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Lincoln MKZ Production to end in July

6K views 44 replies 15 participants last post by  Neanderthal 
#1 ·
https://fordauthority.com/2020/05/lincoln-mkz-production-to-end-in-july-exclusive/

I was hoping that something might have convinced them to keep a sedan for Lincoln because the luxury market still seems to like sedans some maybe make it all electric if they have to but guess that is probably not going to happen. My Z is at 77k miles now when I get to 100k I will probably look at getting a replacement of some kind I really wanted the 3.0T AWD maybe I can look at a nice CPO one... who knows.

Article says Fusion will end at the same time but I thought it still had one more year left in it.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Fusion and MKZ are going out of production at the same time and the plant is being retooled for a bunch of new vehicles, including the Bronco Sport, Maverick Pickup, Transit Connect, Transit Connect AV, and the EcoSport replacement.

I am sad to see MKZ go since it's still an awesome looking vehicle with novel features like the 3.0L T and Pano roof. Still the best looking FWD luxury sedan IMO, although the interior didn't age as well.

Lincoln is adding an EV in 2024 but giving up the Continental in 2022. Their Flagship EV with Rivian was cancelled but their Ford-based EV is still on-track. We do get a Navigator refresh in 2022, New Nautilus in 2023, and Lincon's version of Sync 4 connected vehicle architecture which will add hands-free cruise control among other amenities. Naturally some of these timelines may have been pushed up a model year. I think Corsair and Aviator will offset most of those car sales, but I don't see an avenue for sales growth for the foreseeable future (especially since they all co-exist at the moment so the loss of sedans will be more obvious). Aviator sales are obviously way more profitable however.
 
#6 ·
The 3 engine options for the Z are

1. Hybrid
2. 2.0T
3. 3.0T
 
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#8 ·
Both the MKZ and Continental got the 3.0T in 2017 and will be the only FWD/AWD vehicles to have it unfortunately. They also made the engine option more expensive on the MKZ starting in 2019 by making it only available in the upper trims. They are also the last vehicles to use the 6AT, they never were updated for the 8-Speed. I was always disappointed the Nautilus didn't get the 3.0T, but I assume they didn't want to fund such a low volume combo (FWD 8AT + 3.0T) for only 3 years.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I believe that a big part of the problem at Ford is it's perpetual lateness to valuable segments and niches,
by the time Ford delivers products, its ability to capture and keep buyers is diminished by competitors
already locking up many of those potential buyers which in turn convinces Ford to give up more quickly.
It's a viscous cycle set in motion by playing so defensively, that level of risk averse planning is killing them.

It was almost like Ford and Lincoln felt obliged to keep offering a TTV6 in mid-sized and large sedans but with
with higher premiums on the TTV6s, it was inevitable that any sales interest would eventually evaporate.
Ford basically contours a self fulfilling proficy, high price = customers don't buy = no demand = end model.
Until Ford breaks away from this circular logic, they are doomed to repeat the mistake over and over.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I think Ford has done a good job prioritizing important moneymakers and showing up successfully when they need to. What I think Detroit struggles with in particular is sticking to anything that isn't a perennial property, they have a bad habit of investing and then dropping new segments. But Detroit also does a better job innovating and coming up with successful new ideas. Bronco, Bronco Sport, Maverick Pickup, Mach E, are all pretty good examples of Ford coming up with new segments instead of just fitting in.

Lincoln is another story and I get a sense that it may be falling victim to de-prioritization once again. Mark Fields made Lincoln a tent-pole, but Hackett barely acknowledges them. Lincoln hasn't gotten a new 4-Year Plan now that it's concluded the last one, and now they are in maintenance mode. Presumably electrification will eventually play a big roll in transforming Lincoln so hopefully we'll see that next phase by 2023.
 
#13 · (Edited)
In the last two quarters reported, Ford's north American vehicle operations has collapsed financially
right when it needed good profits, they coughed and spluttered going into the covid shutdown and
that is not a good sign of underlying health. I don't understand why it crashed and burned so badly,
was that entirely due to Explorer's bad launch or is it generally "bad timing" on several products?
 
#14 ·
Being optimistic, they're transitioning away from regular cars to the glorious future of crossovers and trucks. Meanwhile the F150 prints money.

Pessimistically, they lose a generation of car buyers as 1000s of former Ford customers buy Hyundai, Honda, etc. instead of whatever hideous crossover Ford is pushing. Meanwhile the F150 prints money.
 
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#33 ·
While the interior design of the Nautilus is nice, it does date back to 2013 (not in the MKX, but the design was out that long). It is not nearly as rich, and the materials are not nearly as nice as the new design theme. Also, a huge point of interest............. you cannot get the perfect position seats in the Nautilus (I just did a build on one). The last time I talked to Sanderson Lincoln (one of the largest Lincoln dealerships in the country), they were ordering everything that they could, with those seats. They said buyer interest in them was above 80%. I find it odd you can't get them in the Nautilus. You can get perfect position seats in the Corsair even though there is no Black Label package.

