With the demise of Mercury and along with it the Mariner SUV, there’s room for another luxury compact truck in the Ford lineup of vehicles. According to a report by the Detroit Free Press, Ford will look to build the successor to the Escape SUV, as well as a Lincoln version of that model, at...
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Ah, another day, another spate of recalls. A total of 90,000 vehicles from three different automakers are under separate recalls for everything from loose mirrors to defrosters. (At least it’s not as ridiculous as rusting Bentley ornaments). Suzuki is recalling a total of 70,000 SX4 models from 2007 to 2010 due to side mirror covers...
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While Ford is demanding that Lincoln dealers invest millions in renovating their showrooms, franchise holders are balking at Ford’s demands until they see the upcoming product that Ford claims is in the pipeline for its luxury brand. Ford has asked dealers for the million dollar upgrades despite claims that all-new product won’t be available for another two...
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Green Car Journal has announced its candidates for its Green Car Of The Year award, with the five car field being composed of some pretty serious competition, Naturally, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf are the leading contenders, with the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid rounding out the field, and the Ford Fiesta being...
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Ford has just announced the remainder of its SEMA lineup of custom cars, which will joint the eight Fiestas on display at Ford’s usually huge presence at the aftermarket expo. Along with a mishmash of other customized Fords, the Blue Oval will use the show to put the focus on its new 2011 Explorer crossover,...
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If Lincoln does decide to re-enter the pickup market, it will likely be based on the larger S-D pickup -possibly a F-250 3/4 ton truck with a stretched cab, similar to Ram’s current Mega Cab.
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Ford‘s plan to invigorate the Lincoln brand is starting to come into focus as the automaker appears ready to introduce a new flagship model inspired by the iconic Continental badge. According to two sources involved in the recent Lincoln dealer meetings in Detroit, the dealers were shown a large luxury sedan as one of seven...
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The marketing power of AMC’s Mad Men knows no bounds. With Mercedez-Benz recently signing the show’s star Jon Hamm (aka Don Draper) to be the voice behind their brand, Lincoln has now brought on another of the 1960s-era Madison Avenue stars, and one of it’s most dynamic personalities, John Slattery (aka Roger Sterling). Promoting Lincoln’s...
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Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand, has a problem; too many dealers hocking not enough product. While recent Lincoln’s have been well received by critics, it’s not necessarily translating into sales. Lincoln moved 83,000 cars last year, while class leader Lexus sold about 216,000 – a pretty substantial gulf. And while Lexus only has 230 dealerships in the United...
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Ford is looking to cut another 300 dealers as part of an effort to increase profitability. The move comes as part of a move to wind down its Mercury brand, and consolidate its sales network amid decreased demand for cars. “The dealers are full partners in every decision the company makes,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group...
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Ford is calling 1,187 Lincoln dealers to their Dearborn headquarters in a bid to get Lincoln dealers to upgrade their showrooms and the level of customer service as the brand seeks to gain greater market share in the luxury vehicle segment. The meeting, to be held October 4th, is the first of its kind in...
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According to an informant in the case; Pieloch “went out of his way to evade paying taxes.”
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A new report detailing customer satisfaction in the auto industry has just been released, with domestic brands Lincoln-Mercury and Buick taking the top spots. The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index survey points to a slight decline overall in consumers’ satisfaction with their vehicles, but shows strong results for domestic automakers. In total, the satisfaction index...
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With relatively poor sales the Ford Edge and its hideously-styled Lincoln-MKT derivative may be phased out in 2013 after just one generation. While a response to the lack of success for each model, Ford has a larger plan for its two remaining brands, aiming to create a larger gap between Ford and Lincoln. With the...
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Lincoln‘s MKZ Hybrid will be priced identical to the least expensive V6, giving consumers a strong incentive to opt for the 2.5L four-cylinder hybrid. The hybrid retails for #35,180, the same sticker as the front-drive V6 model, and a few hundred dollars less than a Lexus HS250h. The MKZ, based on Ford’s much acclaimed Fusion...
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Five Lincoln concept cars, as well as one Mercury concept will go up for auction at RM’s Sports & Classics of Monterey on August 12th. The six concepts are being sold by Ford Motor Co. through RM Auctions, a well known auction house that regularly handles ultra high end vehicles. All vehicles, except the Lincoln...
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Lincoln is about to launch their new refreshed MKX crossover, and the most significant changes come with regards to gas mileage. Fuel economy is a class leading 19mpg city/26mpg highway, despite having a 3.7L 305 horsepower V6 under the hood. Of course, most consumers will notice the new corporate schnozz, which is much more striking...
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The taste of irony must be bitter for Ford Motor Co, as its dying Mercury division outsold Lincoln, Ford’s luxury division, in the month of June. Mercury sales were up 26.2% compared to June, 2009, while Lincoln sales dropped 11% in that same time period. Leading the charge was the Mariner SUV, which reported a...
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In a succession of perfectly timed announcements, both Cadillac and Lincoln have announced that they will offer free scheduled maintenance programs to owners of their vehicles, but the programs differ in nature. The Lincoln program is only available on new vehicles purchased between now and September 7th, ostensibly in an effort to boost sales for...
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Posting identical numbers to its sister car, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Lincoln MKZ has garnered an identical EPA rating of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. This might be a snooze to some, but the MKZ Hybrid bests its nearest rival, the Lexus HS250h, by 6 mpg in the...
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While Ford‘s decision to cut the Mercury brand from its lineup makes good business sense, the long term benefits come with a more immediate down side. In an increasingly competitive market, by eliminating the Mercury brand Ford is also potentially eliminating 92,299 sales. According to Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl, Ford should keep roughly two-thirds of...
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Ford continues to work its marketing magic, directing focus away from the fact that its shutting-down the Mercury brand and putting the spotlight on a bright future for Lincoln. The Blue Oval has announced that by the end of this year production of Mercury models will cease, helping Ford reduce costs while and put more...
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Mercury, we hardly knew ye – as anything more than a place where re-badged Ford products could linger in obscurity, serving their purpose as rental cars and female-marketed A-to-B transportation. After 71 years, this model is no longer sustainable, and Automotive News reports that today, Mercury will be sent to the great garage in the...
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Mercury‘s glory days are long over, with the brand lacking anything exciting or unique since the muscle car era. With the Grand Marquis scheduled to die alongside its customer base, and every other Mercury product available right next door at the Ford showroom, the storied brand is set to be euthanized by its parent company, Ford...
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