2014 Lincoln Mks Ecoboost on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Matthew McConaughey Lincoln pitches drive on with new MKZ ads

You didn't think a few spoofs were going to break up Lincoln and pitch-man Matthew McConaughey, did you? With more than three million extra free views of Lincoln products on YouTube because of the send-ups – and no one is making fun of the car, remember – the brand rightly concludes, "We couldn't ask for better." That's why the pair are back, this time working on behalf of the MKZ and MKZ Hybrid. The two commercials "Balance" and "Diner" are new, but the formula is the same - cinematic, contemplative, channeling more than a bit of True Detective. They'll hit broadcast channels during college bowl games on New Year's Day. You can watch "Balance" above and "Diner" below, and the press release further down has more details. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Matthew McConaughey Gets Behind Wheel of 2015 Lincoln MKZ in New Ads Airing Jan. 1 - The Lincoln Motor Company teams up again with Academy Award™ winner Matthew McConaughey to create Lincoln MKZ and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid ad campaign that will begin airing during high-profile New Year's Day college football bowl games - Two new TV and online ads will promote Lincoln MKZ and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid midsize sedans, which have given a new direction to the brand with their introduction two years ago - Lincoln's previous collaboration with McConaughey, the "Live in Your Moment" campaign, fueled early sales success of 2015 Lincoln MKC small premium utility DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 29, 2014 – In the bright spotlight of New Year's Day college football bowl games, The Lincoln Motor Company will launch its newest ad campaign promoting the 2015 Lincoln MKZ and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and featuring Matthew McConaughey. Filmed in a style and tone consistent with last summer's much-talked-about "Live in Your Moment" ads for the first-ever Lincoln MKC, the new campaign brings the attention back to the premium midsize sedan that has been Lincoln's best-selling vehicle since arriving in showrooms two years ago. "The overwhelming response to the MKC campaign sparked truly great awareness for Lincoln," said Andrew Frick, Group Marketing Manager Lincoln. "Matthew's natural storytelling ability perfectly complements the Lincoln story as we continue to raise awareness and drive conversation in creative and unexpected ways.

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.

Bring back the Bronco! Trademarks we hope are actually (someday) future car names

Trademark filings are the tea leaves of the auto industry. Read them carefully – and interpret them correctly – and you might be previewing an automaker's future product plans. Yes, they're routinely filed to maintain the rights to an iconic name. And sometimes they're only for toys and clothing. But not always. Sometimes, the truth is right in front of us. The trademark is required because a company actually wants to use the name on a new car. With that in mind, here's a list of intriguing trademark filings we want to see go from paperwork to production reality. Trademark: Bronco Company: Ford Previous Use: The Bronco was a long-running SUV that lived from 1966-1996. It's one of America's original SUVs and was responsible for the increased popularity of the segment. Still, it's best known as O.J. Simpson's would-be getaway car. We think: The Bronco was an icon. Everyone seems to want a Wrangler-fighter – Ford used to have a good one. Enough time has passed that the O.J. police chase isn't the immediate image conjured by the Bronco anymore. Even if we're doing a wish list in no particular order, the Bronco still finds its way to the top. For now (unfortunately), it's just federal paperwork. Rumors on this one can get especially heated. The official word from a Ford spokesman is: "Companies renew trademark filings to maintain ownership and control of the mark, even if it is not currently used. Ford values the iconic Bronco name and history." Trademarks: Aviator, AV8R Company: Ford Previous Use: The Aviator was one of the shortest-run Lincolns ever, lasting for the 2003-2005 model years. It never found the sales success of the Ford Explorer, with which it shared a platform. We Think: The Aviator name no longer fits with Lincoln's naming nomenclature. Too bad, it's better than any other name Lincoln currently uses, save for its former big brother, the Navigator. Perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree, though. Ford has made several customized, aviation themed-Mustangs in the past, including one called the Mustang AV8R in 2008, which had cues from the US Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet. It sold for $500,000 at auction, and the glass roof – which is reminiscent of a fighter jet cockpit – helped Ford popularize the feature. Trademark: EcoBeast Company: Ford Previous Use: None by major carmakers.