Automotive News - July 14, 2008 - (Page 34)

34 • JULY 14, 2008 FORD FUTURE PRODUCT Ford aims to move Lincoln upscale Amy Wilson awilson@crain.com Buy one, get 70,000 free. When you run a classified ad in Automotive News, you’ll get a free classified ad online, too. And with more than 70,000 searchers clicking on our online classifieds each week, your ad will be seen by more people. Without spending more money. So call (800) 388-1800 to place your ad today. it’s a deal you can’t afford to pass up. autonews.com DETROIT — Ford wants to restore the luxury luster to the Lincoln nameplate with a handful of new vehicles that boast brand-exclusive styling. So far Lincoln has added the MKX crossover and the MKZ and MKS sedans, the latter of which went on sale last month. Next year a large crossover is expected to enter the showroom. The MKX and MKZ have sold well, but they have been criticized for looking too much like their Ford Edge and Ford Fusion siblings. That will change. Although Lincolns will continue to share underpinnings with Ford vehicles, future vehicles won’t The MKT concept is expected to influence the styling of the crossover due for the 2010 model year. look similar to mass-market Fords, says Ford Motor Co.’s North American design chief, Peter Horbury. Lincoln’s design palette includes seven key cues, such as a split grille; thin, horizontal taillights; a clean side surface below the beltline; and a cantilevered roof with a wide C-pillar. The 2009 MKS sedan is the first vehicle to get the signature face of Lincoln — the split-wing grille with a large Lincoln badge in the middle. MKZ: Lincoln restyles its entry-level sedan for the 2010 model year. All of the sheet metal from the A-pillar forward and the C-pillar back will be new. The MKZ will adopt Lincoln’s signature design cues, such as the split grille. The next-generation MKZ and the Ford Fusion are expected to migrate to the automaker’s global mid-sized, fwd platform for the 2013 model year. MKS: Lincoln marketers call the MKS the brand’s flagship sedan and expect to sell around 36,000 next year. The MKS is based on a re-engineered version of the fwd D3 platform, which underpins the current Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. The rear suspension is new and currently exclusive to the MKS and Ford Flex crossover. The MKS launched with a Lincoln exclusive: a 3.7-liter V-6 producing 273 hp. For the 2010 model year, Ford will add a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter REVERSE YOUR CUSTOMER TURNDOWNS. Lincoln marketers call the 2009 MKS the brand’s flagship sedan. V-6 with 340 hp. Large rwd car: Ford executives confirmed in January that the company was developing rear-wheel-drive cars for the Ford and Lincoln brands. Today, those plans seem less certain. Those large rwd sedans had been expected to go on sale by the 2013 model year. The Lincoln’s styling likely would have drawn inspiration from the MKR sedan, a well-received concept at the 2007 Detroit auto show. But higher gasoline prices and the market’s current shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars have Ford planners rethinking the rwd project, Ford product chief Derrick Kuzak told Automotive News last week. Even if Ford eventually greenlights the rwd cars, their debut probably would be pushed back until the 2014 model year. Town Car: The ancient Town Car is now primarily a fleet vehicle. While customers can order a retail Town Car, dealers are not being pushed to stock them. Last year just 26,739 Town Cars were sold in the United States. The car is expected to die in 2011 when Ford closes the St. Thomas, Ontario, plant. Small crossover: Lincoln will get a version of the next-generation Escape for the 2012 model year. The vehicle will be based on the secondgeneration Ford Kuga; the first generation debuts in Europe this summer. The fwd vehicle, code-named C506, is expected to be assembled at a plant in suburban Kansas City, Mo. MKX: The MKX crossover is due to be restyled for the 2011 model year, adopting some of Lincoln’s new design cues, such as the split grille. All of the sheet metal from the A-pillar forward will be new. The tailgate and taillight designs likely will be new. The next-generation MKX and its companion Ford Edge had been expected to migrate to Ford’s global mid-sized, fwd platform for the 2014 model year. But that plan isn’t certain, sources say. Ford also has studied whether to do a single replacement for the Ford Explorer and Edge, developed on a different fwd vehicle architecture, the sources say. MKT: The three-row Lincoln crossover is due to go into production for the 2010 model year at the Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant. Styling is expected to draw inspiration from the MKT concept displayed at the 2008 Detroit auto show. While the Lincoln will share Ford’s D4 fwd platform with the 2009 Ford Flex, its looks will diverge sharply from the boxy Flex. The MKT concept has swoopy lines and a prominent “bustle back.” The D4 platform evolved from Ford’s D3 platform — essentially a re-engineered Volvo platform. To create the D4, Ford stretched the D3’s wheelbase 5 inches and reduced the length of the front and rear overhangs. The automaker redesigned the rear suspension for a better ride, especially when 20-inch wheels are ordered. Navigator: Lincoln’s big SUV and companion Ford Expedition are due to be freshened for the 2010 model year. But the long-term future of the Navigator is clouded by high gasoline prices. Here are two possibilities: A redesigned Navigator that is a little lighter than today’s SUV could go into production for the 2012 model year. Or the Navigator could be axed. If high gasoline prices don’t kill the Navigator or Expedition — or both — Ford intends to build the next-generation models alongside the planned F-100 mid-sized pickup at a truck plant in Wayne, Mich. The SUVs would get new engines including a turbocharged, 3.5-liter V-6 and a 4.4liter diesel V-8. The SUVs and the F100 pickup would share some mechanicals.c Rick Kranz contributed to this report We approve every customer in writing in 30 seconds or less… so you can convert your turndowns into approvals and sales. Our Guaranteed Credit Approval Program allows you to eliminate customer turndowns and provides 3 different financing programs to meet your customers’ needs and your profit requirements. Isn’t it time you geared up for higher profits with Credit Acceptance? 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Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Automotive News - July 14, 2008

