Besides introducing the 2013 MKS model, Lincoln also brought to this year’s edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show the 2013 MKT model which is scheduled to go on sale in spring 2012. The stylish crossover comes with a new front fascia as well as an updated front grille. Inside the cabin not much has changed compared to the outgoing model, but we should mention that there’s a new instrument cluster, a revised MyLincoln Touch infotainment system and a panoramic sunroof.
2013 Lincoln MKT
The car can be fitted with either a 3.7-liter V6 engine or a more powerful 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. The first one is capable of developing 300 hp (304 PS / 224 kW) and a peak torque of 275 lb.-ft (372 Nm), which is an increase of 32 hp (32 PS / 24 kW) and 8 lb.-ft (11 Nm). Lincoln expects that the crossover will be able to return 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway thanks to the twin-independent variable camshaft timing.
2013 Lincoln MKT
The beefier EcoBoost engine is rated at 355 hp (360 PS / 265 kW) and has a maximum torque of 350 lb.-ft (474 Nm). With this power unit, the 2013 Lincoln MKT should do 16 mpg city / 22 mpg highway.
2013 Lincoln MKT
Both of these engines are linked to a 6-speed automatic gearbox that sends the power to all four wheels. Some of the car’s most important features include bigger brakes, a new electronic power steering system and continuously controlled damping system for the models fitted with the aforementioned EcoBoost engine.
For this year’s edition of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Lincoln has decided to bring the new generation of the MKS model. On the outside we notice that there’s a new front fascia with redesigned headlights and a revised front grille, along with a new bonnet, fog lights and modified bumper. At the back the taillights have been updated while the boot lid has also suffered some changes. Lincoln has also stated that the exhaust tips and the front fenders are new, and that the car will be available with 19- or 20-inch alloys.
2013 Lincoln MKS
The 2013 Lincoln MKS will be available with a choice of two power units: a 3.7-liter V6 Ti-VCT engine and a 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost power plant. The first one is capable of producing 300 hp @ 6,500 rpm and has a peak torque of 275 lb.-ft reached at 4,000 rpm when running on 87-octane fuel. The new generation of the MKS is more frugal and is able to return 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. The EcoBoost engine churns 355 hp at 5,700 rpm and a maximum torque of 350 lb.-ft available between 1,500 rpm and 5,250 rpm.
2013 Lincoln MKS
Both engines can be linked to one of the two 6-speed SelectShift Automatic gearboxes that come with paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. While the all-wheel drive system is an optional feature for the model fitted with the 3.7-liter engine, the one that is powered by the EcoBoost unit gets an all-wheel drive configuration as standard.
Other modifications compared to the outgoing model include beefier brakes, active park assist system, CCD – Continuously Controlled Damping that has two driving modes: Sport and Drive, along with other goodies like the Lincoln Drive Control system, Lane Keeping System, auto high-beam headlights, BLIS, collision warning system and adaptive cruise control.
A truly unique car will be auctioned on August 19th at the Bohams’ Quail Lodge sale in California. The organizers hope to get between $250,000 and $350,000 for this 1964 Lincoln Continental Parade Limousine that was developed for Pope Paul VI.
This excellent stretched Continental was commissioned by the Vatican for Pope Paul’s historic New York visit in 1965 to address the UN on world peace. The car was used in 1968 during the pope’s visit to Bogota, Colombia with the occasion of the 39th Eucharistic Congress.
The car was retired in the beginning of the 1970s but before that it was used by President Lyndon B. Johnson in Detroit, but also in Chicago where it was used in order to convey astronauts from the crews of the Apollo 8, 11, 13 and 15.
The wheelbase of this ’64 Continental was stretched to 160 inches so the car has an overall length of almost 21 ft. Lehmann-Peterson, the coachbuilder, executed other changes to the limo, installing exterior step plates as well as handrails for the pope’s Swiss Guards. In addition, he fitted the Continental with more seats, additional interior lightning, a raised seat for the pope and auxiliary power that comes from a seven battery pack. It also comes with a removable roof section, a roof-mounted auxiliary windshield and a transparent rear landaulet roof.
This won’t be the first time when the car is going to be auctioned as the last time it happened was in 2006 when it fetched $319,000.
Lincoln has embraced the strategy of making its cars more visible, so it decided to make a partnership with The New York Times to offer to a selected group of persons free unlimited access to NYTimes.com, that normally will need payment starting March 28th. The value of this offer is close to $150 and the motivation for this kind of marketing exercise could be the number of about 200,000 of the Times’s heaviest online readers who aren’t home delivery subscribers.
