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Lincoln poised to double MKZ Hybrid production

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid has been something of a hit for Ford since the beginning, exceeding the company's modest projected 15-percent take rate for more than two years (we say "modest" because that still means an overwhelming majority of Lincoln customers are passing up on the gas-electric powertrain even though it costs the same as the standard model). Either way, Lincoln builds 700 MKZ Hybrids at its plant in Mexico each month, but has sold 715 of them in each of the past three months. That's why, according to a report in The Detroit News, when the restyled 2014 MKZ Hybrid arrives (non-hybrid pictured), Ford is doubling production compared to 2013. Instead of the hybrid model being 20 percent of production, the new hybrid will make up 40 percent.
Ford is doing well with hybrids in general - its portion of the electrified vehicle segment jumping 12 points in a single year to 16 percent. Assuming Ford doesn't change the pricing strategy (along with the changes Ford is making to calibration to improve fuel economy), the sedan could continue to "[show] other luxury hybrids how it's done" when it goes on sale later this year.

2015 Lincoln Navigator gets lots of updates, still not all-new [w/video]

If there's one brand that could really use some fresh, all-new product, it's Lincoln. The MKC crossover is on the way and looks promising, but the just-revealed 2015 model year update of its fullsize Navigator would appear to stop somewhere short of being "all-new." This, despite replacing a product that's been on the market since 2007. Oh sure, there's a brash new face, complete with the company's love or hate split-wing grille, and the revised rear-end treatment does look better to our eyes (if overly familiar). But in the era of the bold new all-aluminum Ford F-150, the Navigator is still based on the outgoing model's all-steel bones, so it's more of an extensive mid-cycle refresh than a completely new piece.
Unlike the F-150, there's no aluminum suit on this black-tie bruiser
That's a shame, really, because the class the Navigator is playing in features a host of really modern, stylish, luxurious crossovers and sport utilities like the Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class and more. Unlike the F-150, there's no aluminum suit on this black-tie bruiser, but that's not to say it isn't bringing some new tech to the table in 2015. Under the hood, for example, is Ford's well-received 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, putting out "at least" 370 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. That's a solid engine, and should be a whole lot more spunky and efficient than the archaic 5.4-liter Triton V8 currently being employed in the outgoing model.

Is Lincoln working on a Continental concept?

The Lincoln Continental wasn't included in our post on the list of trademarks we'd like to see turned into production vehicles – the only Lincoln mention was our idea of transferring its Aviator name to a special edition Ford Mustang. But, like you, the idea of a resurrected Continental is always with us, especially when we read articles about the brand's efforts to redefine American luxury. Ford applied for the Continental trademark in 1953 and renewed in 2005, and it appears they might have something to show for it soon. A web snooper found a development site at the Lincoln domain that introduces us to the "elegantly styled and boldly distinctive Lincoln Continental Concept." There are no images, but we've combined all the text into a single image, above, and the hints we get in three blurb texts inform us that "It represents who we are as a carmaker," that it's an "envisioning of what's to come," that "No question went unanswered" and "No answer went unchallenged," and that it "is everything we know about cars, and everything we understand about people." We also found the tagline "Follow us forward," which doesn't appear on any published Lincoln site page at the moment, and the public is invited to get involved (eventually) by tweeting Continental stories and photos. Could this be the next step in the turgid drama Lincoln Rising? We look forward to finding out. Related Video: