Selling off all of its Premier Automotive Group (PAG) holdings except for Volvo left Ford with a handful of largely working-class brands, but that move may have been part of the bigger picture only being revealed now. Reduced to a closer core of nameplates, Ford is working to restore Lincoln to its former high-end luxury status.

Itself once part of Ford’s profitable PAG, until the company decided to create a clearer distinction between its American and foreign brands, Lincoln has long been Ford’s primary luxury-car outlet. In recent decades the brand’s ranking has slipped in comparison to competition from abroad, and even at home, with long-time rival Cadillac noticeably upstaging Lincoln in the past few years. This confluence of events is pushing Ford to help give Lincoln a unique position within the marketplace by further distinguishing its vehicles with exclusive styling and features, reports Automotive News.

Seven key design features will distinguish the new Lincoln. Some of those features include a split grille, thin and horizontal tail lights, uncluttered side surfaces and wide C-pillars supporting a cantilevered roof. The first vehicle that will display many of these elements is the 2009 MKS.

The entry-level luxury MKZ sedan will also get new body work, with everything fore and aft of the cabin clad in new and brand-unique paneling. Sharing a platform with the Ford Fusion, the MKZ will need the separate styling cues to further separate it from its Ford-brand twin.

Lincoln’s MKS flagship, which has already been racking up sales ahead of its launch, will be a focus of the company’s efforts, with a new rear suspension design shared only with the new Ford Flex crossover and built on a redesigned FWD D3 platform - the same basis underlying the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. A 3.7L V6 will make 273hp (204kW) while a 2010-model year update will bring a twin-turbo 3.5L V6 generating 340hp (253kW).

Not all of Lincoln’s new luxury line-up will necessarily be FWD, however. There are still plans for a large RWD car in the works, but it won’t make its debut until 2014. Fuel economy concerns and high fuel prices have put the project in jeopardy and pushed back its timeline somewhat, but at the moment it’s still on the table. Design is expected to be based around the MKR concept shown at Detroit last year.

The maker’s other cars, including the MKX and next-generation MKT will also feature the new styling, with the MKT sharing a platform with the Flex from its 2010 model year debut, though the company says it will eschew the Flex’s cubic styling for a more organic and rounded appearance. The MKX will share a platform with the Edge, with both being considered for migration to a new global platform by 2014.

The Town Car, one of Lincoln’s longest-lived models, is due to die a quiet death with the car’s Canadian plant is shutdown in 2011. Most sales have been to fleets for the past decade, and the company hasn’t been urging retail sales along either, likely due to the model’s incongruence with more modern Lincoln offerings.

Finally, Lincoln is expected to get a version of the second-gen Ford Kuga small crossover SUV for the 2012 sales calendar. Not many details of the car are known yet, but it the platform will also be used for Ford’s Escape.

 

That will be a mistake. The Town Car had a persistant and dedicated group of (admittedly) older customers.....and except for a few limo firms, the statement that most of the sales were to fleet buyers is nonsense.

And the customers who buy or lease the Town Car do so for a REASON. None of the Lincoln products that have debuted after the Town Car can match it for interior plushness, noise level, or ride quality....newer Lincolns, like those of many other manufacturers, have stiffer suspensions and lower-profile tires.

However, the Town Car, admittedly, with its RWD, was not good in slick conditions, even with traction/stability control. The AWD option is one huge advantage that the new MKS will have.

 

Mmarshall, I bet 95% of Town Cars are fleet sales. They are not used just by limo companies, every car service in NYC used Town Cars. I don't think I've seen a single private owned Town Car in the last 10 years.

As far as Town Cars quality... with its wobbly rear end, antiquated solid axle, antiquated body on frame design, terrible interior and exterior build quality... good riddance.

 

I think the problem is that the core Town Car customers are old - and getting older each year, with no younger buyers coming through. There comes a point where you cut out the middle ground and just sell them the hearse straight off.

