Quote:
Originally Posted by PDXSSCE
With the 2017 Continental & MKZ they're definitely on the right track.  |
Not really. Reskinning Fords & adding some 'checkbox luxury' items is the same thing they've been doing for quite a while. Hasn't done anything to build up the reputation of the brand thus far, and there is nothing in the MKZ or Continental that I can see that changes that.
If Ford wants Lincoln to be compared against Buick and Acura, this is perfectly acceptable. It will bring in a tidy extra profit over the base car for minimal investment. But if they want to be in the realm of Audi or Mercedes then they have to do a
lot more. Even Cadillac isn't there yet with 15 years and billions of investment. But at least people don't outright laugh at the idea that Caddy can play with the Germans anymore. Or most don't anyway. And again, it took a decade and a half & tons of cash just to get that far.
I don't see Ford making anything approaching that kind of commitment to Lincoln. The new Continental is proof of that. They could have delivered an absolute stunner of a car that rocked the automotive world. No, it wouldn't instantly propel the brand into the top ranks of the 'regular' luxury brands. But it would at least move the needle for Lincoln. Instead, Ford grafted whatever concept car styling elements they could onto the bones of a Taurus & hoped nobody would notice.