When we take a hard look at the current Lincoln lineup, we see some issues. For starters, the Navigator, MKS, MKT, MKX and MKZ aren’t exactly setting the sales charts on fire. Come to think of it, we just listed the entire Lincoln lineup. Okay, so Ford’s luxury marquee can easily be likened to a well-heeled slice of Swiss cheese, but we have proof that The Blue Oval is trying to breath new life into the brand. We loved the MKT, the 2011 MKX looks extremely promising and it looks like the four-pointed star is getting into the hybrid business as well.

The Detroit News reports that Lincoln will debut a hybrid MKZ this week at the New York Auto Show. The MKZ will likely share the same powertrain as the Ford Fusion Hybrid; a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle mill mated to an eCVT transmission, along with an electric motor drawing power from a 275-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack. The MKZ hybrid will be the first battery-assisted model in the Lincoln lineup, giving Ford a luxury hybrid competitor to the Lexus HS 250h.

And if the MKZ does in fact carry the same powertrain as its more pedestrian sibling in the Ford dealership, the Lincoln should have more than competitive fuel economy. The HS 250h is rated at 35 miles per gallon city and 34 miles per gallon highway, while the Fusion Hybrid manages a 41/36 mix. The MKZ is a big bigger, too, and price should be comparable. Also helping the MKZ’s case for life is the fact that Lincolns carry higher MSRPs than the typical Ford or Mercury, giving The Blue Oval a theoretically bigger margin with which to make a profit.

The down side to the MKZ hybrid is the fact that Ford is pretty well restricted on how many hybrids it can produce. Unless Ford has struck a deal to increase its hybrid powertrain output, the MKZ will simply shift the allocation of hybrids in the Ford family instead of adding to the overall totals. We’re also very interested to see if Ford strives to differentiate the MKZ from its more pedestrian siblings to better-justify the undoubtedly higher price tag that comes with the Lincoln badge. We’ll be staked out at the New York auto show for the chance to know for sure.

[Source: The Detroit News via The Truth About Cars]

Ford has been pushing its EcoBoost engines hard since they came out of the gate, with almost as many commercials touting its twin-turbo technology as we’ve seen all other Blue Oval spots combined. And all that marketing mojo appears to be paying off, as the Ford Motor Company has told The Detroit News that EcoBoost has really taken off on the showroom floor.

Ford just started offering EcoBoost in July, but the early returns show that customers are very interested in Ford’s promise of V8 performance with V6 fuel economy. Lincoln MKS sales have been 30 percent EcoBoost, while the Taurus SHO is currently accounting for 20 percent off all sales of Ford’s new large sedan. The MKT has only been on the market for a month, but early returns show that over 40 percent of customers want 355 horsepower in their giant crossover. The Ford Flex is seeing a 13 percent EcoBoost take rate, nearly double the expected 8 percent figure.

In fact, Ford says all four EcoBoost-equipped vehicles are exceeding expectations to date, and the engine tech also appears to be bringing in conquest customers at an accelerated rate. For example, an impressive 44 percent of Taurus buyers come from another OEM, while the number jumps to 54 percent with the EcoBoost-equipped Taurus SHO. The MKT has a similar 10 percent conquest boost courtesy of turbo power. And those conquest wins at the dealership also add to Ford’s bottom line, as EcoBoost-equipped vehicles carry a $5,000 to $10,000 MSRP bump versus their naturally aspirated counterparts.

While the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine looks like an early success, the real turbo test comes when other, higher volume EcoBoost engines hit the market. Some future boosted Ford engines will come in 2.0-liter and 1.6-liter displacements, and the DetNews is reporting that a much smaller, 1.0-liter three-cylinder version is on the way for applications like the new Fiesta and Focus. Engines as small as 1.0-liter are sure to be an efficiency boon for the Blue Oval, with potential paybacks in the high 40 MPG range in the EPA highway cycle.

