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Why, believe it or not, the Lincoln Nautilus is one of 'America's hottest brands'

  Adidas Sambas, Sol de Janeiro skin care products, Nvidia AI chips, and... the Lincoln Nautilus? In what bizarro world is the Lincoln Nautilus (F) — a nameplate only an Uber driver or your grandfather could love — in the same sentence as those hot brands?  The answer: It made it to Ad AgeÂ’s “AmericaÂ’s hottest brands” list for 2024. In fact, the Nautilus, a midsize crossover, is actually drawing interest from younger buyers. Take that, Boomer.  According to Ad Age, the annual hottest brands list highlights companies and brands that are currently enjoying some kind of buzz or mainstream awareness — no matter how fleeting that may be. Reporters and editors at Ad Age whittled down 60 or so hottish brands to the eventual 20 that made the big cut.  They also try to avoid repeat winners.  But if you're looking for sales or other financial metrics in these rankings, forget about it. The list is more focused on chatter and online buzz.  Back to the Nautilus.  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The SUV was redesigned for 2024 with a fresh, tech-laden interior, highlighted by a wrap-around digital dashboard. Such features, apparently, helped. Sales of the latest Nautilus jumped 42% in the first half of 2024 compared to the year-earlier period.  And if you're wondering, kids, the Nautilus comes in a hybrid version as well — a powertrain that has been doing quite well for Lincoln and parent company Ford. Ad Age believes the techy interior look, along with that hybrid powertrain, is responsible for the brand's newfound buzziness.  It also helps that the NautilusÂ’ ad and marketing game plan is as modern as the latest version of the vehicle. For example, it has a relatively new celebrity backer in tennis legend Serena Williams, who will be featured in a new ad campaign later this year.  A hit song of sorts in its ads doesn't hurt either. Called “Kaleidoscope Bliss (The Nautilus Song),” the song was big on social media, of course. LincolnÂ’s creative agency even had the band behind the song, Heavy Duty Projects, release an extended version of the song for fans who were clamoring for more.  “WhatÂ’s really good is that they're recognizing it as the song from the commercial,” Megan McKenzie, Lincoln's U.S. marketing head, said to Ad Age. The new Serena Williams ad will feature the song as well.

Again? Ford issues second 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ seat belt recall

In 2016, Ford issued a recall for 603,392 2013-2016 Fusions and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZs due to potentially faulty seat belts. Apparently, that wasn't the end of it. Ford announced another recall this week for the same issue, this time covering 108,399 2015 Fusions and MKZs.  In both cases, the seat belt anchor pretensioners are the issue. According to Ford, "increased temperatures generated during deployment of the driver or front-passenger seat belt anchor pretensioner could degrade the tensile strength of the cable below the level needed to restrain an occupant." Basically, heat could weaken the seat belts, and in extreme cases, they wouldn't be able to keep up proper safety standards. Ford knows of at least one injury that has occurred due to this issue.   The recall includes 103,374 vehicles in the United States, 4,002 in Canada, and 1,023 in Mexico. Possibly affected Fusions were built at Ford's Flat Rock Assembly Plant between August 1, 2014 and January 30, 2015. The MKZs were built at the Hermosillo Assembly Plant between August 1, 2014 and November 21, 2014.  As a fix, Ford says dealers will add an extra coating to the seat belt pretensioner cable for protection from the heat. If this recall might affect your vehicle, call your local Ford dealership and use recall reference No. 19S25. This news comes after Ford recalled 1.3 million Fusions and MKZs in 2018 due to the possibility that the steering wheels could fall off. Fusions have also been recalled due to the risk of rolling away.

Company veterans promoted to set a course for the future of Ford

Ford on Wednesday named two company veterans to lead its auto and mobility businesses as the No. 2 U.S. automaker shifts its focus to autonomous vehicles and realigns its automobile portfolio. Joe Hinrichs was named president of Ford's automotive unit, and Jim Farley will be president, new businesses, technology and strategy, effective May 1. Both will report to Chief Executive Officer Jim Hackett. Hinrichs' goal will be a sustainable EBIT margin (earnings before interest and taxes) of at least 8 percent, Ford said. He'll have responsibility for all of Ford's global business units, and both the Ford and Lincoln brands. And he'll lead all of the automotive skills teams, from product development through customer experience. "Joe Hinrichs possesses the knowledge, experience and leadership to now take our Automotive business to world-class levels of product excellence, customer satisfaction, efficiency and financial performance," Hackett said. "As we enter a busy period for new product launches and further restructuring in underperforming markets, Joe's leadership in transforming businesses through focused execution will be key." Farley is charged with leading Ford's strategic transformation, in which it hopes to gain higher margins through smart/connected vehicles. He'll oversee corporate strategy, global data analytics, global partnerships, research and advanced engineering, including initiatives in smart mobility and autonomous vehicles. "Jim Farley's job is to drive us into the future, both strategically and operationally, from AVs to mobility experiences to leveraging AI and big data. Jim combines an innate feel for what customers want and need in vehicles and the ability to translate this into the vehicles and services of the future," Hackett said. Marcy Klevorn, president of Ford Mobility, plans to retire Oct. 1 after 36 years at Ford. Until then, she will report to Hackett in a strategic role. "I have asked Marcy to work with me and the senior team to accelerate our transformation," Hackett said. "Marcy's decades of experience working with many of the leading companies in the tech space as well as the work she has done with the transformation of Ford IT and the establishment of Ford Mobility gives her unique knowledge to drive these initiatives."