So, Lincoln’s expectations are quite optimistic: they estimate that about 100,000 people will actually activate the offer. This could be a shy and not very creative attempt of this car producer to change its old town car’s image by engaging the exactly people it should be telling its story to, also considered to be, in some ways, the leaders and highly active and engaged with the site. In addition, the program is technologically up to date too, offering free access to the Times’ smartphone applications. However, Lincoln’s strategy could be considered suitable if we take into account the fact that experienced internet users are more likely to be impressed by SYNC and MyLincoln Touch than any other old user or fan of Lincoln’s cars.
This is how the text of the ad sounds like: “Beginning March 28. The New York Times will charge for unlimited access to its Web site. Experience all that NYTimes.com has to offer you for the rest of 2011 at no charge, courtesy of Lincoln. This extraordinary invitation is being extended to an exclusive group of visitor to NYTimes.com”.
On the other hand, The Times has not yet decided whether to make similar programs available to other marketers too, declaring: “We will evaluate it and see how it worked and consider it, certainly.”
What is your opinion: is this a good marketing exercise for Lincoln? Did The Times take the right decision by getting involved into this or would it have its reputation and budgets affected by this as soon as the 2011 year ends?
The fresh new design of the 2011 Lincoln MKX includes a new rear end coupled to a pair of interesting taillights which will replace the full-width strip of lamps available on the outgoing model. The MKX is available with 18-inch rims, polished aluminum; available with the Premium Package that will set you back $2,500. If 18-inch is not big enough for you, for $7,500 you could get the Elite Package which consists of massive 20-inch chrome or polished aluminum rims.
Inside, the cockpit has received a well-deserved redesign, using an elegant chrome trim that really looks good on the MKX. The dominant material that you will find in this Lincoln is high-quality leather and s few reflective trim pieces around the air vents and the starter button. For your comfort, the car comes with heated and cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel. In addition, the luxurious feeling is enhanced by the animal hide used on the entire dashboard and the shift knob.
You will know right away that the 2011 Lincoln MKX is a proud member of the Ford family thanks to the MyLincoln Touch system. Similar with the Edge model that sports the MyFord Touch system, the MKX model is the very first car manufactured under the Lincoln badge to get this infotainment and navigation system which is advertised as the most advanced in any type of vehicle at any price range. The MyLincoln Touch is an upgraded version of the easy-to-use functions available on the SYNC, offering an improved infotainment experience thanks to the bundle of screens that offer a better graphic quality and an updated user interface.
Speaking of screens, we should mention the giant 8-inch LCD that is located in the center stack of the MKX’s cockpit. In addition, the car has two smaller 4.2-inch screens located on either side of the analog speedometer. The left screen will show you a bundle of vehicle information like fuel efficiency, fuel gauge and oil temperature, vehicle settings and diagnostics and let’s not forget about the most basic feature, the mileage. The right screen will let you take full control of the four main functions of the main 8-inch screen: Climate, Entertainment, Navigation and Phone. Both of the screens are easily controlled by a handy pair of 4-way directional pads that have an “OK” button on either side of the leather-wrapped steering wheel.
The most important update in this compartment is without any doubt the main LCD screen where Ford has refreshed the user interface of the infotainment screens. Gone are the days where you would find huge square buttons that pointed you towards other screens with similar buttons. Now you will find color-coded buttons on all four corners: in the lower left red corner you have the Entertainment; in the upper left orange corner you have Phone; in the upper right green you will find Navigation and Climate is located in the lower right blue corner. A huge advantage is that regardless of your position in the menu, these four corners are always available, allowing a very comfortable access.
2011 Lincoln MKX
Besides this updated graphic user interface, the MyLincoln Touch system is the home of some new hardware additions like RCA video input jacks, an SD card slot and two very useful USB ports. Speaking of an SD card slot, you can take the SD card from your camera and hook it up to the car and you can display the images on the screen. If you get the additional premium map-based navigation pack, this SD slot will by occupied by a card that contains the Telenav map data.
Moving on to another important compartment of the 2011 Lincoln MKX – the engine. The old model was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine that was capable of outputting 265 hp and a maximum torque of 247 Nm. With the 2011 model, Ford has added their new 3.7-liter V6 power unit that produces 305 hp and 280 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. Despite the fact that the new engine is more powerful in comparison with the old V6 unit, the new one is also more efficient by two miles per gallon, allowing the MKX to do 19 mpg city / 26 mpg highway. This new engine is at the moment the only one available for the MKX, but there are some solid chances that in the future the car will be fitted with the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder power unit that will be launched with the Ford Edge.
Although the 2011 MKX is a solid effort made by Lincoln, it still falls behind the Edge as the latter has just about the same features and a smaller price tag. The most important competitors for the MKX (besides the Edge) are the Cadillac SRX, the Acura MDX and the Lexus RX350.
