2009 Lincoln Navigator L Elite~ac/heated Seats~20'' Wheels~dvd~ Warranty on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lincoln Navigator is the people's choice for best of Detroit Auto Show

At a big auto show, you hear a lot of from automotive journalists about the outstanding cars on display — for example, Autoblog's own editors' choices from the Detroit Auto Show. But the Detroit News does something neat instead. It asks the public to vote in its annual Readers' Choice Awards. And coming out on top was the 2018 Lincoln Navigator. The newspaper collars 100 attendees at the North American International Auto Show and asks them to vote. This year, the public's pick as Best of Show coincided with the North American Car of the Year voters, journalists who picked the Navigator as the Truck of the Year. (We at Autoblog were wowed by the Navigator, too, but our editors' choices were limited to vehicles that were revealed at the show — the Navigator has been out long enough, that we've actually driven and reviewed it.) The Navigator on display at the show has the ultra-plush Black Label interior. It's a $95,000 rig. No surprise then that hit was also the public's choice in the category of Best Road-Trip Ride. The public's other choices: Best Dream Machine — Ford GT. Best Family Fun Finder — Chrysler Pacifica. Baddest Off-Road Vehicle — Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Coolest Technology — BMW i8 Roadster. Most for Your Money — Kia Stinger. (Commenters on our recent Drivers' Notes review said the Stinger was a media darling the public won't buy, but these voters, at least, liked it.) Best Future Concept — Infiniti Q Inspiration. Most Eco-Friendly — Smart Fortwo. Most Amazing Mobility — Toyota Concept i-Walk. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Lincoln Navigator: First Drive View 53 Photos Auto News Detroit Auto Show Lincoln SUV Luxury 2018 detroit auto show

Why the 2015 Lincoln MKC is 'holding some powder'

Earlier this month in our first drive of the 2015 MKC, we told you that Lincoln finally had a new vehicle in its arsenal worth crowing about. So with the compact premium crossover now finding its way into dealers, why aren't you seeing its likeness plastered on billboards and barraging you on television? It's because Lincoln is "holding some powder."
Those are the words of Lincoln's global director, Matt VanDyke, who tells Autoblog that the company is holstering some of its marketing guns because it's keen to avoid repeating the ill-timed efforts that blighted its last rollout, the MKZ. That vehicle's launch early last year was beset by various delays related to manufacturing and quality. The cadence issue was so dire that by the time the model reached showrooms in volume, Lincoln had already blown most of its budget on things like Super Bowl ads that ran weeks or even months before customers could check one out in person. It was a particularly trying series of events for parent Ford because the MKZ and its oversized marketing spend were charged with relaunching the Lincoln brand to the public.
Keen to avoid repeating the same timing issue and mindful of consumers' habits at this time of year, Lincoln is taking a different strategy with the MKC. According to VanDyke, "What we don't want to do is try and fight the summertime - people using television being down, and other mass media when school's out. New television shows aren't on." Of course, that doesn't mean Lincoln is sitting idle. VanDyke says, "By no means are we quiet during the next 90 days. This year, we're going to really spend the next 60 to 90 days using digital and social media, in-theater advertising and the like, and once we have full availability at dealerships, we'll really ramp up the advertising later on in the summer." Part of that early media effort includes immersive digital marketing like Lincoln's clever Dream Rides web experience.

Lincoln to adopt Mini-like personalization strategy?

There's no single silver bullet that will cure all that ails the Lincoln brand, and Ford knows that just as surely as we do. Coming out with exciting new models like the well-received MKC crossover counts as several steps in the right direction, assuming of course that the production version is as appealing as the concept just shown at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, but more is needed. According to Jim Farley, executive vice president of Lincoln, one more trick may be "mass customization."
Put another way, Lincoln is considering ways to allow buyers to customize their new vehicles right off the showroom floor, similar to how things are done at Mini, and, to a lesser extent, Scion, where Farley previously served as corporate manager. Imagine, for instance, ordering a new MKC with a large Lincoln insignia embossed into the leather seatbacks, according to Automotive News.
While we're not so sure anybody is all that interested in paying extra for more Lincoln logos, it's a strategy that has proven rather fruitful at Mini. Only time will tell if Ford's erstwhile luxury division will once again be seen as something truly worth reaching for, and if customers are willing to pay a further premium for customization.