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Lincoln mulling compact sedan to slot in below MKZ
Filed under: Lincoln 
Automotive News sat down with Derrick Kuzak, Lincoln's product development chief, to discuss what lies ahead for Ford's erstwhile luxury marque, and Kuzak was quoted as saying, "We do think that there is room for a smaller car in the Lincoln brand," but he was unable to provide any hard details on what - if anything - is planned.
Lincoln surely has a slot to fill below the MKZ sedan (think 1-series or compact Caddy competitor), but Kuzak said in the past that Mercury will be repositioned to fill the gap between Ford and Lincoln, with a focus on smaller, premium cars. If that plan has any...
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Ford to meet with dealers about future products, try to close stores
Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury 
2008 has been a historically woeful year for the auto market, but Ford dealers have been in the crosshairs of a sales decline for over a decade. That brutal reality, along with financial incentives of up to $700,000 or more from the Blue Oval, has lead to the closure of over 500 dealers since mid-2006, and over 150 so far in 2008. To close still more dealers while giving remaining stores a heads-up of future happenings, Ford is embarking on a series of meetings with Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers. Among the topics of discussion will be future...
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Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT
Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Lincoln  Only a few days after Ford officially confirmed that the seven-seat crossover everyone already knew was coming was indeed coming, a preproduction mule of the Lincoln MKT has been spotted in the wild. Ford promised that the MKT would look nothing like its Ford Flex sibling, and a quick glance at these spy pics prove that to be the case. In fact, the well-covered MKT development vehicle looks an awful lot like the MKT concept from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
Up front the new Lincoln split grille is visible under the bra, along with the same headlight shape as...
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Ford slashing F-150 customization by 90 percent
Filed under: Car Buying, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Trucks/Pickups, Plants/Manufacturing, Commercial Trucks, Hatchbacks, Ford, Lincoln 
Click on the pic above for our high-res 2009 Ford F-150 gallery
As staggering as it may seem, the 2008 Ford F-150 pickup can be ordered in billions of different combinations. That's all going to change for 2009. In an effort to reduce complexity and cut spiraling costs in the process, Ford will be slashing the number of possible F-150 configurations by 90 percent. The automaker isn't leaving the rest of the lineup alone either. The Ford Expedition goes from 250,000 combos...
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Ford reportedly to charge $700 premium for Ecoboost
Filed under: Green, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury 
Ford has been touting Ecoboost as an economical alternative to hybrid technology, and word from Automotive News is that the price tag could be $700 per vehicle. Ecoboost is said to deliver 20-30% fuel economy gains by combining turbochargers and direct injection technology with down-sized engines. The automaker also estimates that owners will pay off their Ecoboost premium in two year's time at $3.25 per gallon gasoline and 15,000 miles of driving per year. Since $3.25 is at the optimistic end of the gas equation, we're thinking Ecoboost could likely pay for itself before that. While hybrids might be able...
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No Surprise: Lincoln green-lights the MKT
Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Lincoln 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lincoln MKT concept.
As reported earlier, Lincoln has given the MKT crossover the green-light, with the production version set to debut in Detroit this January and sales beginning sometime next year.
The MKT is built atop the same platform as the Ford Flex, but Lincoln insists that the two models won't share a single body panel. Power will be provided by either a 3.7-liter V6 or a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, equipped with direct-injection and a turbocharger, however a hybrid drivetrain will not be offered. A six-speed automatic gearbox, complete with paddle...
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Ford to officially announce Lincoln MKT today
Filed under: Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Lincoln 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lincoln MKT concept.
We've been waiting for an official production announcement of the Lincoln MKT since the concept was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and according to Automotive News and the Wall Street Journal, that confirmation comes today. The Ford Flex-based crossover will give Lincoln a seven-seat CUV to compete with the Acura MDX and the Audi Q7, while providing customers a more fuel efficient alternative to the Navigator. The production MKT will share none of the Flex's boxy sheet metal, but the mechanicals will be very similar. The MKT will...
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Mercury dying: No updates planned past 2010
Filed under: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Rumormill  There's further proof that Ford's planetary division could soon wave goodbye, according to Automotive News. While we've already reported on the apparent lack of supplier deals for the ailing upmarket brand from Ford, some further dissection reveals just how close Mercury may be to the brink of extinction. For instance, no Mercury vehicle currently exists which isn't a mild rebadge of a Ford product. While we have had hints of new models wearing the Blue Oval badge, not a peep has been provided regarding future Mercury products. Lincoln too has gotten some love as of late with its new MKS sedan,...
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Ford moving to three-year redesigns to keep things fresh
Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Ford, Lincoln, Mercury 
Back when it was virtually guaranteed 20% US market share, Ford would redesign its vehicles every five or more years. The Ford Ranger, Focus, and Crown Victoria changed even slower, with mostly only new lights and grilles. When competitive pressures started to put the Blue Oval into an anaconda death grip, that once guaranteed share began to shrink. To battle those competitive forces, Ford is looking to do a major redesign on its vehicles every three years from now on. Ford design director Peter Horbury told Automotive News that minor styling changes just aren't effective, and that...
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In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Lincoln MKS
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Sedans/Saloons, Lincoln 
Click the MKS for a high res gallery
The 2009 Lincoln MKS may be the marque's last chance at establishing a distinct image after two decades of struggling to find its identity. At one time Lincoln, like its counterparts at Cadillac, stood apart from lesser vehicles with unique styling, powertrains and features that clearly delineated its place in the automotive hierarchy. Not that Mark IVs, Vs and VIs were high-water marks in design, but at least when you saw one rolling down the road, you knew you were looking at a Lincoln.
But the Continentals of the '80s marked the...
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