusing touchscreen interface and capacitive controls has made the automaker relent. The Wall Street Journal reports that physical buttons and knobs for controlling tuning and volume will be coming back to Ford vehicles equipped with the controversial infotainment system.
The 2013 F-150 with MyFord Touch gives us a glimpse of what the new layout with buttons and knobs might look like, as Ford says a similar balance of touch screen capability and buttons/knobs are what's being planned for future models. And, while capacitive controls have no fans in the halls of Autoblog, many of Ford's models with MyFord Touch do have a large physical knob for adjusting volume with integrated buttons for tuning and advancing tracks, though most of those are models with the optional upgraded Sony Audio system. Lincoln models with MyLincoln Touch, however, feature only capacitive controls for all stereo and climate functions.
Despite receiving enough complaints to throw buttons and knobs back into the mix (a move that reminds us of BMW's iDrive trajectory, among others), Ford reports that Sync and MyFord Touch have still been sold on 79 percent of its 2013 model year vehicles, a number it claims is double the rate that Honda and Toyota are getting for their infotainment systems. Ford also states that owners who do opt for the duo of technologies are more satisfied with overall vehicle quality than those who don't have it.

Lincoln releases power and economy ratings for 2015 MKC with 2.3L EcoBoost

As the first 2015 MKC crossovers slip into dealerships, Lincoln has confirmed power and fuel economy ratings for the compact crossover's optional 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder engine.
The new range-topping powerplant, thus far otherwise unavailable in the Blue Oval kingdom, will net a healthy 285 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 305 pound-feet of torque from 2,750 revs. Those figures represent gains of 10 hp and 5 lb-ft over earlier estimates, putting the handsome new compact CUV in the hunt with up-engined rivals from Audi and BMW. (A variant of the 2.3L will shortly find its way into the engine bay of the 2015 Ford Mustang, albeit with a number of key changes, including north-south orientation.)
In the MKC, the new engine will net 18 miles per gallon in the city and 26 on the highway with standard all-wheel drive, meaning it only loses a single mile per gallon in the city cycle versus the 240-hp, 270-lb-ft 2.0L EcoBoost model when fitted with all-wheel drive. Both engines rely on the same six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission.

Lincoln prepping MKZ re-launch?

Launching an all-new car is no easy task. Case in point is the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, introduced with the fanfare of a major nationwide marketing campaign, including expensive Super Bowl ads, just as Ford was curbing production over potential quality issues. The resulting mess was nothing short of a nightmare for any automaker - customers visiting dealerships looking for cars that hadn't been delivered yet. Disappointed buyers walked out of Lincoln retailers without new keys in their hands, or switched to a competing brand to fill empty spaces in their driveways.
The impact was painful, as Lincoln's sales in January and February of this year were among the lowest it has recorded in more than a quarter century. Even though March looked a bit brighter, with the supply crisis reportedly over (there are 3,000 units in transit and production is approaching 200 units per day) the automaker is reportedly studying the feasibility of giving its pivotal MKZ the launch it originally deserved.
According to TheDetroitBureau.com, putting the MKZ back on consumer's radar could cost Ford tens of millions of dollars, but that kind of investment may be warranted if potential buyers have forgotten about the new model... or worse, if they have forgotten about Lincoln.