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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.

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!"

2020 Lincoln Aviator final specs drop — it makes even more power than before

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator is getting more power, and we haven’t even driven it yet. Well, itÂ’s not getting more power, but the final numbers are officially out, and theyÂ’re higher than what Lincoln promised at the initial reveal. We were told at last year's L.A. Auto Show that the base 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 would make 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Lincoln's spec sheet shows itÂ’s still going to make 400 horsepower, but the torque figure is now up to 415 pound-feet. We're looking at the same spec sheet, but a hat tip to CarBuzz for noticing the change first. The plug-in hybrid model has received an even larger bump to its ratings. Lincoln said it would be 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque combined, but itÂ’s actually going to be 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. We were a bit slack-jawed at the numbers before, and this just takes it one step further. Lincoln still isnÂ’t quoting any acceleration numbers, but with this amount of power, something in the 4- to 5-second range seems likely for a 0-60 mph time. ItÂ’s a legitimate shot across the bow in the German SUV horsepower wars. That said, the Aviator persona comes across as much more muscle car-like than a performance SUV meant to tackle lap times like the AMGs and M car SUVs of the world. We donÂ’t know the all-electric range yet, but Lincoln did tell us the size of the battery pack and the electric motorÂ’s output. Aviator PHEVs will be working with a 13.6 kWh battery pack and a 101-horsepower electric motor. There are two modes: One is called Preserve EV, and the other is called Pure EV. Preserve EV is able to charge the battery up to 75 percent using the engine while driving, whereas Pure EV is designed to keep the car in electric-only mode. YouÂ’ll get blue accents in the Lincoln star if you buy the plug-in hybrid, too. Some cool headlight technology is coming to the Aviator in the form of optional adaptive pixel LED headlights. Lincoln says itÂ’s capable of speed-dependent lighting, which adjusts the beam based on your speed. At fast speeds, Lincoln says more light is directed at the road, while driving at low speeds disperses it wider to cover more area directly in front of the vehicle. WeÂ’ll be driving the new Aviator soon, so look out for our first drive impressions coming later this month.