Lincoln will focus on the U.S. and China, while trying to rejuvenate the brand with new product, according to brand marketing manager Imran Jalal.
-The Chinese dealer network will grow from 16 dealers currently to 25 by the end of the year. A launch in Europe, however, will not be a consideration in the foreseeable future. More than 15 years ago, Lincoln had planned a European launch with the LS sedan but canceled the endeavor at the last minute.
-Jalal is hopeful that Lincoln will be able to attract younger customers. In the past eight years, the medium age of buyers has dropped from 64 to 58 years; it is expected to further drop with the MKC and MKX crossover models.
-But the most important new model for the brand could be the Continental four-door sedan, which will bow at the Detroit auto show next January. It will be based on a front-wheel-drive platform; Jalal confirmed an all-wheel-drive version. A hybrid is not in the cards any time soon.
-The significance of the Continental stretches to styling. Its grille—seen as Bentley-esque by some—could replace the current “waterfall” grille. Could the new grille be put on existing models on the occasion of a mid-term facelift? “It is possible,” says Jalal, adding that the reaction to the Continental concept at this year’s New York auto show was “very promising.”
-The Continental won’t usher in a new naming scheme: “For now the MK nomenclature is here to stay,” Jalal submits. Navigator and Continental, two names with a rich history, are the exceptions.
-Lincoln is not looking at sporty derivatives: “We have high-performance engines, but we are going for a luxurious feeling rather than sportiness,” says Jalal. And a diesel “is not being considered at the moment.” By contrast, Lincoln is especially happy with the MKZ Hybrid, which has a 60 percent conquest rate; many customers are moving upmarket from Toyota.
-The MKT, the large crossover that is so popular with the livery business, will carry on for another few years, but there is no decision yet on a replacement. A successor for the Navigator, on the other hand, is a sure thing—as Lincoln realizes that its segment, which they pioneered, is there to stay and grow.
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Down the road, Lincoln could team up with fashion and designer brands, as it has in the past. The 1970s Mark V, for instance, was available as a Bill Blass and other designers’ series.
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