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Lincoln Tops in Vehicle Satisfaction In AutoPacific’s 2019 Vehicle Satisfaction Research Lincoln Tops the charts.  This is certainly good news for Lincoln Motor Company for 2019.  But the good news is getting better.  Lincoln is building a lineup that may guarantee top billing in the future.

Lincoln, Navigator, Nautilus, Continental  Lincoln Tops the research as the overall best scoring brand.  Added to the overall brand results, the new Lincoln Navigator luxury SUV is at the top of its category. The Lincoln Continental is the top rated luxury car.  The Lincoln Nautilus is the top Luxury Mid-Size SUV.  This is an impressive display of satisfying entries.

Lincoln is Going Back to Names – How Refreshing  Lincoln has been readying for a resurgence for several years and it is about to pay off.  The brand is finally getting rid of the ill-fated alpha-numeric naming strategy they have been using for the recent past.  Only the MKZ and MKC remain of the old nomenclature.

Not Trying to Out-German the Germans  They have adopted a “quiet flight” mantra communicating to Lincoln’s product development teams, their dealers and customers that a Lincoln will be a quiet haven.  This does not mean that Lincolns will become the land barges of the past.  It means that Lincolns will be competent, confident and will not ruffle your feathers.  This is a complete departure from other luxury brands trying to beat the German luxury makers at their own game.

Exclusive Lincoln Dealerships  Lincoln also is adding more single point dealerships. There are about 130 exclusive Lincoln dealerships now out of about 800 total.  This will help Lincoln establish its image as a true luxury brand and not an add-on to Ford.

Lincoln May Not Trail Cadillac Much Longer  Lincoln marketers see themselves as a challenger brand.  Lincoln’s sales remain below Cadillac.  Lincoln sold about 51,000 vehicles for the first six months of 2019.  Cadillac sold about 76,000 in the same period.  That position may be about to change.

2020 Lincoln Aviator Black Label

Aviator a Huge Addition to Lincoln Lineup  Lincoln’s large luxury crossover SUV entry has been the MKT since the 2009 model year.  It never sold well and the Aviator is a very welcome replacement.  Importantly, Aviator joins a product segment that is booming with new buyers and new entries.

After driving the all new Lincoln Aviator, it is obvious Lincoln’s planners, designers and engineers have hit a homerun.  The Aviator looks great.  Its interior is top notch.  Its features are comprehensive, even cutting edge.  Aviator shares its rear wheel drive platform with the Ford Explorer.  Unlike previous Lincoln-Ford product duos, the Aviator is much different than the Explorer in the details.  The Aviator’s base powertrain is a 400-horsepower twin turbo V6 mated to a 10-speed transmission.  This engine has 430 lb-ft of torque.  The range topper is the plug-in hybrid Aviator Grand Touring model.  Lincoln low-keyed the Grand Touring powertrain until the press preview.  The standard 400HP V6 mated to the hybrid motor result in 494-horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque.  That is as much as the just-revealed Chevrolet Corvette!

Note:  Cadillac has added the Cadillac XT6 to its crossover SUV lineup.  A 7-passenger SUV, like Aviator, XT6 rides on a front wheel drive platform and has much more conventional styling than the Aviator.

Aviator Dynamics Outstanding  The Aviator powertrain and chassis have been developed to provide a quiet, confident ride.  If you check a few more boxes on the order form you get an adaptive suspension that can anticipate the road surface in front of the vehicle and adjust accordingly.  On the press preview in Yountville, California in Napa Valley, there was only one rear wheel drive example available.  The rear wheel drive feels just as planted and competent as the all-wheel drive versions.  In some ways the rear wheel drive Aviator seemed just a bit crisper on the winding roads around Yountville.

But That’s Not All, Folks – Corsair is Coming!  Later in the fall, Lincoln launches the all new Corsair.  Corsair replaces the MKC compact crossover SUV that has been a relative sales success.  Sharing its platform with the upcoming Ford Escape, Corsair adopts design cues from the Continental, Navigator, Nautilus and Aviator.  Its top powertrain is a 280HP turbo 4-cylinder that should give the smaller Corsair sprightly performance.

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