2014 Lincoln Mks Ecoboost on 2040-cars

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How Lincoln could make itself special again

Things are going better for the Lincoln brand — or, more properly, The Lincoln Motor Company — so far this year, and are likely to continue to do so, comparatively speaking. In the first quarter of 2017, the brand's sales are up 8.7 percent compared with the same period last year. Lincoln delivered 27,083 units in the first quarter. The Continental is certainly a boon, with 3,209 units (almost 12 percent of the total number), something Lincoln didn't have in the first quarter of 2016. Its crossovers, the MKC and MKX, were up 15 and 11.2 percent, respectively, and while the Navigator SUV was down 16.2 percent, the new 2018 model will certainly boost that nameplate. Still, there is undoubtedly a glass — or crystal — ceiling for Lincoln (as well as for Cadillac) that it's not likely to break through regarding total US sales. No matter how you look at it, the US luxury market is dominated by import brands, and there is no reason to think that's going to change. Ever. According to Autodata, for the first quarter of 2017 there were 213,817 luxury vehicles delivered, of which 170,780 were from import brands and 43,037 domestic. While there is a good likelihood that Lincoln will gain some ground, given the lineup extensions that the likes of Mercedes, Audi, BMW, and Lexus are making, as well as the creation of new brands like Genesis and the traction of Tesla, it is going to be all the more challenging for any company to get any significant growth in the luxury category. So growth for Lincoln, yes. Notable growth? No. But there is something the company could do to generate revenue separate from the car and crossover business. It may not make a lot of money in and of itself, but it can provide a distinct edge in the product segment that would cement Lincoln with a unique offering. Kumar Galhorta, president of Lincoln, frequently talks about "experiences." About how the company is working to relieve or eliminate "pain points" from its customers. About how time — or the perceived lack thereof — is something Lincoln is working to address. And it's doing so in a way that gives it a distinctiveness vis-a-vis the competitive set. Lincoln's services are creating a buzz in a way that Matthew McConaughey ads never will. Lincoln is addressing it through service. As in offering pickup and delivery for service appointments for all new 2017 Lincoln models.

2025 Lincoln Aviator revealed with new face, more tech, no more PHEV

The 2025 Lincoln Aviator is here wearing the model’s first refresh since its launch for the 2020 model year. ThatÂ’s a long period of time to go without any significant changes, but luckily for Lincoln, the Aviator never really fell out of favor. This refresh follows the Ford ExplorerÂ’s update for 2025, its platform mate, and the scope of changes made to the Lincoln is similar. The exterior wears the new Lincoln family front fascia with a taller grille, new LED headlights that creep into the grille itself and an updated front bumper. Nothing changes out back, but Lincoln says both the LED daytime running lights and LED taillights now feature welcome and goodbye animations. Two new colors join the palette – Cenote Green (pictured first in the gallery at the top of this post) and Whisper Blue Metallic – and a couple of new wheel designs arrive for 2025, too. None of these updates drastically change the handsome Aviator, which weÂ’re fine with because this sleek Lincoln three-row SUV has always looked dashing. Only one engine option is available for the Aviator, which is the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. Power is sent to either the rear wheels or to all wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission, which Lincoln says is re-calibrated this year for smoother performance. Unfortunately, the Grand Reserve PHEV trim that was dropped for the 2024 model year will not be returning in 2025. Lincoln tells us that its take rate of just 14% wasnÂ’t enough to justify continuing to build it, which is a real shame, because that was one quick plug-in hybrid SUV with 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. The good news on the mechanical side of things is that the adaptive suspension is now standard instead of optional. The air suspension continues to be available as either an option on the Reserve trim or standard equipment on the Black Label. The biggest changes come inside the Aviator. A new dash design does away with climate control buttons, tucking them into the touchscreen. The start/stop button moves to sit next to the other “piano key” style shift buttons, and the center stack is simplified with more empty space for beautiful trim to sprawl across. The storage areas in the center console are slightly re-jiggered, with the one pocket on the left being the new wireless phone charger.

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.