New multiyear, multibillion-dollar overhaul of Lincoln coming

[GrySql]

FTA:

Now, with the renewed backing of Executive Chairman Bill Ford and the company's board, Fields has committed the automaker to a multiyear, multibillion-dollar overhaul of Lincoln that includes a significant investment in a new premium vehicle platform that will underpin several future Lincoln vehicles, four sources told Reuters.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sns-rt-us-fordmotor-lincoln-20141024-story.html

[acdii]

About time. When you look at the Ford and lincoln twins, there really is not much between them to set them apart. Other than the body style, and some interior elements, the MKT and Flex, Taurus and MKS, Fusion and MKZ are virtually the same.

 

The good new is according to that article, the MKT will be around for a few more years, which means so will the Flex.

[higheroctave32]

About time is right. GM has successfully differentiated Cadillac from the rest of the GM stable (Escalade notwithstanding, oy vey) and Lincoln deserves the same. The brand needs more than just nicer versions of existing Ford products.

[GrySql]

The brand needs more than just nicer versions of existing Ford products.

Bingo.

Mercury was the Ford upgrade version and that was deemed unprofitable.

Lincoln has now slipped into the Mercury slot and guess what, it's unprofitable.

 

I think this is the right way to go, make Lincoln it's own brand and have it compete directly with other cars in that luxury bracket.

[acdii]

Go the Lexus route, thats what they have to do. It's OK to have one or two models based on the Ford, like the Navigator and the MKZ, but the others should be their own one of a kind models.

[Waldo]

Note though that it doesn't say that the new platform won't be used on Ford products as well.

[acdii]

 

 

The flexible architecture of the D6 will provide the mechanical base for a wide variety of sedans and crossovers starting in 2019, all designed to give Lincoln more differentiation from its Ford-branded siblings, as well as a stronger foundation on which to build more competitive luxury models to pit against the sector leaders.

This sounds like the Lincoln platform wont be shared with Ford, and will be unique to the Lincoln models. After reading it again, only the Navigator will be shared with Ford since it will still be based on the F150.

[Waldo]

This sounds like the Lincoln platform wont be shared with Ford, and will be unique to the Lincoln models. After reading it again, only the Navigator will be shared with Ford since it will still be based on the F150.

 

Au contraire, that statement specifically states that Lincoln will have Ford-branded siblings, meaning that it's the enhanced flexibility of the platform that gives the differentiation, not the unique platform itself.

[acdii]

 

 

Versions of the platform will be used by both the Lincoln and Ford brands, the sources said.

OK I thought I had read this, but for some reason I did not see it the first go round. So from Lincoln standpoint, the D6 platform will be used to make Unique to Lincoln versions, while a different version of this platform will be used by Ford. So similar, but not the same. That is how i first read it, but I didn't re-read from the beginning, so I missed this part. Is this how you see it?

 

[Waldo]

OK I thought I had read this, but for some reason I did not see it the first go round. So from Lincoln standpoint, the D6 platform will be used to make Unique to Lincoln versions, while a different version of this platform will be used by Ford. So similar, but not the same. That is how i first read it, but I didn't re-read from the beginning, so I missed this part. Is this how you see it?

 

 

Well the MKC is just a different version of the Focus platform, this won't be any different. But the platform itself is being designed from the beginning to be better and more flexible, so in the end both Ford and Lincolns will be better and more different. At least that's the theory.

[tr7driver]

They need to teach dealers how to handle luxury customers. Most Lincoln dealers are paired with Ford, and very few ford stores have a Lux feel. You don't see Lexus stores paired with Toyota under the same roof. Without Mercury, Lincoln is not moving enough product to stand alone much yet offer the first rate customer experience. The Ford dealers picking up the orphaned stores don't know how to or won't spend the money to offer a true lux experience to the high end customer. They think a couple of leather couches, stale coffee and doughnuts, and a flat screen TV are enough to hide the mediocre service they have been providing the ford customers. It will be a tough challenge without firing up the dealer base and replacing the marginal operators. You can see Ford dealers that understand this and have upgraded their dealer experience for Ford and Lincoln buyers doing very well.

