2019 Lincoln Nautilus Select-edition"clear-title"low-miles"awd"msrp$45k on 2040-cars

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Lincoln May Rebadge Its MKZ As Zephyr | Autoblog Minute

Ford Motor Company applied this month to get the rights to the trademark for the word Zephyr. We think the MKZ might be rebadge as the Lincoln Zephyr.

Lincoln MKC spied in final form

When the Lincoln MKC Concept debuted back in January, it received fairly positive feedback from both Autoblog editors and readers alike, and this bodes well for the production version of the luxury crossover judging by these latest spy shots. Reader Ivan Lo captured a few pictures of some MKC prototypes driving around with minimal camouflage, which gives us our best look yet at the design of this new Escape-based Lincoln.
Based on the spy shots from back in May, we already knew that the production MKC would sport some real door handles, a little side cladding and bigger door mirrors, but these latest shots also show us that the rear quarter windows have been enlarged and the integrated dual exhaust outlets have been replaced by round pipes. This means that the MKC will retain the concept's narrow headlights and what is arguably Lincoln's best execution of its split-wing grille. Even better, the rear view confirms the stylish horizontal taillights will remain intact, as well as the Audi-like wraparound liftgate. Since the entire taillight assembly rises along with the liftgate, redundant lights were also added into the rear fascia.
Unfortunately, the low angle of these spy shots leaves us without a view of the interior, but based on its looks alone, the MKC is shaping up to be a promising vehicle for a brand that so badly needs some fresh metal.

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.