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Ford's struggles in China continue as November sales drop 8 percent

Ford's sales in China fell 8 percent in November from a year ago, following a 5 percent decline in October, the U.S. automaker said on Monday. The firm's sales in the first 11 months of the year totaled 1.06 million vehicles, down 6 percent from the same period a year ago. Ford's China sales growth has lagged behind rivals in the world's top auto market this year, with the carmaker now looking to overhaul its strategy to revive growth in China under new chief executive Jim Hackett. Among other moves, the review of its China operations will likely see Ford focus on segments such as electric cars and electric commercial vans, with China encouraging to help clean up its polluted and congested city centers. Ford is looking to roll out more new-energy vehicles for China and is planning to experiment with a more direct selling approach in a partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Reporting By Norihiko ShirouzuRelated Video:

2020 Lincoln Aviator final specs drop — it makes even more power than before

The 2020 Lincoln Aviator is getting more power, and we haven’t even driven it yet. Well, itÂ’s not getting more power, but the final numbers are officially out, and theyÂ’re higher than what Lincoln promised at the initial reveal. We were told at last year's L.A. Auto Show that the base 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 would make 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. Lincoln's spec sheet shows itÂ’s still going to make 400 horsepower, but the torque figure is now up to 415 pound-feet. We're looking at the same spec sheet, but a hat tip to CarBuzz for noticing the change first. The plug-in hybrid model has received an even larger bump to its ratings. Lincoln said it would be 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque combined, but itÂ’s actually going to be 494 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. We were a bit slack-jawed at the numbers before, and this just takes it one step further. Lincoln still isnÂ’t quoting any acceleration numbers, but with this amount of power, something in the 4- to 5-second range seems likely for a 0-60 mph time. ItÂ’s a legitimate shot across the bow in the German SUV horsepower wars. That said, the Aviator persona comes across as much more muscle car-like than a performance SUV meant to tackle lap times like the AMGs and M car SUVs of the world. We donÂ’t know the all-electric range yet, but Lincoln did tell us the size of the battery pack and the electric motorÂ’s output. Aviator PHEVs will be working with a 13.6 kWh battery pack and a 101-horsepower electric motor. There are two modes: One is called Preserve EV, and the other is called Pure EV. Preserve EV is able to charge the battery up to 75 percent using the engine while driving, whereas Pure EV is designed to keep the car in electric-only mode. YouÂ’ll get blue accents in the Lincoln star if you buy the plug-in hybrid, too. Some cool headlight technology is coming to the Aviator in the form of optional adaptive pixel LED headlights. Lincoln says itÂ’s capable of speed-dependent lighting, which adjusts the beam based on your speed. At fast speeds, Lincoln says more light is directed at the road, while driving at low speeds disperses it wider to cover more area directly in front of the vehicle. WeÂ’ll be driving the new Aviator soon, so look out for our first drive impressions coming later this month.

Weekly Recap: Matthew McConaughey's star shines brightly for Lincoln

The commercials were a little strange at first, but the ensuing spoofs were hilarious. And all jokes aside, Matthew McConaughey has made a difference for Lincoln. Advertisements starring the Oscar winner launched in September, and the results have been impressive. The number of customers clicking on Lincoln.com to check out the MKC – the crossover McConaughey pitched – has tripled since the ads began airing, a spokesman told Autoblog. They also generated 4.4 million views on YouTube and spawned parodies by Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O'Brien, South Park and Jim Carrey on Saturday Night Live, which racked up another 15 million views. Most importantly, Lincoln's sales have increased 15 percent through November, helped significantly by the strong launch of the MKC. Without the addition of the MKC, Lincoln's sales would have been essentially flat last year. The MKC has received solid reviews from consumers and the press, though it has had several recalls. "The overwhelming response to the MKC campaign sparked truly great awareness for Lincoln," Andrew Frick, Lincoln group marketing manager, said in a statement. Now Lincoln has launched another round of spots, which kicked off New Year's Day during college football bowl games. This time, McConaughey is hawking the MKZ sedan and its hybrid sibling. The spots, called Diner and Balance, use the same artistic formula as the earlier ads, with McConaughey intoning seriously about the cars in dramatic settings. They were shot over two days in Los Angeles and were directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, a Danish filmmaker who directed the 2011 move, Drive. The ads continue Lincoln's multiyear deal with McConaughey, who has said he's been long been interested in the brand. He starred in the 2011 thriller, The Lincoln Lawyer, as a defense attorney who worked out of a Town Car, though that was before his deal with Lincoln. In one of the earlier ads, McConaughey claims: "I've been driving a Lincoln since long before anybody paid me to drive one. I didn't do it to be cool. I didn't to it to make a statement. I just liked it." That sentiment appears to have worked for the MKC's launch, and with this new advertising blitz, Lincoln hopes it carries over to the MKZ. Other News And Notes Infiniti Q30 spied in winter testing Infiniti is continuing development work on the Q30 small crossover, and we've recently captured it during winter testing.