Lincoln to Launch Four New Products by 2016, Including Compact Sedan and Crossover

Ford is reportedly developing new models for Lincoln “in fast-growing segments” as the U.S. automaker tries to turn around the luxury brand. According to a Reuters report, Ford held a presentation to investors on Thursday, with the carmaker showing a chart that said it expects the premium small-car and crossover segments to grow consistently by 2015.

Lincoln doesn’t have a small car in its offer, but the brand may be considering a compact sedan for 2016 or later, according to a previous report from the news agency that cited a person familiar with the brand's strategy.

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Lincoln Cuts Free Maintenance in Half Starting with 2014 Models

Starting with the 2014 model year lineup, Lincoln will reduce its free maintenance program to 2 years/24,000 miles (38,625 km) from a previous 4 years/50,000 miles (80,500 km). Lincoln said in a memo sent to dealers that the revised program “complements short-term 24-month leases”.

Lincoln said in a statement that the new program is "competitive with other luxury brands," as Jaguar and Volvo also recently cut back their complimentary maintenance programs. Lincoln's new program will only cover a maximum of three service visits, as opposed to eight visits under the old program.

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Ford Issues 3 Separate Recall Actions, the Biggest of Which Concerns 465,000 Cars

The Blue Oval has been hit with three different recalls over problems with engine block heaters, missing steering gear parts and a fire risk caused by fuel delivery modules, The Detroit News reported.

The biggest recall action is for fuel tanks that may leak. It covers more than 465,000 vehicles worldwide, 390,000 of which in the United States and about 23,000 in Canada, including the 2013 Ford Explorer, Taurus, Flex, Fusion and Police Interceptor crossovers and sedans, and Lincoln MKS, MKT and MKZ models.

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Ford Hybrid Sales in the First Five Months of 2013 Beat 2010 Full-Year Record

Ford announced it has surpassed its previous full-year hybrid sales record set in 2010 of 35,496 vehicles in the first five months of 2013. Through May, Ford is projected to sell around 37,000 hybrid vehicles, accounting for an increase of around 375 percent over the same period last year. Read more »

New Lincoln MKZ Sells in Record Numbers in April

It seems that Lincoln is on its way to recover from the failed launch of the new 2013 MKZ, with proof coming in the form of the company’s April sales figures.

According to Ford’s executive VP of global marketing, Jim Farley, the luxury automaker’s stylish sedan is “right around the 4,000-unit sales mark,” which means it sold more last month than it did from January through March, when a total of 3,758 units were shifted.

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Scoop: Lincoln Filmed Trying Out 2016 MKS Test Mule

The question that seems to be lingering on the lips of anybody working at Lincoln for the past, well, let's just say few decades, is "are we there yet?" The Blue Oval's sole premium or near premium brand has tried to rejuvenate itself over and over again, but without any success.

No thanks in part to the botched launch of the all-new MKZ, Lincoln's sales in 2013 are down 23.7 percent to just 15,899 units (January through March) over last year, when at the same time, Ford recorded a 12.4 percent increase to 582,584 deliveries.

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Lincoln May Re-Launch 2013 MKZ After Embarrassing Production Delays

The Lincoln MKZ launch fiasco has prompted Ford to consider a re-launch of its luxury mid-size sedan, as production of the Ford Fusion-based car is finally nearing normal levels.

Ford is now analyzing how big of a re-launch is needed to make potential buyers once again aware of its new model. Ford decided to curb production of the MKZ just as the first units began reaching dealerships late last year, fearing that the new Lincoln could be affected by the same quality issues as the 2013 Ford Fusion sedan and Escape crossover.

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Can Lincoln Recover from Failed MKZ Launch and Start Delivering Cars?

The journey of the Lincoln MKZ, the sedan that FoMoCo hoped would spearhead the renaissance of its luxury unit, is not off to a great start. A delayed launch caused by an assortment of damaging factors, has put serious pressure on the dealers, which have to sweet talk to people who have made a deposit into not getting angry. Read more »

Next Lincoln Navigator to Ditch V8 for V6 EcoBoost

The current Lincoln Navigator is one of the many choices available to those looking for a full-sized SUV. So far, its top-spec engine option has been a 5.4-liter V8 engine, which makes 310hp and 365 lb-ft (495 Nm), but for the next generation model, the eight-cylinder unit will be dropped in favor of a smaller and more powerful V6 EcoBoost unit, according to a Motortrend magazine report. Read more »

Lincoln Accepts its Fate and Launches Livery Edition of MKS

Up until now, Lincoln has failed to compete against, not only competent German and Japanese luxury brands, but also even home rival Cadillac. Still, if there's one thing Lincoln can say it has been successful at over the years, it is the livery business, especially with the now-defunct classic Town Car. Read more »

MKC Concept is Lincoln’s Entry in the Compact Crossover Segment [Photos & Video]

Last year, Lincoln sales fell by 4 percent to 82,150 units in the U.S. despite the market posting a 13 percent increase compared to 2011. It’s obvious that Ford’s luxury car brand has a lot of work to do to catch up with its competitors.

