FrankReynoldsCPA

I've seen that on tv. I think with some adjustments to it's face, it would be pretty neat.

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I would love to see Lincoln bring back cars like the Mark VIII and Town Car. The 90's Lincolns were some of the most comfortable cars I've ever been in. I hope to see them get back on the right track just like Ford did.

Fizzboy7

The biggest flaw with the company has been the grille. There's no doubt in my mind it's alientated large amounts of people. Get rid of this tacky feature and the rest of the cars are decent enough to bring in people.

jwong77

No disrespect, but those cars are exactly why Lincoln was known as a senior citizens car. I remember reading nothing but complaints about how horribly the Mar VIII handled, and most didn't like that false spare tire hump in the trunk. Also, I imagine with a V-8 and FWD, the Mark Viii probably handled pretty horribly as well.

mmarshall

Sorry, jwong, but I have to strongly agree with Kira X.....he (or she) is correct. It is true that big American cars were known for sub-par handling, but handing is not what everyone is looking for in a car......some people simply prefer the ride comfort and low-noise level (yes, even some younger people). Contrary to what a lot of people think, you don't have to be Grandpa, with one foot in the grave, to like the way big American luxury-cars ride....that's an old stereotype, generally pushed bythe auto-press, with little basis in fact.

jwong77

Are you refuting Lincoln's late 90's reputation for being a senior citizens car? My point is, going back is not the way forward. Please do not bring back large inefficient cars that can't handle and get poor gas mileage. Ford has done well in recent years, why would taking a step back in the direction of the bad old days be a good idea?

LexBob2

I agree. Those full sized American "luxury" sedans have had their day and are being replaced by new models, technology, engineering etc. It happens all of the time with all consumer products. Consumers change, times change. There's no way around it, the Lincolns (Caddy's etc.) being disussed here were purchased by a huge % of older buyers. Not that there is anything wrong with that, just a fact.

Rolexus600

The Mark VIII was RWD. It was too long and softly sprung to be a handling king, that's for sure. But it was a car designed to American ideals such as space (relative to a coupe), soft ride, generous seats and definitive yet attractive (imo) design.


Michael

GS69

Ford Looks to Audi & Lexus for Lessons on Making Luxury Distinctive

For any luxury car brand, one indicator of success is whether customers know the mainstream brand to which it is related.

It's better if they don't.

Audi has gone to great lengths -- even foregoing the cost savings that come with sharing parts -- to erect a firewall between itself and parent Volkswagen.

All 228 Lexus dealerships in the U.S. are exclusive and physically separated from Toyota. The purpose is to keep the 2 brands distinct in the minds and experience of buyers.

Ford studied Audi and Lexus closely as it prepared to reinvent Lincoln.

It won't be easy, but it is necessary. The stakes are high. Ford has invested in seven new or upgraded Lincoln vehicles by 2014. Lincoln has concentrated its dealer network in the top 130 metro markets. Dealers have spent significantly to upgrade showrooms and service department to deliver better customer service.
The same, but different

A successful luxury brand "has to offer something that you can't get from your mainstream brand," said Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Automotive Consulting.

Ford created the Premier Automotive Group in 1999 to showcase its Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin brands that "offered something Ford didn't have in-house."

That strategy backfired. Ford has since sold all those luxury brands except Lincoln to help pay off debt. In 2010, Ford phased out Mercury. Lincoln was the only channel left to reach upscale consumers.

The priority is to create vehicles "uniquely Ford and uniquely Lincoln," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product development chief.

It starts with the all-new 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ midsize sedans. Their underlying structures are the same. That's about all they have in common, said Kuzak, who revealed both cars last month at the Detroit auto show.

"There isn't a piece of (shared) sheet metal. The glass roof, the interior is all unique," Kuzak said.

Dimensions such as wheelbase and track may be the same, but "the heights are different; overall lengths are different," said Moray Callum, Ford's North American design chief, which means differences in headroom and legroom.

The automaker created a separate Lincoln team and moved the designers and engineers into their own dedicated studio in space carved out of a Ford product-development center.

Audi's headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, is hundreds of kilometers from VW's base in Wolfsburg.

"We operate as separate companies," said Filip Brabec, Audi of America's general manager of product planning.

"If we can find synergies and platforms and parts that fit, that's great, but that is not the priority," Brabec said.

The level of sharing varies by vehicle.

"The Audi A4 is a dramatically different car, even underneath, than the VW Passat, just by the arrangement of the engine and all the underpinnings," Brabec said.

The smaller Audi A3 and VW Golf ride on the same platform, but no more than 1 part in 5 is found in both models.

"So 80% of the vehicle is completely new and unique to the brand," he said. Even the shared components are adapted for a different driving experience.

Brabec said the fierce independence means Audi's cost could be higher.

"But it is absolutely worth it," he said. "The image of Audi is preserved by doing this."

"VW and Audi have been doing it well for years and have a lot of momentum," IHS' Robinet said. "They have mastered the art of sharing what's important for economies of scale, but have convinced the public the vehicles are very different."

For Lincoln, "I think the MKZ is different enough," Robinet said. "It has some borrowed pieces but is different where it matters."

Distinguishing features

When Ford was cash-strapped in its lean years, there was a greater need for economies of scale that translated to greater parts sharing across Ford, Mercury and Lincoln products.

"Though the demise of Mercury is sad, I think it's helped us to be able to differentiate the Lincoln product," Callum said.

Under designer Max Wolff, who came from Cadillac, there will be Lincoln styling hallmarks, including a signature full-size retractable glass roof and a new horizontal grille.

Other technologies, such as electric gear selection with the push of a button, will free space in the center console.

The trick is in deciding when Lincoln features can or should migrate to Ford vehicles.

For example, the MKZ suspension has a continuously controlled damping system for a better ride. Kuzak confirmed that when the Fusion goes on sale in Europe next year as the Ford Mondeo, it will have the more responsive suspension.

"It will be on some select Ford vehicles," Kuzak said, but the distinguishing point is that it will be "across the board" on all Lincoln vehicles.

Engines can be tweaked to alter their character and mated to 8-speed transmissions for Lincoln, 6 speeds for Ford.

Experience matters

Another differentiator is the experience at the dealership, a concept Lexus has embraced.

All 228 Lexus dealers in the U.S. offer higher level of service and more amenities, said Andrew Coetzee, Lexus vice president of customer services and brand development.

Lincoln has 172 standalone dealerships, representing 35% of the stores in the top luxury markets. The goal is to raise that to 70% by 2015.

At Lexus, dealers display a "Lexus covenant" that requires customers be treated like houseguests, Coetzee said.

"The Toyota affiliation is weak in the minds of buyers," Coetzee said.

Lincoln must now blaze its own trail, and the 2013 MKZ will help. But it will take a number of hits to establish a new image.

Said Robinet: "It won't be defined overnight."

Contact Alisa Priddle: 313-222-5394 or apriddle@freepress.com