The next vehicles to receive EcoBoost will reportedly be the F-150 and Ford Explorer toward the end of next year. Ford is hoping to push the engine tech on 90 percent of its models within the next few years, with up to 1.3M global EcoBoost sales.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford has dumped all of its latest safety gadgets into the already structurally sound 2010 Lincoln MKT, and the Blue Oval’s engineering labor appears to have paid off as the luxury crossover has just scored a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. The Top Pick status of the 5,000 lb MKT doesn’t come as a surprise, as it is mechanically identical to the well-regarded Ford Flex.

The MKT scored a “Good” rating in each category, including structure, injury measures and restraints. The IIHS added that “dummy movement was well controlled. After the dummy moved forward into the airbag, it rebounded into the seat without its head coming close to any stiff structure that could cause injury.”

The Lincoln MKT comes with standard equipment like an advanced structural safety system that combines octagonal front frame rails, tunnel rails and support members that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment. Along with the usual safety suspects like side curtain airbags, Ford offers optional safety equipment like Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Warning Brake Control and a Blind Spot Information system. Hit the jump to read the Ford press release.

[Source: Ford]

PRESS RELEASE:

* The all-new 2010 Lincoln MKT three-row luxury crossover received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
* MKT offers a high level of crash protection – including state-of-the-art side air bags that are designed to deploy up to 30 percent earlier than traditional air bag systems – while offering a segment-first, forward collision warning system as part of Lincoln’s push into new crash-avoidance technologies
* MKT offers an array of standard driver-awareness features – including a first-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA)
* Ford Motor Company has more IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings than any other automaker and more U.S. government five-star ratings than any brand

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:
The all-new 2010 Lincoln MKT three-row crossover – arriving in dealerships now – is raising the bar not only on luxury, but also on safety after earning a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). To earn this designation, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” in offset frontal-, side- and rear-impact evaluations and offer electronic stability control. The new MKT offers an array of standard crash-protection, crash-avoidance and driver-awareness features, and further solidifies Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.

DETAILS:
Lincoln is offering luxury crossover customers a fresh new choice with the 2010 Lincoln MKT, a three-row crossover that delivers the optimal blend of distinctive design, interior spaciousness and craftsmanship, fuel economy, and advanced driver aid and safety technologies.

The Lincoln MKT joins the two-row Lincoln MKX midsize premium crossover, the sporty Lincoln MKS luxury sedan launched in 2008 and the midsize Lincoln MKZ in earning coveted IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings, building on Ford Motor Company’s safety leadership.

Technology under the skin
The Lincoln MKT features an advanced structural safety system that combines octagonal front frame rails, tunnel rails and support members that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment.

Lincoln MKT also includes Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement Architecture (SPACE®) to optimize side-impact occupant protection. The SPACE system integrates a hydroformed high-strength steel tube in the floor that runs the width of the vehicle from B-pillar to B-pillar and reinforcements along the rocker panels to help protect passengers in side-impact incidents.

Lincoln MKT also features Ford’s enhanced Personal Safety System™, combining multiple technologies to tailor the air bag package and safety belt functions to the individual passenger and the accident circumstances. The system can identify variables, such as severity of the crash, weight of the individual passenger and safety belt usage to adjust air bag deployment force.

Additional Lincoln MKT safety technologies include:
* Safety Canopy® is Ford’s exclusive side-impact protection system employing side curtain air bags to help protect front and outboard rear passengers in both rollover and side-impact crashes.
* Belt-Minder®, a reminder technology for driver and front seat passenger, takes over after the initial federally required safety belt reminder stops chiming to encourage usage of safety belts, the No. 1 life-saving device in automobiles.
* SOS Post-Crash Alert System™unlocks the vehicle doors and activates the horn and emergency flashers in the event air bags are deployed.
* MyKey™ allows parents or other concerned owners to restrict certain Lincoln MKT features when in the hands of a MyKey driver. MyKey encourages safety belt usage, provides earlier low-fuel warnings, engages applicable driver aid systems, and sounds speed chimes at preset levels while limiting audio system volume and top vehicle speed.