The MKC Concept that will premiere at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is part of that offensive that includes four all-new models aimed at the most popular segments in the next four years.

The compact luxury crossover segment, which has grown by nearly 60 percent in 2012 and more than 200 percent in the last four years, is one of them and Lincoln will compete with the MKC.

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Lincoln Town Car Limo Driver Just Had to Use McDonald's Drive Through…[NSFW]

Of all the passenger cars that come to mind, a stretched Lincoln Town Car limousine must be one of the most inappropriate vehicles to be in at a McDonald's drive-through.

It's not hard to imagine why, nonetheless, someone insisted on riding his stretch limo to a local drive-through instead of simply parking it and walking a couple of feet into the store to order his meal…or at least he attempted to, as surprise, surprise, he experienced some problems.

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A Study for a New Lincoln Luxury Sports Coupe

For as long as we can remember, Lincoln has been trying to reinvent itself, admittedly, without much success.

The company's latest efforts include appointing Max Wolff of former Cadillac fame as its head designer, the opening of a dedicated 40,000 square foot styling studio and let's not forget, the roll out of the new MKZ mid-size sedan.

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Consumer Reports Tests Dodge Dart, Says Close Enough, But No Cigar; XTS, MKS & ES Also Rated

The Dodge Dart compact is the first completely new product to come out of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance and it has just been tested by Consumer Reports (CR). While buyers don’t necessarily adhere to what the motoring press has to say, CR’s tests still command enough heft in the U.S. market to make a carmaker dread its verdict.

So, how did the Dart do? The good news is that CR, which tested two versions of the Dart, the US$20,680 2.0-liter SXT and the US$24,490 1.4-liter Rallye, praised their quiet cabin, nimble handling and taut yet compliant ride. The bad news is that, neither of them scored high enough to earn the coveted “recommended” tag.

“The Dart is the first decent compact car from Dodge in decades,” said CR’s Auto Test Center director Jake Fisher. “It has some solid positives. But overall it can’t yet measure up to the best in class.”

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Ford and Its Dealers Offering $500 Cash Savings to New Cars Buyers Affected by Sandy

Only hours after Nissan and Infiniti announced that they are offering employee pricing and discounted financing to consumers impacted by the storm, Ford Motor Company came out with its own contribution. Read more »

Ford Comes in Second Last in Consumer Reports’ 2012 Auto Reliability Survey [w/Video]

Two years ago, Ford was included in the Top 10 of Consumer Reports’ (CR) annual reliability survey, with more than 90 percent of its range rated average or better.

In the 2012 survey, however, you’ll have to look a long way down to find the Blue Oval: it occupies the next-to-last place as it finished 27th out of 28 brands rated, and its Lincoln luxury division is just one place ahead.

"Ford's bumpy road can be seen in the numbers. Sixty percent of Ford-branded models and half of Lincolns were below average in predicted reliability and none placed above average," said Jake Fisher, director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.

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Watch How a Lincoln MKT Town Car is Turned Into a 10 Passenger Limousine

Over the years, we have shown you more stretch limos than we care to list (nevertheless, if you feel the need to, you can check them all out here), with some catching your attention more than others.

But what does it take to transform a regular passenger car into a gargantuan limousine long enough to entertain close to a dozen people? That is a question that Popular Mechanics tried to answer in the latest episode of its online series, "How'd They Do That".

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Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Certified at 45 MPG, 2MPG Less than Fusion Hybrid but 5MPG More than Lexus ES

Even though Lincoln had announced pricing and trim levels for its new 2013 MKZ Hybrid, the fuel economy ratings weren't available at the time as the carmaker was waiting for the Environmental Protection Agency’s official certification.

Today, the company announced that the US$35,925 MKZ Hybrid has been certified by the EPA at 45 mpg (5.2 lt/100 km) across the board, i.e. city, highway and combined consumption.

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Lincoln Sets Sail for China, Sales to Start in 2014

The Ford group is eying China's lucrative luxury car segment as it announced plans today to launch its Lincoln brand in the country in the second half of 2014.

The introduction of Lincoln in China is part of a broader expansion plan from the Ford Motor Company to increase its sales in the region.

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New 2013 Lincoln MKZ Sedan Priced from $35,925 to $49,260*

Lincoln has launched an online configurator and released pricing for its all-new MKZ midsize premium sedan that will be in dealerships in late fall.

The redesigned from the ground up MKZ starts at $35,925 for the base 2.0-liter EcoBoost and 2.0-liter Hybrid FWD models rising to $49,260 for the top-of-the-line 3.7-liter V6 AWD with the retractable panoramic roof option, with all prices excluding an $875 delivery and destination charge (*).

Choosing the hybrid powertrain doesn't come with a premium as Lincoln decided to keep the same price for all trim levels with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo models.

The MKZ is offered with three engines starting with the 240hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder EcoBoost unit that delivers an estimated fuel economy of 22 mpg city and 33 mpg highway.

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