Archive for the 'MKZ' Category

04
Aug
10

Lincoln lineup to expand, create identity apart from Ford brand

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Ford Corporate, Lincoln, MKS, MKX, MKZ, Mercury, Navigator, Town Car, ford and mkt
Tags: , , , , , , ,

by Automotive News

With the death of Mercury, Ford Motor Co. will funnel more dollars into Lincoln.

For example, planners are looking to add a compact, front-drive car or crossover. There also is talk that a car based on the next-generation Ford Mondeo could be added to the lineup.

For Lincoln to succeed, analysts say, it’s critical that product planners separate Lincoln’s design, power trains, and technology from those of the Ford brand. Lincoln will get features such as active noise cancellation and adaptive suspensions.

Here’s Lincoln’s outlook for the 2011-13 model years.

Compact vehicle: Ford product czar Derrick Kuzak promises a compact front-wheel-drive vehicle but is vague on whether it’s a compact car or crossover. Those familiar with Ford’s plans say it could be a crossover based on the next-generation Kuga crossover from Europe. The automaker is also exploring a compact car. Both the car and crossover would be based on the next-generation global Ford Focus platform.

In January 2009, Ford showed the Lincoln C concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The concept, based on a wide version of the next-generation Focus platform, shows the possible styling direction for a compact Lincoln.

The redesigned Focus is due in early 2011. A Lincoln version could come by the 2013 model year or sooner.

Continue reading ‘Lincoln lineup to expand, create identity apart from Ford brand’

31
Mar
10

Ford Said to Plan Hybrid Lincoln to Bolster Last Luxury Line

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Future Vehicles, Lincoln, Lincoln Mercury, MKZ, Quality, fuel efficiency and technology
Tags: , , , ,

source: Bloomberg

By Keith Naughton

March 30 (Bloomberg) — Ford Motor Co. plans to expand the Lincoln luxury line by adding a hybrid model based on its top- selling Fusion sedan, two people familiar with the matter said.

The hybrid Lincoln MKZ will be unveiled tomorrow at the New York auto show, said the people, who asked not to be identified because Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford hasn’t announced the details.

Ford’s vision for Lincoln reflects Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally’s decision to focus on the namesake brand and go without a global luxury marque after agreeing to sell Volvo Cars to Zhejiang Geely Holding Co. this week. The Swedish unit was the last of four such overseas brands unloaded since 2007.

“Our track record operating with global premium brands has not been stellar,” Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth said last week in an interview. “We are going to continue to focus on Ford and the opportunities to drive revenues on Ford.”

Ford will sell Lincoln only in North America, Booth said. Since arriving in late 2006 from Boeing Co., Mulally has disposed of Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin and Volvo, and stressed rebuilding the reputation, quality and offerings of the Ford brand and the company’s original luxury line, Lincoln.

Ford paid $11.8 billion for Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo, and the sales prices for those brands totaled $4.2 billion. The company said in 2007 it received $848 million for Aston Martin without disclosing what it paid.

‘House of Brands’

Mulally’s dismantling of what he called Ford’s “house of brands” is a departure from the strategy followed by other automakers, which develop global luxury lineups as a source of profits and prestige.

Continue reading ‘Ford Said to Plan Hybrid Lincoln to Bolster Last Luxury Line’

01
Mar
10

New Ford Cabin Air Filters Help Provide Relief

By cima Leave a Comment
Categories: Fusion, Future Vehicles, Lincoln, MKZ, Mercury, Milan, Public Affairs, Quality and health
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

By Ford Motor Company

For the millions of people who suffer from airborne allergies, Ford is making a small change that could produce huge benefits. Beginning with the 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ, more efficient, upgraded allergen filters have been installed in the vehicles’ climate control systems. The particulate filters remove pollen, mold spores and road dust from outside air. The result is a cleaner, fresher cabin for occupants.

Ford is planning to use the high-quality cabin filters in a host of new vehicles, including the Ford Fiesta, which goes on sale in North America this year.