Lincoln MKT also delivers abundant driver-awareness and security technologies including:

* Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses radar to detect moving vehicles immediately ahead and modify cruising speed if necessary.

* Collision Warning with Brake Support, enabled by ACC, provides the driver with a “heads-up” display that flashes on the windshield when the system senses slower moving traffic ahead. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system will pre-charge the brakes to prepare the vehicle for a more aggressive stop to help avoid some of the most common rear-end accidents.

* SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry Keypad uses a touch-sensitive surface allowing the driver to enter a five-digit code to unlock the doors.

* Adaptive Headlamps with standard High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps enhance nighttime visibility. Sensors monitor Lincoln MKT speed and steering wheel input to engage headlamp movement to increase the driver’s field of vision.

* Auto High Beams coupled with Adaptive Headlamps enhance nighttime visibility by switching to high intensity when no other vehicles are in range.

* Rain-Sensing Wipers use an optical sensing system to gauge precipitation and automatically activate and adjust the wipers.

* Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross Traffic Alert uses two multiple-beam radars in the rear quarter panels (one per side) for two different – but important – purposes. BLIS checks the defined blind spot zone, which is about 10 feet from the back of the bumper to the outside mirrors. When a vehicle is detected, an amber light, in the outside mirror of whichever side that vehicle is on, lights up. CTA notifies the driver of impending traffic when backing out of a parking spot and warns the driver when a vehicle is detected within three car widths of either side of the vehicle. As with BLIS, the driver is warned with a beep and light in the outside mirror on the side of the traffic.
* Rear View Camera System uses the center stack-mounted touch/navigation screen for projection and activates upon reverse gear engagement.

* Lincoln SYNC®is an award-winning voice-activated communications and entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft that fully integrates Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones and digital media players into the vehicle. SYNC incorporates 911 Assist™, which can notify a local 911 emergency operator in the event of an air bag deployment when a cell phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, and when the vehicle has battery power.

QUOTES:

“Earning a Top Safety Pick rating is great news because the Insurance Institute’s tests are some of the most demanding conducted outside of our own laboratories, and customers increasingly rely on them when choosing a new vehicle.”
– Sue Cischke
Group vice president of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

“The MKT’s array of advanced safety technologies raises the bar for luxury vehicles and pushes the new frontier of ‘active’ crash-avoidance features that help drivers avoid or reduce the severity of accidents. In the unfortunate event of an accident, the MKT offers a high level of crash protection, including leading crash-safety ratings such as the IIHS Top Safety Pick.”
– Steve Kozak
Chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems

“Not only is the all-new Lincoln MKT Top Safety-rated, it is packed with standard luxury features and an array of state-of-the-art technologies, and is unsurpassed in its segment for highway fuel economy.”
– Kate Pearce
Lincoln MKT marketing manager

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

[Source:Autoblog]

The Lincoln Mark LT was an unmitigated failure in the US market, but in Mexico it’s been the marque’s top-seller, with 6,000 units leaving dealers since 2005. So while the gussied-up F-150 was unceremoniously euthanized in the US, Ford’s luxury brand had to whip up something with a star badge, a split grille and a work-over with el feo palo for our southern compadres.

The 2010 Lincoln Mark LT looks a lot like the Ford F-150 Platinum fitted with a new grille (Ford didn’t even change the headlights) and some Lincoln badging, because essentially, that’s what it is. The new LT shares all the mechanicals with Ford’s top-selling pickup, including its 310 hp 5.4-liter V8 powerplant, a choice of 5.5- or 6.5-foot beds and a tow rating of 10,000 lbs.

We’re guessing there won’t be many American pickup truck buyers disappointed that the 2010 Lincoln Mark LT won’t be available in the US market. Heck, most truck buyers didn’t even know the original Mark LT even existed to begin with. Click on the gallery below to check out the 2010 Mark LT in all its frankentruck glory.

