2004 Lincoln Ls on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lincoln 'not true luxury' yet, says Ford design chief

Lincoln is "not true luxury," according to Ford's design boss, J Mays. His statements come from a story in The Detroit News that saw candid language on the issues facing Ford's troubled premium brand. Notably, there's a need for a strong character, with Mays saying, "Every brand needs to have a DNA and a unique selling point and things in the vehicle that make you think, 'That's that particular brand.'"
With a range of rebadged Fords, it's not hard to see why that DNA is missing. Mays hinted that a full recovery for Lincoln will be a ten-year process, that's been kicked off with the MKZ sedan. While that car is still largely a Ford Fusion under its extremely pretty wrapper, it's the first Lincoln in some time to inject its own unique take both through the exterior styling and through interior features, such as the vertical, pushbutton gear selection.
Some analysts weren't so certain about Mays' 10-year estimate. Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics thinks it'll be more like 30 years before Lincoln can show a true return to form. The issue, as Hall explains it, is that, "luxury has a degree of exclusivity," that Lincoln just doesn't have. Michelle Krebs from Edmunds adds, "it's definitely a wanna-be luxury brand," comparing the troubled American brand with Infiniti and Acura, two other brands that have struggled to find their place in the luxury market.

Lincoln considering giving cars real names again

Enthusiastic reaction to the Continental concept might be the death knell for Lincoln's alphabet soup of monikers. "Without divulging the future, we're very excited about the Continental name and the attention it's gotten," Ford President of the Americas Joe Hinrichs said to Automotive News. Hinrichs admitted that the current MK names could confuse those not familiar with the models. Hinrichs suggested that one way Lincoln might differentiate itself was to "leverage its heritage." While this is certainly nothing explicit, the talk could be an indication of an upcoming overhaul for the brand's naming scheme. The Continental is set to hit the market next year as a replacement for the MKS as the company makes a major push into China. Lincoln bosses reportedly gave the designers the model name as inspiration for what to create. The brand's health has slowly been improving since former Ford CEO Alan Mulally was ready to completely kill the brand. Last year, a new boss was appointed to the helm, and there were reports of a modular platform under development. Let us know in Comments what Lincoln names you want to see revived. The Town Car is likely the best-known model from the brand after the Continental, and Zephyr has fairly recent history as the brief moniker for the MKZ. Related Video:

2024 Lincoln Nautilus debuts with big redesign, new hybrid option

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is bigger, flashier and packs a new hybrid powertrain option. Take a look inside this two-row midsize SUV, and you’ll notice itÂ’s rocking a totally new tech interface not seen on any other Lincoln product, too. Starting with the new exterior, the Nautilus makes its entrance with a large grille — depending on the trim you select, four distinct patterns are available. No matter the trim, a new daytime running light runs horizontally through the grille and connects with the headlights. Lincoln played it safe with the sculpting along the sides, but the door handles are newly integrated and sit at the same level as the door trim itself. Electric buttons on the inside of the pulls activate them. The rear mimics the front with a full-width taillight. Hidden exhaust outlets give the rear end a clean and uninterrupted look. Both models seen in photos are rocking 22-inch wheels, but 20-inch and 21-inch wheels will also be available. A new powertrain lineup sees a change in direction toward the greener side of things. The NautilusÂ’ base engine is still a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, but Lincoln says itÂ’s a new design, the same that youÂ’d find on the updated Lincoln Corsair. It makes 250 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque, and itÂ’s mated up with an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard across the lineup, even for the base model. As for the upgrade engine, Lincoln dropped the twin-turbo V6 in favor of a hybrid option. The hybrid pairs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor and CVT. Lincoln says the total system output is 310 horsepower, and while thatÂ’s less than the 335 horses from the outgoing V6, weÂ’re not exactly heartbroken over a slight dip in power for this SUV that has almost no sporting pretenses. Lincoln tells us the hybrid system is similar to that in the Ford Maverick and Ford Escape, but features a more powerful electric motor (134 horsepower) and enhanced transmission. The utility of the Nautilus is way up versus before. Lincoln says the new Nautilus is riding on a vehicle platform not currently shared with any other Ford or Lincoln model sold here, and the idea was to end up with a much larger vehicle. With another two inches of length and two inches of width added over the outgoing model, Lincoln expanded backseat space and cargo space substantially.  Lincoln made the interior a lot more tech-forward, too.