#LAAS2015: Did Lincoln Make A MISTAKE With The Refresh Of The New MKZ?

#LAAS2015: Did Lincoln Make A MISTAKE With The Refresh Of The New MKZ?
So, we've been waiting quite some time to see if Ford's luxury division, Lincoln, would get its own time to shine. For years we've seen the brand get neglected with what are essentially warmed-over Ford products.

While that may have worked in years past, it's just not clicking anymore for consumers.

2015 Los Angeles Auto Show (LAAS) Photo Gallery

Finally at the 2015 New York Auto Show the company dropped the gauntlet with the debut of the all-new Lincoln Continental Concept. It stunned us and was the talk of the show. Showing off an entirely new design language it was love at first sight for many.

Fast forward to this week's 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and we received word that the MKZ would be refreshed. Turns out Lincoln reworked the facade of the MKZ to mimic the all-new Continental.

Is this a HUGE mistake? By doing so, effectively Lincoln has taken a last-gen product and given it the new age treatment. Wouldn't a company thinking strategically want to bring in an all-new fresh product portfolio ushering in an all-new era for the company?

Seems like Lincoln may have poisoned the well with this one. And, I don't think a 400 horsepower V8 is going to save the day.

What say you, Spies? Did Lincoln make a MISTAKE with its refresh of the new MKZ sedan?


The 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show photo galleries are sponsored by Lexus.

2015 Los Angeles Auto Show (LAAS) Photo Gallery
















Dexter1Dexter1 - 11/21/2015 11:58:26 AM
+1 Boost
The Jaguar grille is a nice touch.


carsnyccarsnyc - 11/21/2015 2:18:04 PM
+1 Boost
The old car was bad and this is incoherent bad.


carloslassitercarloslassiter - 11/21/2015 2:38:32 PM
+3 Boost
No one is going to buy one of these.


PUGPROUDPUGPROUD - 11/21/2015 2:41:21 PM
0 Boost
They tacked on design Q's of the coming Town Car and it looks like a mishmash because it is. Should have started with a clean piece of paper but took the cheap way out instead. Penny wise pound foolish particularly when trying to build a luxury brand.


TomMTomM - 11/21/2015 3:32:08 PM
+5 Boost
For a mid-cycle refresh - they are using this car to introduce the new Face of Lincoln - and it will sell as well as any Lincoln has sold since the demise of the Panther vehicles. I think the styling of the Continental is far more important for Lincoln - however - PugProud has it right - they are trying to build a "luxury" brand - not a German sports sedan fighter. They have indentified their customer - and they are going after THAT customer - unlike Cadillac - who has yet to identify its customer - but is producing cars that old Cadillac buyers simply do not want.


Agent00RAgent00R - 11/21/2015 5:47:44 PM
+3 Boost
Valid point BUT if you want to build a NEW brand, start anew PROPERLY, no?

That's what I am saying in my post and that's why I believe Lincoln has made a very silly mistake.


MDarringerMDarringer - 11/21/2015 10:27:00 PM
+1 Boost
And Agent00R, you are in the minority.

I predict--like the Continental before it--I will have people contacting me asking about availability.

Having this in the dealer with the Continental is brilliant marketing. People who cannot afford the Continental will be attracted to the return of the icon and will want it, but the MKZ is what they can afford and because it looks like a Continental, they will buy it.

We will happily sell sell sell both.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a full body replacement with a new rear end and a name within two years.

Ford does the same thing with the Mustang GT and Ecoboost versus the V6. People come in mesmerized by the 5.0 and tantalized by the Ecoboost--which tend to be highly optioned--and they can afford neither, but they discover the well-optioned V6--even in base form--and drive out enjoying the image.


TomMTomM - 11/22/2015 8:35:57 AM
+1 Boost
Agent 00R - the Problem is - it is NOT an entirely new car - and Ford is not set up to replace their mid-size offerings with an entirely new car yet. So - it is a mid-cycle refresh. And since we already know what the Entirely new Continetal will look like -they have NO CHOICE but to use the new grill - or leave the car entirely in the past.

Now - if they really wanted to take the American Luxury car market (And since Cadillac - at least DeNysschen - had abandoned that market to go for German sports sedans) - I would have used a modified Continental Grill - more Upright - more Radiator Grill like - and maybe even with a Hood Ornament. This is THEIR history - and no one would mistake it for any other brand.