DETAILS
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the costs of treating hay fever and similar nasal allergies have skyrocketed, reaching more than $11 billion annually – mostly for prescription medications.

For the 30 to 40 percent of people estimated to suffer from allergies, improvements in air quality can make a big difference in their symptoms, and consequently their health care expenses.

Ford’s new cabin air filter removes the most troublesome airborne allergens, such as pollen and mold spores.

The cabin filter used in North America is similar to the one that has helped certify Ford vehicles in Europe as being allergy-friendly by the independent testing organization TÜV Rhineland. Ford is the only automaker in Europe with the official TÜV allergy-friendly certification.

11
May
09

Lincoln MKZ beats Lexus, Cadillac with more Standard Safety Features

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: Lincoln Mercury, MKZ, Quality, Sync and safety

lincoln

The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features than its Lexus and Cadillac competitors and further solidifies Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.

DETAILS:
The structure of the Lincoln MKZ helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Front and side-protection elements on the Lincoln MKZ include:

    * The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
    * Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip;
    * Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
    * Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
    * Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.

Continue reading ‘Lincoln MKZ beats Lexus, Cadillac with more Standard Safety Features’

08
May
09

LINCOLN MKZ EARNS TOP SAFETY PICK; EXTENDS FORD’S INDUSTRY LEAD IN CRASH RATINGS

By Ron Olson Leave a Comment
Categories: IIHS, Lincoln Mercury, MKZ and safety

SUMMARY:

  • The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ luxury midsize sedan received a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
  • Ford Motor Company holds more IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings than any other automaker and more U.S. government 5-star-rated vehicles than any brand
  • The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features – including a first-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) – than the Lexus ES350 and Cadillac CTS
BACKGROUND:

The new 2010 Lincoln MKZ luxury midsize sedan – arriving in dealerships now – is giving Lincoln showrooms another boost after earning a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The new MKZ offers more standard luxury features than its Lexus and Cadillac competitors and further solidifies Ford Motor Company’s industry-leading number of Top Safety Picks.

DETAILS:

The structure of the Lincoln MKZ helps it withstand intrusion in many accidents, including the most common frontal and side impacts.

The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle – from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.

Front and side-protection elements on the Lincoln MKZ include:

  • The first use on a Ford vehicle of dual-phase, high-strength steel rails on the front end;
  • Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip;
  • Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas;
  • Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness – nearly a quarter inch of solid steel – above the beltline; and
  • Front-seat side air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows.
Segment-exclusive features
The new Lincoln MKZ also offers segment-exclusive features, including:

  • First-in-class Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA), which makes navigating traffic and parking lots safer and easier.
  • AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system, which comes standard on all Lincoln vehicles, can predict the vehicle’s intentions using a sensor to detect and measure over-steer and yaw by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help keep the car tracking safely on its intended path.
  • Optional SYNC® with 911 AssistTM. When a phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, the system is ready to assist in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator in the event of an air bag-deploying accident. The key advantage of SYNC 911 Assist is speed, as calls are placed directly to local 911 operators.
  • SOS Post Crash Alert System, which activates the horn, emergency flashers, automatically unlocks doors and turns on the interior/puddle lamps when an air bag is deployed. The system activates the emergency flashers when a spinout is detected.

Additional standard safety features on the Lincoln MKZ include:

  • Ford’s Personal Safety System®. This suite of safety features includes safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractors, dual-stage front air bags, driver-seat-position sensing and crash-severity sensing.
  • Ford’s BeltMinder™ system. If the driver or front passenger remains unbuckled, the system chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first.
  • LATCH. The Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren system provides convenient mounting points for compatible child seats.
Top Safety Pick Requirements
To earn a Top Safety Pick rating, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” in offset frontal impact, side impact and rear impact evaluations and offer electronic stability control.

Continue reading ‘LINCOLN MKZ EARNS TOP SAFETY PICK; EXTENDS FORD’S INDUSTRY LEAD IN CRASH RATINGS’

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