The basic price for the Ford Edge is $27,220, which is a whopping $12,000 less than the 2011 Lincoln MKX. Many affirm that Ford made a mistake when it made the Edge model so good because the new generation of the MKX feels like the best Edge money can buy at the moment.
Lincoln offers free maintenance for all new vehicles bought this summer
With the Mercury brand set to die a slow death, Ford is taking measures to make sure people still visit Lincoln dealerships, even without the more affordable brand sharing the same building.
As such, the Blue Oval has announced that its Lincoln brand will be offering free scheduled maintenance on all new vehicles bought this summer, starting from today and until September 7. This maintenance will be completely free during the first three years or up until 45,000 miles.
The deal spans all 2010 and 2011 model year vehicles, and is also available to those who opt to lease a new Lincoln model.
Through this offer, as we mentioned above, Ford wants to push its Lincoln division into the media spotlight. There are a couple of big changes headed towards the Blue Oval’s premium brand, including new EcoBoost engines and a C segment compact set to debut around the end of 2011.
Another car brand goes the way of the dodo, following companies like Saturn, Pontiac or Hummer.
This time, it seems the rumors were true, as Ford has officially announced that it will be shutting down its Mercury brand, in order to focus on the upmarket Lincoln.
While the news shocked some people, many car fans were expecting it, seeing as how Mercury was left to die with few new models, and all of them being rebadged Ford ones. Existing warranties and repairs will be upheld by Ford representatives. Current Lincoln Mercury dealerships will be helped to transition into selling the single remaining brand.
According to the Blue Oval, the production of existing Mercury models, like the Milan, Mountaineer, Grand Marquis or the Mariner will end in the last quarter of 2010.
The company will now focus on building its Lincoln range, in order to really go against luxury brands like Cadillac or Lexus in the US market. In doing so, it will release seven all-new or refreshed models in the next four years, including the first C segment vehicle (probably based on the 2012 Ford Focus).
The popular EcoBoost lineup of turbocharged engines will also be offered across the Lincoln range, in order to highlight its greener credentials, as opposed to its rivals.
Overall, this is a sad time for the remaining Mercury fans, but we’re pretty sure not a lot of tears will be shed over the demise of the brand. Do you think the company still had a shot or did Ford do the right thing? Share your thoughts below.
Ford is quite pleased with its EcoBoost engines, which, through forced induction and direct injection, deliver the same performance as bigger, naturally aspirated units, but with the same fuel economy as a smaller one.
In order to see how customers are looking at the new technology, the Blue Oval decided to hold a survey, in which people shared their opinion of the 3.5-liter V6 unit, currently found in the Ford Flex and Taurus SHO as well as the Lincoln MKS and MKT.
The results aren’t that surprising, as almost every new customer said he was pleased with the performance of the EcoBoost engine. According to the survey, the new technology has also drawn in a younger crowd, which favored import models over American ones, up until now.
The future for the EcoBoost lineup is looking even more interesting, as a 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit will arrive with the next generation Explorer SUV and Edge crossover. Also, in case you forgot, the Ford Start concept, unveiled a few weeks ago in Beijing, previews a small 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, capable of a power output similar to a 1.6-liter engine.
Even though its existence was spilled days before the 2010 New York Auto Show began, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid was still eagerly awaited by quite a few people.
Now, the official details are in, and we dare to say that the Lexus HS 250h has been bested by the Blue Oval’s luxury hybrid offer. Under the bonnet you’ll find the already tried-and-true 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine, coupled with an electric motor, resulting in a combined power output of 191 HP.
The projected fuel average is an extremely impressive 41 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway. Also, the MKZ Hybrid can go on full electric power at speeds of up to 47 mph. Besides the impressive eco stats, expect plenty of premium features on the inside of the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, from the SYNC-powered infotainment system, to the heated and cooled seats, the MyKey system and, of course, the SmartGauge with EcoGuide technology, which informs the driver of the performance and capacity of the hybrid powertrain.
All in all, if you like your hybrids with a touch of luxury, then you should definitely check out the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid at the 2010 New York Auto Show, and in dealerships later this year.
As the New York Auto Show is preparing to open its doors tomorrow, new reports are now indicating that Ford will be revealing a special Lincoln MKZ Hybrid model, which is set to use the same gasoline-electric powertrain found on the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan.
The move isn’t very surprising, as Ford was bound to bring its hybrid technology to its luxury-oriented brand sooner or later. Expect the same 2.5-liter engine, running on an Atkinson cycle, coupled through the eCVT gearbox to an electric motor, which feeds off the power from a nickel metal hydride battery.
