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Lincoln dealers to build standalone dealerships separate from Ford

Way back in 2011, Ford Motor Credit Co. established Lincoln Automotive Financial Services as part of what Automotive News called "a campaign to set the Lincoln brand apart." Lincoln's been on a wild, public ride in the seven years since, which included a near-death experience in 2013 under former Ford CEO Alan Mulally. But Ford's luxury brand has rebounded and is ready to take another shot at setting itself apart. Automaker execs have asked dealers with twinned Ford- Lincoln dealerships in 30 major U.S. markets to build standalone stores. According to company data, the move isn't a gamble — dealers with standalone showrooms sell more vehicles. Lincoln's standalone dealerships in the 30 major U.S. markets that account for 70 percent of luxury segment sales increased 48 percent from 2014 to 2017, compared to an overall Lincoln brand sales increase of 18 percent. After a former Ford-Lincoln dealer in Minneapolis opened a devoted Lincoln store this January, sales have climbed 60 percent so far this year. Dealers in Orange County, California, and Atlanta, Georgia have seen sales double since opening exclusive Lincoln storefronts. The sales manager at the Atlanta dealer said, "Customers have pulled up and said, 'This is how it should be.'" Robert Parker, Lincoln's head of marketing, said, "Customers expect the environment to be equal to the product. They want to buy a luxury product in a luxury environment." That issue repeatedly comes up when a mass-market brand launches a luxury product; observers have lately wondered how much the issue affects sales of Hyundai's Genesis brand. Out of 845 Lincoln showrooms nationwide, there are 150 Lincoln dealers in those 30 major U.S. markets. So far, 72 dealers have made or are working to make the standalone switch on their own. Lincoln is asking the remaining 78 shops to follow suit, to agree to a new facility by July 2019 and to have the store finished by July 2021. Only the showrooms would need to be exclusive, service and other back-end departments can remain in Ford-branded complexes. Wielding the carrot, Lincoln will help dealers with relocating, and pay more for every car sold. Wielding the stick, Lincoln said that come Q2 2019, it won't let twinned dealers sell Black Label trims if they don't already. Over the next couple of years, Lincoln will complete the revamp of its lineup. Said marketing honco Parker, "The next phase of the transformation is critical.

2025 Lincoln Navigator spy photos reveal overhauled styling

Prototypes of the 2025 Lincoln Navigator have been circulating for several months, but this is the first time we've seen one wearing less-modest camouflage, showing off elements of its new body and trim for the first time. Lincoln's big family hauler has been around long enough — since 2018, in fact — that it's due for a redesign. It was updated in 2022, when it gained BlueCruise (then called Lincoln ActiveGlide, a name the brand has since left behind) and lost a little horsepower. From what we can see here, the 2025 Navigator will retain most of its core styling. The belt line crease on its flanks is still obvious beneath this camo, as is the gradual taper to the rear portion of the greenhouse. The hood appears to retain its generally soft shape, and in fact may even be more bulbous than the one it replaces. We can also see from the front angle here that Lincoln is playing around with the Navigator's lighting "signature," with more upright components likely replacing the narrow, horizontal slits under the current model's swoopy headlamps.  The changes in the rear appear to head in the other direction. Rather than softening the tailgate, Lincoln's designers seem to have put down their sanders in favor of chisels. The sharp outward protrusion beneath the rear glass is new, and we're guessing it houses a full-width taillight setup similar to, but more pronounced than, the current look.  Details remain sparse, but with Cadillac inching ever closer to releasing the Escalade IQ (it's due next summer), we wouldn't be surprised to hear that Lincoln is stepping up its electrification game for the next round. The company's 10-speed automatic transmission was designed from the ground up to handle a hybrid system. Is it time? Related video: Featured Gallery 2025 Lincoln Navigator Spy Photos View 11 Photos Green Rumormill Spy Photos Lincoln SUV Future Vehicles Luxury

2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid range, fuel economy revealed

The range-topping 2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid luxury crossover finally has official fuel economy ratings. The electric range is 21 miles, and when the battery is exhausted, gas-only combined fuel economy is 23 mpg. The EPA's combined electric and gas test loop yielded 56 mpg-e. These numbers make the Aviator Grand Touring the most frugal version of the three-row luxury crossover, with the next most efficient one being the rear-drive non-hybrid model at 21 mpg combined. When going by gas-only fuel economy, though, the Aviator Grand Touring's non-plug-in cousin, the Ford Explorer Hybrid, returns up to 28 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive, and 25 mpg with all-wheel drive. It has much less power at 318 horsepower and 322 pound-feet of torque, compared to the Aviator Grand Touring's 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. The luxury plug-in hybrid crossover segment is quite small right now. The closest competitor to the Aviator Grand Touring is probably the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. It has a shorter electric range of 13 miles, and its gas-only fuel economy is a slightly worse at 22 mpg. The Porsche is less powerful with 455 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, and its base price of $82,450 exceeds the Lincoln's $69,895 price. The Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e splits the difference on efficiency with a worse 10-mile electric range, but a better gasoline fuel economy of 25 mpg combined. This could improve for 2020, as the updated model will have a larger battery. It's cheaper, too, at $51,645, but it's also a full size smaller than the Lincoln.