Lincoln/ Mercury Archives

Lincoln has unveiled the new Lincoln MKZ Concept in Detroit, which according to the brand "signals a significant step in Lincoln's reinvention, providing a clear vision of its next-generation vehicles."

"With the Lincoln MKZ Concept, we are not introducing a new car. We are essentially introducing a new brand," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford Motor Company group vice president for Global Product Development. "The MKZ Concept is the next step in the reinvention of Lincoln, something we've been quietly but aggressively pursuing."

The MKZ Concept hints at the production version that will arrive in showrooms later this year. Max Wolff, Lincoln design director describes the MKZ Concept's shape as a "vision of simplicity completed with just a few strokes. Our movement as a brand is toward something we call elegant simplicity. It's something warmer and more restrained, which is moving away from complex designs and traditional luxury."

Although the design of the concept is all-new, it's easily recognizable as a Lincoln thanks to certain elements like the split-wing grille. Iinterior features include a push-button transmission gear selection, an open, tiered center console and liquid crystal instrumentation. The interior also gets a reconfigurable 10.1-inch Thin Film Transistor LCD positioned ahead of the driver that operates with the latest version of MyLincoln Touch in addition to the flush-mounted center 8-inch LCD touch screen.

Lincoln didn't give any details of what is under the hood other than stating that the concept is capable of using multiple powertrain options with front and all-wheel-drive configurations. The MKZ Concept also gets Lincoln Drive Control and the Continuously Controlled Damping adjustable suspension. Like the recently unveiled 2013 Ford Fusion, the MKZ Concept also gets Ford's new Lane Keeping System.

Ford is gearing up to unveil all-new versions of both the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans at the Detroit Auto Show this week. We're gonna get our first view of the 2013 Fusion at the show tomorrow, but we'll have to wait until Tuesday to see the all-new MKZ.

In the meantime Lincoln has teased the new MKZ with a photo of the rear deck lid on its Facebook page.

Stay tuned...

In addition to the new 2013 Lincoln MKS, Lincoln is also unveiling a revised 2013 MKT crossover at the LA Auto Show. The 2013 Lincoln MKT gets a host of upgrades on the inside and out to hopefully help the full size crossover win over more hearts.

The 2013 MKT continues to be powered by either a 3.7L V6 or the 3.5L Ecoboost V6. For 2013 the standard 3.7L gets upgraded to 300 horsepower, up from 268 in the current model. Fuel economy ratings have also improved slightly with the 3.7L V6 getting 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, a 1 mpg highway improvement. The 3.5L EcoBoost carries over with its 355 horsepower. According to Ford, nine out of ten MKT buyers choose the EcoBoost engine. Both engines are mated to a six-speed gearbox and the 3.5L EcoBoost comes standard with all-wheel-drive, while the standard engine only sends its power to the front wheels.

The front end of the 2013 MKT has been revised with a new grille with a lot of vertical grille bars. "The effort behind the new look was to change the proportion of the MKT from the front view. We helped make it feel wider and a bit less tall, less vertical," said Max Wolff, Lincoln Design director. "The execution of the new MKT's grille and the grille bars is a lot more refined and elegant. The new front graphic displays a lot of three-dimensionality, but it's accomplished in a calmer, more restrained way."

The 2013 MKT also gets a new Continuously Controlled Damping that improves the ride and handling of the MKT equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine. The adjustable suspension utilizes 46 inputs to feed data to a sophisticated control unit that continuously monitors more than 23,000 packets of information per second. CCD constantly reads the road surface and continuously adjusts the suspension in real time within the three selectable ranges - Sport, Normal and Comfort.

The 2013 Lincoln MKT will go on sale in the spring.

In the past few months Ford has publicly discussed the changes that it has in store for the Lincoln brand and what it needs to do actually make Lincoln competitive. Well the first of the new Lincoln models has been unveiled today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2013 Lincoln MKS is debuting alongside the also new Lincoln MKT.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS has been heavily updated and according to Ford it has "better handling, increased power, improved fuel efficiency, additional standard equipment, more refinement."

The 2013 MKS gets a freshened exterior in which everything from the A-pillar forward is new, including a softer grille, HID headlamps, front fascia, hood and front fenders. The rear has also been revised with new LED tail lamps, exhaust tips and a new decklid design. The interior has also been revised to be "more inviting and engaging." It also gets the revised MyLincoln Touch system with its revised user interface, standard operator assist and Wi-Fi functionality.

The 2013 MKS is powered by either a 300 horsepower 3.7L V6 or the 355 horsepower turbocharged 3.5L Ecoboost V6. The standard 3.7L gets a boost in horsepower over the last model's 273 horsepower, but at the same time its more fuel efficient with 3 mpg improvement on the highway. Both engines are mated to a standard six-speed automatic. The 3.7L V6 is available with all-wheel-drive, while the 3.5L Ecoboost has it standard.