Given the extra equipment the Lincoln has on the inside and on the outside, future clients will see a small drop in fuel average from the standard set by the Fusion (41 mpg city/36 highway), but it will still be pretty good, as opposed to the Lincoln’s main rival, the Lexus HS 250h, which gets 35/34.
Overall, even though this will further split the allocation of hybrid subassemblies withing the Ford group, the larger price of the MKZ Hybrid will return a bigger profit than the Fusion or the Milan for the Blue Oval.
Detroit Auto Show: Lincoln debuts 2011 MKX, goes all futuristic with the MyLincoln Touch system
Ford is betting big on new technology, and revealed its MyFord Touch system, which was inspired by the movie Minority Report, a few weeks ago.
Now, the first implementation of the new system that aims to incorporate anything from navigation to music and video playback in one simple to use touch screen will be the 2011 Lincoln MKX facelift.
Don’t go expecting to see the MyFord logo popping up when you’ll turn on the new car though, as the luxury brand behaves it doesn’t know its owner and rebranded the system as MyLincoln Touch. Anyway, I’m sure most of the interested customers won’t notice that as they’ll be too busy playing with all the settings and the touch-sensitive sliders which have replaced all the buttons on the center stack.
Expect the system to appear on other Lincoln models soon, and on the premium trim lines of Ford models.
Some time ago, Ford announced a massive recall involving around 12 million Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars and trucks from model years 1992 through 2004. The vehicles had a faulty cruise-control switch that may cause a fire, no matter if they’re being driven or parked. Around 60 incidents were registered, but no accidents or injuries were reported. However, even though the repair is made very quick and doesn’t cost owners anything, NHTSA reports that there are still 5 million vehicles out there that haven’t been taken to the dealer and fixed, so they represent a danger for motorists.
So, if you own one of these cars, make sure you get it checked, or else you might be in trouble:
1. 1993 – 2004 F150
2. 1993 – 1999 F250 (gasoline engine)
3. 1993 – 1996 Bronco
4. 1994 – 1996 Econoline
5. 1997 – 2002 Ford Expedition
6. 1998 – 2002 Lincoln Navigator
7. 1998 – 2002 Ford Ranger
8. 1992 – 1998 Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car
9. 1993 – 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
10. 1993 – 1995 Ford Taurus SHO with automatic transmission
11. 1994 – Mercury Capri
12. 1998 – 2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer
13. 2001 – 2002 Ford Explorer Sport and Explorer Sport Trac
14. 1992 – 1993 and 1997 – 2003 Ford E-150-350 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
15. 2002 – E-550 gasoline engine vehicles
16. 1996 – 2003 E-450 gasoline or natural gas vehicles
17. 1994 – 2002 F-250 through F-550 super Duty trucks (gasoline engine)
18. 2000 – 2002 Ford Excursion (gasoline engine)
19. 2003 – F250 – F550 Super Duty, Ford Excursion
20. 1995 – 2002 Ford F53 Motor home chassis
21. 2002 – 2003 Lincoln Blackwood
Ford is expected to replace the Escape after 2010 and Automotive News reports that, when that will happen, Lincoln might also get a compact crossover based on the European Ford Kuga. “We do think that there is room for a smaller car in the Lincoln brand,” Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product development, said at a press event. He did not give extra details, but he added that Ford has no intentions of bringing the Ka microcar to the United States, though in July, he said that the Ka could be an “opportunity” for the United States.
In 2006, North American Design chief Peter Horbury and his team decided to examine the past Lincoln models and try to find the ‘Lincoln DNA’, which was exactly what’s been missing to Lincoln in the past two decades. Even if some models had some success, like the Navigator, there was nothing about them which screamed “Lincoln!”. And, after two years, here’s what Ford came up with: the 2009 Lincoln MKS.
The MKS, which will be Lincoln’s new flagship, features a double-wing grille, jewel-like headlamps and high waistline, 18 or 20 inch wheels and is based on the Ford 500/Taurus platform. At launch, the 2009 Lincoln MKS will be powered by a 3.7 liter Ford V6 engine which develops 272 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque, with a turbocharged V6 following the next year.
Being a luxury sedan, The MKS will feature SYNC communications system, 5.1 surround system with SIRIUS satellite radio, adaptive xenon lights, keyless start and an interesting security feature, which is mounted on the car’s B-pillar and heat-sensing sensors bring alive a LED keypad, which, after you enter the five-digit code, starts the engine. The 2009 Lincoln MKS is scheduled to hit showrooms in mid next year and it will be priced at $38,000.
View more photos and a video after the jump.
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