Lincoln plans for the future

With a name like Lincoln the expectation is two-fold.  We have gotten used to the height of luxury from the Navigator which has been one of the favorites on the market for a while, but when it comes to the sedans they feeling of being made for the older generations still is present.  The goal of Lincoln is to move toward attracting a younger crowd over the next few years; this is the task of the two new crossover models that will show up in the forms of the MKC and MKX to give us a pair of beauties that might just do the trick.

Lincoln is also looking to expand in China and the US, but not much further than that.  Currently the dealer network in China is comprised of sixteen dealerships which is planned to expand to twenty-five before the end of this year.  Heading into Europe is not out of the questions, but is currently not even being discussed.  With this expansion the hope is to capture more of the market share from the other luxury brands even though the Lincoln models only represent a small portion of car sales overall.

Over the past eight years the brand has begun the task of dropping the median age of buyers and has had some success as the age has gone from 64 to 58, but they are looking for a more dramatic change and part of that will also come from the new styling of cars and SUVs that have recognizable names but will be offered with much different stylings.  The Continental is an example of this new styling.  The grill, which has always been a signature feature of Lincoln, will go away from the waterfall style to a new look that appears to be chain metal or mesh, but certainly is different from before.

We will get to see this new Continental at the Detroit Auto Show in January, which just might be the place that shows Lincoln this new grill needs to be placed on all their sedans.  As for the nomenclature and other changes many automakers have embraced, Lincoln will be steadfast.  The MK is the name that is the basis moving forward as it has been with only the Continental and Navigator being the exceptions.  This may continue to be confusing for some car buyers, but dealers will be able to help with this part of the purchase process.

Even though Lincoln offers high performance engines they are still looking to offer the luxury feeling that has been the success of their brand and put sportiness aside for now.  They also do not intend to offer diesel engines or new hybrids.  Even though they are limiting themselves with their powertrains, the new looks and designs along with a few more dealerships might be what is needed to help them advance past where they are now.  Of course if needed they could team up with designer brands such as Mark V and Bill Blass as they have in the past to offer designer series that become highly coveted.

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