[Source: AutoBlog]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently tested the Mercedes-Benz R-Class and Lincoln MKZ, and both have earned the agency’s Top Safety Pick rating for 2009. The 2009 Mercedes-Benz R-Class did very well in the frontal offset and side impact tests with “Good” ratings in both tests (models manufactured after 9/2008 with the standard side airbags). The 2010 Lincoln MKZ also performed admirably, earning “Good” ratings in both tests as well (models manufactured after 1/2007). In rear crash tests done by the IIHS, the Mercedes and Lincoln each received “Good” ratings. While the IIHS smashed both of the vehicles offset into a barrier at 40 mph, and hit each with a 3,300-pound side impact barrier moving at 31 mph, the agency’s new roof strength crash testing has not been conducted on either model. See the short press release after the jump.

Mercedes R class and Lincoln MKZ earn Top Safety Pick award

The Mercedes R class, a large SUV, and the Lincoln MKZ, a midsize luxury car, are the Institute’s newest 2009 Top Safety Pick award winners. To qualify for Top Safety Pick, a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in the Institute’s front, side, and rear tests and be equipped with electronic stability control. Criteria to win are tough because the award is intended to drive continued safety improvements such as top crash test ratings and the rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard on the R class and the MKZ.

“Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results,” says Institute president Adrian Lund.

The Top Safety Pick designation applies to 2009 R class models built after September, 2008, and 2010 MKZ models.
[Source: IIHS]
[Source:Autoblog]

The window sticker on a 2008 Navigator shows a mighty low 12 mpg in the city, and only 18 on the highway, so Ford went back to the drawing board to improve on that number next year. The Blue Oval’s blinged-up luxury sled boasts a fuel friendlier average of 14/20 for 2009, a marginal improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. Ford says those numbers are good enough to put the Blue Oval at the head of the luxury SUV space that includes the Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX570, and the Nissan QX56. Ford was able to increase fuel economy by almost 15% on the big SUV by implementing some of the same engineering tricks employed on the 2009 F-150, which itself gets up to 15/21 in SFE trim. Changes were made to the idle speed and the transmission, as well as some fancy software engineering that regulates gas consumption by using aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off.

Ford also made standard several items that were previously only available as options, including a Power lift gate, heated and cooled front seats, PowerFold third-row seats, cap-less fuel filler, Rear View Camera, flexible fuel-capable V-8 engine, SYNC and the stunning 14-speaker THX II-Certified audio system. The 2009 Navigator will also be available with Ford’s new and improved navigation system with Travel Link. Ford hasn’t announced any improvements for the Expedition, but we’d expect Ford’s blue collar version of the Navigator will receive similar fuel economy enhancements. Hit the jump to view Ford’s press release, which includes the full list of now standard features.

[Source: Ford]

PRESS RELEASE:

NAVIGATOR DELIVERS CLASS-LEADING FUEL ECONOMY

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 24, 2008 – The 2009 Lincoln Navigator offers more than impressive levels of luxury and functionality – it also boasts a significant improvement in fuel economy that puts it ahead of the other full-size luxury sport utility vehicles in the segment.

The Navigator, thanks to a combination of architectural changes and systems engineering enhancements, has increased its fuel efficiency to an EPA-estimated 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway on 4X2 models.

Combined with overall setup changes that offer lower idling speeds and transmission enhancements, the additional fuel economy makes the Navigator an even more appealing choice in the full-size luxury-utility segment.

“You’ll notice the difference,” said John Rich, powertrain integration and program manager for Ford Trucks. “We’ve improved the attributes and performance significantly.”

The Navigator is powered by a 5.4 liter, three-valve Triton V-8, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, which generates 300 horsepower and 365 foot-pounds of torque. A wide-ratio, six-speed transmission has smaller steps between gears than a typical four-speed automatic, offering improved shift quality and faster acceleration.