There was a time when Gm emulated Rolls Royce - instead of the Germans - and I believe they made a mistake in not going in that direction. A top end Cadillac in the manner of a Rolls would sell all they could produce in the USA. Their current styling is already too old - the CT6 is coming out with that old stlying - they need to move on a little more.


Agent00RAgent00R - 11/22/2015 5:56:37 PM
+1 Boost
@Tom

I think the MKZ is/was a sunk cost. Leave the design for the REAL all-new product and let the MKZ fade into the sunset.


wileyzwileyz - 11/21/2015 3:53:37 PM
+4 Boost
New face of Lincoln looks like the old face of Jaguar...and still with an ugly back end. Continental was way more interesting but based upon this they'll mess that up in execution.



MDarringerMDarringer - 11/21/2015 10:37:47 PM
+1 Boost
Be that as it may, the "new face of Ford being the old face of Aston Martin" as been killer for sales. So, sneer less and understand just how intrepid--and ironic--this is.


Vette71Vette71 - 11/22/2015 10:43:31 AM
+1 Boost
Good point about the rear end. It isn't attractive and even more out of place with this new front end.


MDarringerMDarringer - 11/21/2015 8:02:10 PM
+2 Boost
This will cause sales to go up. What really needs to happen is much more realistic pricing. The MKZ can hit $50K with popular boxes ticked. Dropping the price across the board $5K would be a good idea. The Continental needs to come in with a base of $45K and not the $70K being bandied about.


cidflekkencidflekken - 11/22/2015 3:15:33 AM
+1 Boost
Not sure if you'd call it a mistake, but I do think the MKZ has helped a bit of the revival for Lincoln. Actually, i guess Matthew Mcconaughey is probably a bit more responsible.

But I do think this is exactly the type of styling (the front end anyway) that Lincoln's primary customers want. Despite its clear derivation of Jaguar and Audi in the front (and its hideous headlight designs), it will attract more of what the 25k customers, retail and fleet, this year were looking for.

Was it a mistake? I don't think so. Car makers are notorious these days for not doing drastic styling changes even for completely "brand new" models. Audi and BMW are perfect examples.


MDarringerMDarringer - 11/22/2015 9:53:44 AM
+1 Boost
The current MKZ sells no better and usually WORSE than the pervious one. THAT is a telling failure.


cidflekkencidflekken - 11/22/2015 2:28:27 PM
+2 Boost
Well, that's incorrect. First of all, the current model's base price is $5k higher than the previous model. Secondly, since the current model was introduced in 2013, it achieved 32k units in 2013 and 34k units in 2014. For 2015 YTD, it's running behind 2014's numbers. The prior 4 years, 2009-2012, sales were 22k, 22k, 27k, and 28k.


Agent00RAgent00R - 11/22/2015 5:59:22 PM
+2 Boost
@cid

I could care less if it's drastic. The point being made is should the company have left the all-new look for the all-new product and not a half-hearted refresh of what will be considered a Lincoln from the previous era — assuming F doesn't mess up the all-new Continental.


cidflekkencidflekken - 11/23/2015 1:15:05 PM
+2 Boost
00R, I hear what you're saying and that makes sense. The new Continental should have been the flagship to kick off a "new era" for Lincoln, and a much stronger statement.

I think the biggest mistake was putting out such an non-harmonious design with a classic front and an ultra-modern rear, with a fairly modern interior.


MarathonBobMarathonBob - 11/22/2015 8:33:08 PM
+2 Boost
Well I'll be the contrarian. I thought the first version was more attractive than the Fusion. I think this is even better. I disagree with AgentOOR that Ford/Lincoln should have saved the changes for an all new version. That's unrealistic and isn't true for nearly all car models which receive mid life update. I'm sure that a brand new version will be even better. The disappointment to me is that Lincoln hasn't embraced rear wheel drive.

BTW, I'm not an old Town Car driver, I have 2 Porsche's and 2 BMWs in my garage.


jameswisrikjameswisrik - 11/24/2015 8:12:12 AM
0 Boost
CAN IT GET ANY HEAVIER! LOOKS LIKE A FAT RICHARD SIMMONS!
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