 

I only hope that Ford doesn't cut too many corners when trying to make Lincoln a high-end luxury brand. They are going to need to really nail their designs, the quality of their construction, and the engineering of every part from the suspension, engine, interior, etc, if they hope to have a chance against the competition. I wish them luck!

 

I regret for not copy right the mkz name when I had the chance, back in highschool almost 6 years ago now I used to use mkz as my stage name when I perform lol

 

In my area (D.C. Metro, which is the second-largest new car market in the country) there are as many, if not more, privately-owned ones as in limo firms.

Though it is not the car for me, I have to disagee. Many customers like its conservative design, as well as the service techs....it is easier to work on than many newer, more complex designs. It also provides something sorely lacking in many newer designs...weight, plush seating comfort, and a smooth ride. Its only real problem was its unsuitability for slick roads.

 

No younger customers coming up? You must remember that the enormous baby-boom generation (the largest generation in American history) is right on the doorstep of retirement. That is MILLIONS of new buyers reaching typical Town-Car age......and they have money. Many of them grew up with large American luxury and muscle cars 40 years ago, and, unlike you and me, have resisted the urge to go the Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, Infiniti, etc....route.

 

i completely agree with you there. very easy to maintain and reliable design.
as hard as it is to believe, some people dont' like the complexity and expense of more modern complicated systems in the import cars.

 

Big Andy's right - Cadillac faced the same problem with their aging demographic several years ago and broke new styling and product ground to attract a younger buyer. Back in the 1980's they discovered to their shock that the average Caddy buyer was 62 years old and that the trend was to even older buyers. Realistically, it does not make good business sense to shoot for a demo that is probably buying its last car or two. If you are going for brand loyalty, building it on senior citizens is not a smart move.

Lincoln saw the handwriting on the wall about the same time and made some half-hearted attempts to lure a more youthful customer with the lamented Continental and MK series that were misunderstood by both designers and buyers. Rather than redefine Lincoln luxury, the makers jammed the club sofas, spongy suspension, and gee-whiz gadgetry of the Town Car into a smaller FWD platform, resulting in not a land yacht, but a dingy. The restricted cabin space now filled with overstuffed furniture and slathered with fake wood was a pretty inhospitable place to be for those used to the spaciousness of the TC. The cavernous trunk of the Town Car that could haul more freight than many small SUV's disappeared, and despite all the downsizing, there was no gain in performance or mileage to offset it.

Because the TC was based on the higher production volume Crown Vic, it could be manufactured relatively inexpensively and sold at a bargain price. Although resale value was practically non-existent (typically losing 50% of purchase price in 24 months) TC's made excellent values on the used-car market. Again, not a smart business move.

Cadillac on the other hand, weaned their older demo off the DeVille by offering a series of smart, yet conservative vehicles that retained most of the touchstones of the Big Caddy - Power, smoothness, and exclusivity - at least you didn't see them on the Budget Rent-A-Car resale lots. It's taken twenty years, but Cadillac has been pretty successful in turning the corner on its demographic challenge. Lincoln should pay attention.

 

Town Car sales in '07 were 26,700 units which was down from 39,200 in '06
(-32%). That no doubt contributed to its demise.

Times change, consumers tastes change, technology advances. This happens to most models eventually.

The Town Car had a good run.

 

This was the car of choice of the NYC mob due to the trunk space NYC livery drivers drive these Lincoln Town Cars like M3's. I've been cut off many times by these vehilces.

 

I recently got a ride in one because it was the only car the shuttle company had in the area and I have to admit the towncar is really nice! It wasn't the fastest or best handling, but it gave a very smooth and comfortable ride.

 

Lincoln is still lost.

 

Anyone else laugh at a current Lincoln commercial (MKZ I think) where it "shows of" the keyless entry and start? What's bad is that the guy still needs to punch in a code on the B pillar (like many Ford's in the last 15 years or so!!). Anyway, the commercial is overly futuristic while really showing nothing "new" but making it look new.

Hey Ford, Smart key technology is available in many cars now and don't require a keypad on the B pillar to get in. And a push button start doesn't impress me.

The commercial ends saying somthing like "Planes don't need keys".