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Ford to ramp up Lincoln rollout in China in bid to catch rivals

DETROIT/BEIJING — Ford Motor Co's premium Lincoln brand plans to build as many as five new vehicles in China by 2022, according to two U.S. sources, in a move to expand sales in the world's largest vehicle market that would also blunt the impact of trade U.S.-China trade spats. Ford has said it plans to build an all-new sport utility vehicle in China by the end of 2019, however the company has not detailed future production plans for the Lincoln brand in China beyond that. "Our localization plans to support the China market are on track and will serve to further drive Lincoln's growth in China," Lincoln spokeswoman Angie Kozleski said. "Beyond that, it would be premature to discuss our future product and production plans or timing." Sources familiar with Ford's production plans told Reuters the automaker now expects to begin building the new Lincoln Aviator in China in late 2019 or early 2020, along with replacements for the MKC compact crossover and the MKZ midsize sedan, followed in 2021 by the all-new Nautilus, which replaces the Lincoln MKX crossover. A fifth model, a small coupe-like crossover, is tentatively slated for production in China in 2022, the sources said. Ford has much to lose if the war of words over trade between China and U.S. President Donald Trump escalates into a full-blown tariff war. Last year, it shipped about 80,000 vehicles to China from North America, more than half of them Lincolns to support the brand's growth. All Lincoln vehicles that Ford now sells in China are brought in from North America. Even if China does reduce its 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles - as Chinese President Xi Jinping promised on Tuesday - it is not clear that would mean a big, long-term increase in Fords and Lincolns made in U.S. factories heading to Chinese showrooms. Ford is pursuing long-range plans to build more vehicles in China to serve a market that is now roughly 60 percent larger than the U.S. market, and projected to keep growing. But it is playing catch up to hometown rival General Motors Co and German luxury brands including Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which have invested heavily in Chinese production in recent years as a form of insurance against trade, political and currency gyrations and to lower price points for their premium cars.

Looking back on our favorite cars of Mad Men

The second half of the seventh and final season of Mad Men debuted this week, set to cap a run of public and critical acclaim. A decade's worth of interesting cars also made for good television, if you were paying attention. Vehicles didn't often steal the spotlight from Don, Betty, Roger, Joan and the gang, but they added meaningfully to the tone and beauty of the series. We sorted through the wheeled extras from Mad Men's archives, and choose some of our favorites to highlight. The list consists of cars that had at least a small impact on the plot of an episode, though certainly there are worthy gems hiding in just about every street and driving scene. Check out our subjective top five, and then let us know which of the Mad Men cars would be on your list. 1962 Cadillac Coupe DeVille – Season 2 Don Draper's Cadillac Coupe DeVille, all 500 feet of it, shows up in a few seasons of the show, but it's the first appearance that sets the tone. A Cadillac salesman, cut from the same cloth as Draper, asks what Don drives right now. "A Dodge," Don admits. "Those are wonderful if you want to get somewhere," allows the salesman, "this is for when you've already arrived." For a man on the move up corporate and social ladders that's a powerful message, and a pitch-perfect car. 1961 Lincoln Continental – Season 3 The most stylish Lincoln Continental ever is perfect set dressing for the mod show, of course. Though it's interesting that the car isn't cast as dapper Draper's ride, but rather his father-in-law's. Grandpa Gene does what all great grandfathers are bound to: lets his granddaughter Sally drive the big Lincoln while he works the pedals. Generational bond secured, in fine fashion. When you go back through the first three seasons of the show, you'll notice that Continentals show up more than once, too. There's nothing quite like them to evoke the best of the early '60s. 1963 John Deere 110 – Season 3 The only non-standard passenger vehicle on the list, no self-respecting gearhead/Mad Men fan should quibble with the inclusion of the John Deere 110 riding mower. For starters, the Deere is lovely to look at; a miniature version of the American Heartland icon in its green and yellow duds. The 110 appears as if milled from a solid block of steel, just the opposite of today's sleek, plasticky lawn minders (we're scouring Craigslist for one to bring home). The John Deere also has dear ramifications to the plot, too.

2020 Lincoln Corsair spied inside and out, ready to replace the MKC

Last year we were told the Lincoln MKC crossover would be renamed the Lincoln Corsair for the 2020 model year. A full exterior and interior redesign is on its way to go with the name change, one we get to see up close and personal here. We were led to believe that the Corsair would take its design cues from the handsome three-row Aviator SUV. That sentiment rings true for the exterior and interior as we take a look at these first spy shots of the smallest Lincoln crossover. The silhouette of the Corsair is near spot-on that of the Aviator's — it's smaller in every way, but styling elements like the grille, taillights, tapered rear window and overhanging spoiler all scream Aviator. Even the wheels look ripped straight from a lower-spec Aviator. We think that's great, because the Aviator is one hell of a looker now that all the camouflage has been stripped off it. Lincoln is bringing its new interior styling to the small crossover too, it appears. The shots we get to see here show that this won't even come close to resembling its redesigned Escape sibling on the inside. Instead, we're feeling Navigator and Aviator vibes all over. The big screen perched on top, chrome everywhere and classy appearance is reassuring; any concern over seeing a Lincoln version of a Ford on the inside should be wiped away with these photos. This interior looks like it's ready for the showroom floor, too. We're thinking you'll likely be able to buy one before the year is done. A report earlier this week shed some light on possible powertrain options we could see on this crossover related to the Ford Escape. A 2.0-liter Ecoboost engine is likely to be the base option, while the 2.3-liter Ecoboost will remain as an upgrade. The possibility of a plug-in hybrid version looms, though. With the Lincoln Aviator going that route, an electrified option for the smaller crossover could prove appealing for some buyers not wanting to pony up for the big Aviator. A reveal for this crossover should be coming soon at this rate, possibly even at the N.Y. Auto Show in April this year. Related video: