2003 Lincoln Town Car Cartier - Show Condition on 2040-cars

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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latest shots also show us that the rear quarter windows have been enlarged and the integrated dual exhaust outlets have been replaced by round pipes.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.

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.

Ford announces four recalls, 1.4M vehicles affected

Ford is taking a bit of the spotlight away from General Motors, announcing a major group of recall campaigns, covering a total of 1.4 million vehicles built between 2006 and 2013.
Let's start with the big one, which covers the Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner and, according to The Detroit News, Ford-built Mazda Tribute CUVs. 915,216 vehicles are covered, all of which were built in model years 2008 to 2011. 736,000 vehicles are in the US, while Canada then Mexico make up the vast majority of the remainder. The problem is due to an issue with the torque sensor in the steering column, which could lead to sudden power steering failure. Manual steering would still be available, though.
"Dealers will perform one of three service fixes, depending upon what diagnostic codes are shown when the vehicle is taken to the dealer," Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker wrote to Autoblog in an email. "They will either update software for the power steering control module and the instrument cluster module; replace the torque sensor; or replace the steering column, which includes upgraded power steering control module software."