2010 Lincoln Navigator on 2040-cars

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Lincoln previews the blingier Navigator it will launch for 2022

Lincoln's current-generation Navigator will receive a mid-cycle update for the 2022 model year to fend off a growing list of rivals. The company published a short video on social media to preview some of the changes it has made. Up front, the refreshed Navigator features new-look headlights with LED accents and a subtly revised grille fitted with what looks like a backlit Lincoln emblem. There's also a new piece of trim labeled "The Lincoln Motor Company," which is the carmaker's official name. All told, the changes made to the front end look relatively minor. We're guessing that the rear fascia will be similarly nip-and-tucked, but it doesn't appear in Lincoln's 18-second video and it was completely camouflaged in the last batch of photos we received from our spies. However, we've seen enough of it to tell that the massive light bar will be either significantly trimmed down or removed altogether. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Technology updates will likely round out the changes made for 2022. It's too early to tell if Lincoln will mix things up under the hood. As of writing, the Navigator's only available engine is a twin-turbocharged, 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 rated at 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. Its most direct rival is the recently-redesigned Cadillac Escalade, which eschewed downsizing and still offers a V8, and it now needs to worry about the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which is V8-only. Could Lincoln surprise us by giving the big Navigator its V8 engine back? Lincoln will unveil the 2022 Navigator next Wednesday, August 18, and sales will start in the following weeks. Unsurprisingly, the Ford Expedition that the Navigator is related to will also enter 2022 after undergoing a series of changes. Visual tweaks will help the new model stand out from its predecessor, and spy shots suggest at least two new variants will join the range. One is a performance-oriented ST-badged model, and the other is an outdoorsy Timberline trim.

Ford's China sales keep falling, down 30% in third quarter

BEIJING — Ford's July-to-September vehicle sales in China fell 30%, as the U.S. automaker continued to lose ground in a prolonged sales decline in its second biggest market. The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker delivered 131,060 vehicles in China in the third quarter, Ford said in a statement. Ford's sales in China fell 35.8% in the first quarter and by 21.7% in the second quarter. In the third quarter, sales of the automaker's mass-market Ford brand fell 37.7%, while its luxury division Lincoln saw sales drop by 24.1%. It delivered around 421,000 vehicles in the first nine months of the year, according to Reuters calculations. Ford has been struggling to revive sales in China after its business began slumping in late 2017. Sales sank 37 percent in 2018, after a 6 percent decline in 2017. The automaker plans to launch more than 30 new models in China over the next three years, of which more than a third will be electric vehicles. It also said it would localize management teams by hiring more Chinese staff and aimed to improve relationships with joint venture partners. Ford has launched a series of new models in the third quarter in China, including Focus, Edge, and the electric Territory. In China, Ford makes cars through its joint venture with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Jiangling Motors. It has said it would partner with Zotye Automobile Co to sell lower-priced cars, but there seems to have been little progress. In a series of moves, Ford named a new president for its main local venture, Changan Ford, in August and said it would enhance its partnership with Changan through research, production and marketing cooperation in September. Ford is also planning to revamp some of its existing manufacturing facilities with Changan to localize production of its premium brand Lincoln. Changan Ford's sales down by around 33.5% in the third quarter, according to Reuters calculations based on Changan's filings. Ford rival General Motors' July-to-September vehicle sales in China fell 17.5%, to 689,531 vehicles. As GM and Ford China sales extend declines, U.S. car companies' market share of total China passenger vehicle sales fell to 9.5% in the first eight months of this year, from 10.7% in the year-ago period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Over the same period, German carmakers' share has risen to 23.8% from 21.6%, and Japanese automakers' share rose to 21.7% from 18.3%.

Ford recalling 850,000 cars and SUVs for airbag issues

Ford has announced a major recall of 850,000 vehicles from model years 2013 and 2014 due to a problem with the "restraints control module."
According to Ford, a short circuit could develop in the module, causing the airbag warning light to illuminate. In more severe cases, dependent on where the short develops, the airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners may not work in the event of an accident. The problems can be more wide-ranging than that, too, as systems that rely on information from the control module, such as the stability control can be affected.
With 850,000 vehicles affected, it's no surprise that some of Ford's volume leaders are covered. That includes the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans, as well as the incredibly recall-prone Escape and the C-Max MPV.