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2022 Lincoln Aviator MSRP discounted from $5 to $1,085

Price changes continue apace over at Lincoln. The 2022 Navigator received price boosts from the single figure to four figures, the 2022 Corsair came down in price by anywhere from three to four figures. The penultimate crossover in the four-strong lineup, the Aviator, gets one price increase of $105 to go along with discounts ranging from $105 to almost $1,100. As with the Navigator and Corsair, though, the Aviator's destination price is up by $100, from $1,095 to $1,195, trimming those discounts slightly. Prices for the new Aviator and the changes from the last 2021 pricing are: RWD Standard: $52,660 ($5 less) Reserve: $58,550 ($130 less) AWD Standard: $55,160 ($5 less) Reserve: $61,080 ($110 less) Grand Touring: $69.555 ($1.085 less) Black Label: $80,545 ($105) Black Label Grand Touring: $89,100 ($980 less) Another pricing quirk is that AWD has got more expensive on the Reserve trim. Sending power to the front wheels cost $2,510 in 2021, now it costs $2,530.  The Aviator doesn't appear to pair the price drops with punishments. The only big change for the 2022 model is former Monochromatic Package being given even more black-out trim and a name change to the Jet Package. The Monochromatic Package left bits of chrome on the car, such as the grille surround, fender badges, and window surrounds. The Jet Package abolishes those shiny bits in favor of gloss black trim. The body-colored mirrors also go black, as do the grille centers and the 22-inch wheels. It's meant to be available early this year, but at the time of writing, it's still not on the Lincoln configurator. When it does arrive, it can be optioned with the exterior colors Infinite Black, Pristine White, Silver Radiance, and Burgundy Velvet. The Monochromatic Package cost $2,000, the Jet Package will likely push that number up a bit. Ford Authority reports that Ford engineers have also reduced the latest Aviator's tow rating from 6,700 pounds with the Class IV Trailer Tow Package to 5,600 pounds. That package is standard on the Black Label Grand Touring trim, a cost option on other trims. The 2022 model isn't long for this world, GMA saying the 2023 enters production on May 30th.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

BMW, Hyundai score big in JD Power's first Tech Experience Index

While automakers are quick to brag about winning a JD Power Initial Quality Study award, the reality, as we've pointed out before, is that these ratings are somewhat misleading, since IQS doesn't necessarily distinguish genuine quality issues. JD Power's new Tech Experience Index aims to solve that problem. The new metric takes the same 90-day approach as IQS but focuses exclusively on technology – collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, navigation, and smartphone mirroring. It splits the industry up into just seven segments, based loosely on size, which is why the Chevrolet Camaro is in the same division (mid-size) as Kia Sorento and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is in the same segment as the Hyundai Genesis (mid-size premium). It makes for some screwy bedfellows, to be sure. Still, splitting tech experience away from initial quality should allow customers to make more informed and intelligent decisions when buying new vehicles. In the inaugural study, respondents listed BMW and Hyundai as the big winners, with two segment awards – the 2 Series for small premium and the 4 Series for compact premium, and the Genesis for mid-size premium and Tucson for small segment. The Chevrolet Camaro (midsize), Kia Forte (compact), and Nissan Maxima (large) scored individual wins. Ford also had a surprising hit with the Lincoln MKC, which ranked third in the compact premium segment behind the 4 Series and Lexus IS. This is a coup for the Blue Oval, whose woeful MyFord Touch systems made the brand a victim of the IQS' flaws in the early 2010s. But Ford and other automakers might not want to celebrate just yet. According to JD Power, there's still a lot of room for improvement – navigation systems were the lowest-rated piece of tech in the study. Instead, customers repeatedly saluted collision-avoidance and safety systems, giving the category the best marks of the study and listing blind-spot monitoring and backup cameras as two must-have features – 96 percent of respondents said they wanted those two systems in their next vehicle. But this isn't really a surprise. Implementation of safety systems from brand to brand is similar, and they don't require any input from users, unlike navigation and infotainment systems which are frustratingly deep.

Quitting Mexico factory helps bring down Ford earnings $200 million in 2016

Ford released its 2016 earnings report this morning, and despite a fourth quarter net loss it proved to be the automaker's second most successful year ever, following record breaking numbers in 2015. Losses for the year come from a number of sources, including accounting changes and a $200 million hit for backing out of the small-car factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Despite the loss, come March 9 about 56,000 UAW-represented employees will receive a $9,000 profit-sharing check. That, like most of Ford's other 2016 metrics, is slightly down from the year before, but it's still the second best profit-sharing payment ever. Total net income was $4.6 billion, down $2.8 billion from 2015. Total revenue for 2016 was $151.8 billion, up $2.2 billion. Ford's earnings report lists a global market share of 7.6 percent, down a tenth from 2015. Ford's European and Asia-Pacific markets posted their best and second best pre-tax profits respectively. The South American, Middle East, and African markets all took hits because of unstable economies and other external factors. Ford expects to have another down year in 2017 as it invests in new and emerging markets and focuses more on its mobility projects.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Ford via Automotive NewsImage Credit: Getty Earnings/Financials Plants/Manufacturing UAW/Unions Ford Lincoln Mexico ford earnings