[murphy]

My old Ford dealer is also a Chrysler dealer. The two buildings are side by side on the same lot.

 

http://www.chapmannewcars.com/

[acdii]

They need to teach dealers how to handle luxury customers. Most Lincoln dealers are paired with Ford, and very few ford stores have a Lux feel. You don't see Lexus stores paired with Toyota under the same roof. Without Mercury, Lincoln is not moving enough product to stand alone much yet offer the first rate customer experience. The Ford dealers picking up the orphaned stores don't know how to or won't spend the money to offer a true lux experience to the high end customer. They think a couple of leather couches, stale coffee and doughnuts, and a flat screen TV are enough to hide the mediocre service they have been providing the ford customers. It will be a tough challenge without firing up the dealer base and replacing the marginal operators. You can see Ford dealers that understand this and have upgraded their dealer experience for Ford and Lincoln buyers doing very well.

 

This is something that Hyundai is battling with the Genesis line up. There was a big discussion thread on Edmunds regarding Genesis, it is a luxury brand? The Hyundai service needs to really step it up for Genesis, and now Equus to be in the ranks of the Luxury competition.

 

Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, and the like have dealers that cater to the upper crust who buy these cars, so going to Lincoln, you wade through blue collar Ford dealers. It isn't just the cars themselves, its the experience and service as well. They tried the Concierge thing, but they have to work much harder at it to bring in those buyers looking for true Luxury.

[machoman1337]

They need to teach dealers how to handle luxury customers. Most Lincoln dealers are paired with Ford, and very few ford stores have a Lux feel. You don't see Lexus stores paired with Toyota under the same roof. Without Mercury, Lincoln is not moving enough product to stand alone much yet offer the first rate customer experience. The Ford dealers picking up the orphaned stores don't know how to or won't spend the money to offer a true lux experience to the high end customer. They think a couple of leather couches, stale coffee and doughnuts, and a flat screen TV are enough to hide the mediocre service they have been providing the ford customers. It will be a tough challenge without firing up the dealer base and replacing the marginal operators. You can see Ford dealers that understand this and have upgraded their dealer experience for Ford and Lincoln buyers doing very well.

 

This. GM is also guilty of putting its Cadillacs under the same roof as its non-luxury brands. Even Acura (which I constantly laugh at) maintains separate dealerships with a more premium feel than Honda ones (at the very least, they don't charge for the coffee machine). When people pay a premium for a car, it's natural for them to expect that everything else associated with the car is premium too. If you don't maintain a universally premium feel, then you do not deserve to call your brand a premium one. Even if the main brand is pretty good (which it is).

 

After all, business class flyers get nice lounges at airports, while first class flyers get even nicer ones. If the airline suddenly gave economy class passengers access to the lounge, that would make it a great airline, but then they'd have to make it even more special for business class, otherwise no one would fly business anymore! Same logic applies to dealerships. Every time I visit a Ford dealership, I see nearly zero activity on the Lincoln half. Sad but deserved. If I were a Lincoln customer, I'd be pretty pissed at having the same quality of service as the "lowly Ford peasants" :P Again, the problem's not that Ford service is bad, but that Lincoln service isn't any different.

 

On the bright side, at least Ford isn't stingy like Toyota/Nissan - just about all the most advanced tech is fully available on midrange Fords and you don't even need to spec the highest possible trim to get them. I have yet to see adaptive cruise control on a Toyota product that isn't a Lexus - even the low to midrange Lexus models like the RX and IS don't have it available (I believe this isn't the case outside North America though - the Japan-market Toyotas get lots of nice toys we don't have). Likewise for Nissan - they save the best for Infiniti. I chuckle at how self-parking is only available on the Lexus LS with a base price of over $80k CAD (and it's still optional) whereas the Fusion can add it while costing as much as a base-trim IS (while having the interior space of a GS).