Small-car boom misses Chrysler Ford's large rwd car plan is iffy Suppliers: Inflation is looming Hummer H3T price: $31,495 VW may build next Passat in U.S. plant Glut of trucks pulls Prius to U.S. Ford sues U.S. over taxes Restyled Ridgeline Volvo will tighten U.S. dealer network As BMW's chief in N.A., Purves got biggest thrill out of Mini Despite pricey fuel, Jetta diesel in demand Everybody's a critic: How dealers cope with online reviews Hyundai goes big on Genesis lease The shift to automatic: A transmission transition Jaguar-Land Rover dealer: Stand-alone would bankrupt me Chevy christens compact Cruze Fiat, BMW will team up on platforms, parts Revision: Bosch still tops Auto News supplier list GM to build Volts in U.S. for Europe GM ads will push mpg for 90 days A missed opportunity 2008 sales forecast? 14,652,757 Suzuki cuts U.S. work force 8% CAFE standards: Stop whining and get to work Uncertainty is the name of the game Honda dealer rubs salt in a wound Careless driver was to blame for crash Unsafe driving wasn't Ford's fault For doomsayers, business is booming again Best ad slogans have staying power Bird Dog Club creator hunts dealer poachers Dealers How to design a Lamborghini? Passion for speed certainly helps Dressed to kill Check for children Delinquency rate on indirect loans skyrockets Group promotes payment assurance Ford has big plans for small vehicles in North America Mulally pushes Ford toward fuel efficiency Ford brand will draw on European lineup With no new vehicles planned, Mercury's future is bleak Engines promise power plus fuel economy Horbury: We'll keep our vehicle designs fresh Ford aims to move Lincoln upscale Toyota's Lentz: Don't panic over collapse; market will stabilize Personnel Chrysler's car sales sag in June — even more than trucks PG sells majority of auto glass business to private-equity firm Chrysler's Campi makes nice Suit against Ford is reinstated BMW reassesses Mini demand JCI plant cuts shift, work force CAW board endorses local president Purves: Thumbs-up for BMW innovations Current trend in Europe: Electric cars Solid reviews for Ford's new Flex Philosopher has insight for ailing U.S. auto industry The 'B' word brings media deathwatch at GM Chrysler to dealers: Don't panic

Automotive News - July 14, 2008

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