Unique software has been engineered to regulate gas consumption by using aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off delivering considerable fuel savings with no extra effort from the driver. This complex fuel strategy is being added to many Ford products to help improve fuel economy across the board – including the new 2009 Ford F-150, which offers unsurpassed fuel economy and capability in the light duty truck segment.

“Deceleration is when you take your foot off the accelerator and you’re coasting and the system very aggressively shuts fuel off,” says Rich. “It sounds simple, but it’s not at all simple. To make this work, we had to carefully manage the complex and constantly changing air-fuel mixture caused by aggressively shutting off fuel flow.”

“It’s so sophisticated, it’s imperceptible to the customer,” Rich added. “There’s no bump, no hesitation. The catalyst systems come back to life without taking an emissions hit.”

New for 2009
For 2009, Lincoln continues to simplify the packaging of Navigator and Navigator L, making standard many previously-optional features.

Standard items now include: Power lift gate; heated and cooled front seats; heated second-row seats; PowerFold™ third-row seats; front park assist sensors; EasyFuel™ capless fuel filler; rain-sensing wipers; perimeter anti-theft alarm; integrated four-button key fob; Rear View Camera; flexible fuel-capable V-8 engine; Lincoln SYNC™ and a 14-speaker THX® II-Certified audio system with SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.

The standard Rear View Camera System in the rear lift gate handle activates when the vehicle is shifted into reverse, giving the driver a clear view behind the vehicle or for ease of hooking up trailers. The video image is displayed in the self-dimming rearview mirror on the standard Navigator or through the instrument panel next generation navigation system on the Elite package.

The new next generation navigation system is available for the first time ever with SIRIUS Travel Link™, which gives drivers and passengers access to up-to-the-minute information and entertainment through the vehicle’s navigation system. Working through the standard feature SIRIUS satellite radio network, Travel Link offers uninterrupted, coast-to-coast coverage of real-time traffic data; weather reports (current and five day forecasts with storm information and even ski resort conditions); fuel options sorted by price or distance from more than 120,000 gas stations; major league pro and college sports as well as movie listings from more than 4,500 theaters. A six-month introductory subscription to SIRIUS is included at no cost.

The Monochrome Limited Edition Package for 2009 features unique badging, along with body-color exterior accents including lower grille, lower bodyside cladding, and power folding heated memory mirrors with puddle lamps. This package is offered in four monochromatic exterior treatments: White Platinum Tri-coat, Black Clearcoat, Vapor Silver Clearcoat Metallic and Stone Green Clearcoat Metallic. Inside, the package includes unique black carpet and floor mats, Ebony wood trim, and unique Stone or Camel seats with black leather inserts and black piping. A stitched Lincoln logo is also placed on each headrest.

The Elite Package includes the moonroof; next generation navigation system; power running boards; rear seat entertainment system and the Rear View Camera display in the navigation system.

Three new exterior colors are available for 2009: Monterey Grey Clearcoat Metallic; Sangria Clearcoat Metallic and White Platinum Tri-Coat.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 229,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit our website at www.ford.com.

[Source:Autoblog]

Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, has confirmed that the Lincoln MKT crossover is due to be reveal this January at the Detroit Auto Show, while a refreshed MKZ will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Show in November.

We already knew the Ford Flex-based CUV was headed to Detroit, with power provided by either a 3.7-liter or a 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6. Both six- and seven-passenger seating arrangements will be offered, along with Blind Spot Monitoring and a Cross Traffic Alert system which utilizes two sonar modules to notify drivers that a vehicle has moved into their blind spot by shining a light on the corresponding outside mirror. Sales are expected to begin later in 2009 and Ford is insistent that the MKT won’t share any body panels with its platform sibling.

The facelifted MKZ sedan will sport the new split-wing grille originally found on the MKR concept. New taillights are also rumored to be part of the package and sales should begin later this year or early in 2009.

[Source:Autoblog]