Report: Ford requests meeting with Lincoln dealers
With Mercury on the way to the morgue, there are plenty of very nervous Lincoln dealers in the United States. Ford Motor Company is looking to calm those nerves a bit by inviting dealers to Dearborn, MI on October 4. Automotive News reports that The Blue Oval is going to show dealers its plans for its North American-only luxury arm.
Ford spokesman Christian Bokich tells AN that the event is all about the future of Lincoln, adding "It's more about giving dealers a look how Ford will now work with Lincoln as an exclusive, luxury brand." There is no word at this time concerning the content being covered, but we're expecting Ford to show future product, along with how the automaker will further differentiate the four-pointed star from the Ford brand in the years to come. Bloomberg is also reporting that Lincoln dealers will be asked to upgrade their showrooms and work on improving customer service. There are currently 264 retail outlets that do not sell Ford product, and at this point many dealers don't know if they will live on as stand-alone Lincoln dealers in the future.
One interesting byproduct that could result from the meeting will be the likely product leaks that are soon to follow. Among the future vehicles anticipated to be added to the Lincoln brand are a Focus-sized C-segment small car inspired by the Concept C from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and a similarly proportioned crossover.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req., Bloomberg | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]Report: Ford requests meeting with Lincoln dealers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:29:00 EST. .
Lincoln MKS Ecoboost - Click above for high-res image gallery
With Mercury vehicles set to disappear from showrooms in the next few months, Ford hopes to jump-start Lincoln sales with a free maintenance deal from now until labor day. Anyone who buys or leases a Lincoln this summer won't have to pay for any regularly scheduled maintenance during the first three years or 45,000 miles of ownership.
The promotion applies to all 2010 and 2011 model year Lincolns and follows similar moves in recent years from brands like BMW and Volkswagen. At many Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the United States, Mercury accounts for a significant percentage of store sales. Those dealers will need programs like this to boost volumes until two new Lincoln models arrive in the next couple of years. So far, Lincoln has only confirmed that a compact is forthcoming. The seventh member of the Lincoln family remains a mystery.
Gallery: Review: 2009 Lincoln MKS Ecoboost
[Source: Lincoln]
Click above for a gallery of graphtastic images from J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates has released its 2010 Initial Quality Study (IQS) and Porsche has earned back the top spot that was occupied by Lexus in last year's study. The annual J.D. Power study measures IQS based on problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100) - a lower score means a lower rate of problem incidences and higher quality.
Domestic brands, as a whole, demonstrated higher initial quality than import brands for the first time in an IQS (impressive, as the company has been conducting the study for 24 years). "Domestic automakers have made impressive strides in steadily improving vehicle quality, particularly since 2007," said David Sargent, vice president of global vehicle research at J.D. Power and Associates. "This year may mark a key turning point for U.S. brands as they continue to fight the battle against lingering negative perceptions of their quality." According to J.D. Power, the industry average for initial quality is 109 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) in 2010 (that is a slight increase from 108 PP100 in 2009). However, initial quality for domestic brands as a whole has improved to an average of 108 PP100, slightly better than the initial quality of import brands, which average 109 PP100 in 2010.
Acura made an impressive improvement in the 2010 study. The automaker climbed from 111 PP100 in 2009 to just 86 PP100 in 2010, earning second spot just under Porsche (83 PP100). Mercedes-Benz (87 PP100) earned third position with Lexus (88 PP100) immediately following. Ford (93 PP100) and Lincoln (106 PP100) also earned Top 10 positions. Interestingly enough, Toyota (117 PP100) fell from its seventh position in 2009 to 21st in the 2010 study. The complete J.D. Power press release and charts can be found after the jump and in the gallery below.
Gallery: 2010 J.D. Power and Associates IQS
[Source: J.D. Power and Associates]
While Ford is working on plenty of hybrid and electric vehicles, its big bet for meeting the new corporate average fuel economy standards is EcoBoost, and so far customers appear to like it. Since launching the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 last summer as an alternative to larger V8s, Ford has sold about 10,000 units of the Lincoln MKS and MKT along with the Ford Flex and Taurus SHO. A quality study by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, MI, indicates that early adopters are almost universally satisfied with the performance and operation of these engines.
The gasoline turbocharged direct injected EcoBoost engines are designed to replace larger displacement powerplants with smaller, lighter units that provide similar output with greater efficiency. We can't comment on the methodology of this particular study, but so far we have loved the EcoBoost engines that we've tried. Over the remainder of 2010, Ford will be rapidly expanding EcoBoost availability with the 3.5 going into the F150 and a 2.0-liter inline four going into the 2011 Edge and Explorer.
[Source: Ford]
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It's Chris² as both Shunk and Paukert join Dan and for Episode #166 of the Autoblog Podcast this week. First up, as usual, is the Autoblog Garage, housing a Suzuki Grand Vitara and a Kia Soul this week. From there, we take a quick trip through the Chicago Auto Show's highlights. The 2011 Ford Edge, Toyota Avalon, Honda Odyssey concept, and Hyundai Azera all figure in the conversation. We leave the stockyards for the land of fantastic chocolate and mull a few of the things we're likely to see at the Geneva Motor Show. Toyota's updated RAV-4 and the 5 by Peugeot garner mention before we return stateside to talk about Chrysler's refreshed LX cars and Fiat-based Caliber replacement. On the entertainment tip, Adam Carolla's Top Gear USA revelation catches our attention, and then we entertain ourselves by beating up on Mercury's choice of the Tracer name for its upcoming version of the Ford Focus. Check out our listener's awesome photo gallery below, and direct fanmail to Podcast at Autoblog dot com, review the show in iTunes, fill out our survey, or even leave us a voicemail on our Google Voice line 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763). Until next week, hit up Joystiq and Engadget when podcast loneliness sets in. Thanks for listening! Check out Matt's sweet Volkswagen GTI, which he was lucky enough to win from VW and then send pictures to us in triumph. Gallery: Podcast listener Matt's GTI