I also find it sad that you can't get the 3.0TT in the Nautilus. We did a Lincoln date night with the MKX with the 2.7TT. While quick, it wasn't anything to write home about.

I just think that it is the least impressive of the Lincoln Crossover / SUV's. The Corsair is very nice, and there are a couple of them running around town already. The Aviator is amazing. The Nautilus is nice.

Of course, what do I know.
 
#34 ·
I'd agree with all these points. It followed the 2013 MKZ's styling, and that's the look it still has except the new grille, though they did upgrade the materials.

I also found it strange that they didn't include the seats.....though now that I'm thinking about it, the perfect position ones use the door panel mounted seat controls, not the seat mounted controls like MKX. So when coming to the refresh, that would have meant having to redesign the door panel to accommodate the seat controls, and was likely deemed too expensive for whatever seemingly minimal budget they had. Therefore, it just stuck with the ones that were already in there.

As for the 3.0, I also assumed it'd get that, but that was probably similar reasons, as BORG pointed out earlier I think in this thread - the 3.0 in FWD form is only in the MKZ and Conti and paired to the 6 speed. ALL Edge and Nautilus models switched to the 8 speed with the refresh, meaning that'd have been a new combo to develop/certify for a single volume with a likely low-medium take rate (though you could make the argument they should've switched MKZ and Conti to 8 speed).

The bottom line is exactly what you said - it's now the least impressive of the range, so sales will balance accordingly aside from those that want that size vehicle.

As I pointed out earlier here, XT5 is more similar to XT6, with the same interior and powertrain, so you can shop more strictly on size at Cadillac without taking the "hit" in newness and features that you do with the Nautilus. XT5's sales have fallen more because they were a lot higher to begin with, so more volume to cannibalize - previously you wanted a Cadillac crossover, and that was your only option.
 
#35 ·
This was spotting in a Lincoln group the other day its a very very very MINOR tweak to the exterior of the Nautilus. I wonder if they are going to do any interior upgrade at all at least for the screen area to make it compatible for Sync 4



top is spy shot
bottom is current
 
#37 · (Edited)
That updated Nautilus was spotted in China (among several other copies). I'm not exactly clear on the status for North America. Nobody I know in Dearborn is aware of this change so I guess we'll have to wait for the 2021 order guides. If this is a China only change (which they've done for many Fords, including Explorer, Escape, and Mondeo), they may add an oversized touch-screen display to the center stack running a China-specific interface. You won't see any major design changes this close to a new model however.

I have a Black Label Nautilus and I certainly prefer it to the Corsair. The design of the Nautilus dash does date back to the 2013 MKZ and 2014 MKC so it does feel like the odd-man out right now among two brand-new designs. I personally love the smooth flowing and open dashboard design and the Black Label trim level has MUCH nicer surfaces throughout. The only issue with the design for me is the smallish Sync screen. I would certainly like to see an evolution of the Aviator dashboard in here, not a huge fan of Corsair's interpretation.

The MKX/Nautilus has always had available 19-Way Adjustable Multi-Contour seats. While they don't look as impressive as the 22-Way Perfect Position seats, they have many similar features. I love them because of the thigh extension and the adjustable shoulder and headrest.

The only thing the Nautilus is just flat-out missing is Lincoln's incredible HUD which is even available on Corsair, otherwise The Nautilus update brought most of the same tech and features. Many of the safety features actually debuted on the 2019 Nautilus, like Lane Centering and Evasive Steering. Missing unfortunately is the backup braking assist.
 
#39 ·
Unless Nautilus goes on hiatus in China, or they're able to get the factory up and running there for this generation, I'd imagine both markets will get a next gen around the same time, no?

With Oakville currently being the production site for all examples worldwide, I doubt they'd tool up production in China for the current model with a new one around the corner, unless they plan on doing that old generation along the new one the Chinese market sometimes does.
 
#42 · (Edited)
I don't know if this is China specific only, but that's my assumption. This is a minor change, basically a tweaked bumper. They may have needed to make a running change to the China model for local reasons. I can only speculate since this revision is a surprise to me, as is the more significant Chinese refresh of Explorer. There are no plans to produce Nautilus outside of Oakville, I don't see a Chinese location listed for the car. That will likely change in 2 years with the new model which FINALLY adds hybrids, which is required for Chinese production.
 
#44 ·
They do build a version of the Edge in China, for China only. It's a 3-Row model.

It's my understanding that in order to add a new Lincoln to a Chinese factory today, electrification is required. A Hybrid will be part of the new Nautilus/Edge so I can only assume those will see Chinese production.

Chinese specific versions of the MKX were being built since the last major redesign, specifically an MKX with the 2.0L EB instead of the 3.7L V6. The Nautilus of course uses the same engine now.
 
#45 ·
That's a handsome sedan IMO. Lincolns are one of the few sedans that stand out at all, most sedans are pretty anonymous.

Our neighbor had a good looking Lincoln, cream color, very handsome and definitely grabbed your eyeballs. She traded it for a super-anonymous police unmarked unit undistinguished Fusion.
 
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