2001 Lincoln Continental on 2040-cars

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Ford tweaking Model E dealer program to address dealer concerns

Ford's been working on its strategy and sales reorganization for a couple of years, the initiative that created the Blue (ICE), Pro (commercial), and Model E (electric) divisions. On the Model E side, part of continuous reworking of the EV arm has been in response to dealer lawsuits filed in numerous states, since Model E not only stipulated investments of anywhere from $500,000 to $1.2 million, the automaker initially wanted dealers to set no-haggle pricing, offer remote pickup and delivery for service appointments, and build chargers that would operate around-the-clock. Another big part of the tweaks to Model E is the continually unstable ground the entire electric project is built on. As part of understanding what dealers are facing and how to keep the electric wheels turning, Automotive News reports that the automaker held 11 meetings with dealers this year in six cities. Based on the feedback, more changes are coming to Model E as soon as next month.   During the roadshow, Ford told dealers to pause their investments into getting certified for Model E. This directive followed a corporate change in plans as Ford pulled investments in battery-electrics in favor of consumers' choice for hybrids. The head of Ford Blue — the internal-combustion-powered division that, with Ford Pro, has been paying the bills as Model E posts big losses — told AN, "We don't want them to make any decisions between now and the middle of June, when you can maybe have a more informed decision-making process based off what we work out with council in the next few weeks." One change has already been made public, the VP of EV programs telling an AutoNews business conference audience, “What weÂ’re finding is more dealers want to be involved in it and we donÂ’t want to be exclusive to just a handful, and so weÂ’re making a change where weÂ’re opening up that and not requiring as many certifications or investments for a dealer to participate in the EV revolution." Don't take that comment as a revelation; since the beginning, dealers complained about being excluded and needing to throw so much money at the program. Take that comment as Ford needing to find a better way in the "rapidly changing" environment. The official list of updates won't come until next month, when Ford meets its dealer council, and it should touch on topics beyond EVs.

2022 Lincoln Navigator revealed with tech updates, hands-free driving, new Black Label themes

Last week, Lincoln Motor Company teased its updated, enhanced and even more upscale Navigator SUV for the 2022 model year. Today, Ford’s luxury brand has unveiled this mid-cycle refresh with improved technology — including the Lincoln ActiveGlide hands-free driving system and over-the-air software updates — plus two new available themes for the line-topping Black Label trim level. Starting with tech, Lincoln launches the first iteration of its ActiveGlide advanced driver assistance tech, which, like FordÂ’s new BlueCruise technology, allows for hands-free highway driving if the right conditions are met. It leverages adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, lane centering and traffic sign recognition to allow for hands-free driving on over 130,000 miles of divided highways across North America. Similar to GMÂ’s Super Cruise system, ActiveGlide monitors the driverÂ’s head and eye positions with a driver-facing camera to unsure their attention remains on the road ahead of them, ready to take over driving functions if need be. The 2022 Navigator also employs Lincoln Enhance, which is the branded name for its over-the-air software update capability. This allows Lincoln to make improvements, install new features and even provide some preventative maintenance without it needing to be brought in for service. Lincoln promises this allows the “Navigator to get even better over time.” This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lincoln says it has streamlined its Amazon Alexa experience to respond to more natural language. You can use Alexa in the car the way you normally would with the digital assistant, or you can connect the Lincoln Way app for Alexa to control certain car features — locks, remote start, checking on vehicle status — from your Alexa-enabled home or mobile device. The 2022 Navigator also benefits from AmazonÂ’s Fire TV service for the rear-seat entertainment. It even includes 16 GB of built-in storage so you can watch your favorite Prime Video content on the road without connectivity. ThereÂ’s an updated Sync 4 infotainment system with a larger 13.2-inch center screen, improved voice recognition and navigation, and a Constellation design theme that carries over to the digital instrument cluster and the refreshed head-up display. In the second row, occupants now have a digital control module for rear climate and audio settings.

2021 Ford Escape PHEV finally reaches dealers

Last October – which feels like both five minutes and five years ago – Ford had to push the Escape PHEV sales date back to this year. The holdup arose because Ford had to recall the Escape's European twin, the Kuga PHEV, over a fire risk thought to center on the high-voltage battery. At the time, a Ford spokesperson said, "We are moving full scale production of Escape PHEV to the 2021 model year. The first Escape PHEVs will be sold next year." With just three months left in 2021, a Ford spokesperson confirmed to Ford Authority that the Escape PHEV has finally made it to dealer lots. The end of the Escape PHEV's long and winding road comes about a week after the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring reached dealers. The compact luxury plug-in hybrid debuted at the 2019 LA Auto Show and was intended to go on sale in the summer of last year. But because it uses the same powertain as in the Escape, Ford had to delay the Lincoln as well.  Now that you can finally buy them, here's the quick recap. Both start with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-4 and an electric motor powering the front wheels, and a 14.4-kWh battery providing juice. The Escape makes 200 horsepower, can go 37 miles on all-electric driving, is EPA-rated at 105 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe), and returns a combined 40 mpg if the battery's dead. It starts at $34,320 before incentives. The Lincoln adds an electric motor with a single-speed transmission to power the rear wheels, as Toyota has done with the all-wheel-drive Prius, RAV4 Hybrid and Lexus UX250h. Output in the Lincoln is 266 ponies, it manages 28 miles on pure electric driving, is EPA rated at 78 MPGe, and returns a combined 33 mpg on gasoline alone. It starts at $51,485 before incentives. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.