Ford has added a bunch of new tech features to make the 2013 MKS safer like a Lane Keeping system that alerts drivers when they are leaving a lane unintentionally, adaptive cruise control, collision warning and a blind spot warning system.

Is the new 2013 MKS a step in the right direction for Lincoln?

The 2011 LA Auto Show is only a few days away. Lincoln is giving us a preview of what we'll see at the show with these teasers of the 2013 Lincoln MKS.

The 2013 Lincoln MKS is getting updated with a new hood and revised taillights that you can see in these pics. The MKS is also expected to get a new front fascia with a revised grille and headlights.

The 2013 MKT crossover is also expected to get some updates and will also debut this week at the show.

Come back for all the updates on Wednesday, November 16th.

Lincoln's controversial waterfall grille is set to be replaced according to the latest sources. Lincoln is going to release an updated MKS sedan and MKT crossover next spring and both models will get a different grille.

According to one source the grille on both models will be "completely different." It will not be as pronounced as the current grille and will be "more elegant."

The new MKS and MKT are expected to debut at the LA Auto Show in November.

Ford has been very vocal lately about its plans to hopefully fix the Lincoln brand. In June it was announced that Ford is going to invest $1 billion in new Lincoln models. Now were getting more details about Ford has planned.

Ford recently gave a preview of the future Lincolns and some of those details have been released. Future Lincolns will move further from the Ford lineup. According to Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, that means, "No more badge engineering."

To differentiate Lincoln models from Ford, Ford has assigned 100 people to Lincoln's design team. Previously Lincoln designers were also part of the same team that designed Fords. Lincoln also now has an exclusive powertrain development team, which will create unique powertrains with eight-speed transmissions.

Future Lincolns are also reportedly going to get push button shift controls for the transmission and fully retractable glass roofs.

The first all-new Lincoln will be the MKZ, which will be previewed in concept form at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

Ford is readying its next-generation Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion sedans. According to sources, Ford is going to unveiled a concept version of the Lincoln MKZ at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.

The next Lincoln MKZ isn't expected to get a redesign that will be a radical departure from the current sedan. Instead the next MKZ will get an evolutionary redesign that will retain its front and all-wheel-drive versions. Four and six-cylinder engines and a hybrid version will continue to be offered.

The production version of the MKZ is expected to debut shortly after the concept, possibly as soon as the Chicago and New York Auto Shows.

Lincoln has announced the changes to the 2012 Lincoln MKT crossover and the biggest news for the "not pretty" crossover is that it's now cheaper. Lincoln has dropped the price for the top version, the MKT with EcoBoost by $3,000 bucks to a starting price at $46,295.

The Lincoln MKT with EcoBoost is powered by a turbocharged 355-hp 3.5L V6 with standard all-wheel-drive. The starting price of just over $46k is the same starting price for the 2011 MKT with the standard 270-HP V6 and all-wheel-drive. The base 2012 MKT with the 3.7 V-6 engine and front-wheel-drive starts at $44,300.

To make it easier for those people that do decide to buy the Lincoln MKT, Lincoln has reduced the amount of orderable combinations been by two-thirds.

According to Lincoln dealers, Ford is going to invest about $1 billion in new Lincoln models by 2014 to help bring the brand back to life.

Lincoln, which has sold less than 35,000 vehicles in the first five months of this year is in desperate need of new models that are further differentiated from Ford's models. Ford CEO Alan Mulally recently met with Lincoln dealers to assure them that Ford remains committed to the brand. Sales are down 7.5 percent this year.

Last year Ford did promise hat Lincoln would get seven new or significantly upgraded models over the next four years, but we have yet to see anything. The first new models are expected this fall when new MKS and MKT models are expected to debut.

Lincoln spokesman Timothy Elliott told The Detroit News, "We're fully committed to making Lincoln a world-class luxury brand with compelling vehicles and an exceptional consumer experience to match."

Not everyone is convinced it will work. GM CEO Dan Akerson recently stated this about Ford's efforts to fix Lincoln, "You might as well sprinkle holy water. It's over."

It's being predicted that Ford will release a new compact sedan based off the Ford Focus and a new compact crossover in 2013 as a 2014 model. Will these new models help?

Ford is planning an onslaught of new models next year, which includes the refreshed Taurus, a new Escape and an all-new Fusion.

The all-new 2013 Ford Fusion is expected to enter production early next year, on a new platform that's referred to as CD4. Ford expects a huge sales increase for the next Fusion, with sales in North America increasing by up to 50 percent.

Details are scarce for what we can expect from the next Fusion, but according to a source that spoke with Ford Inside News, the next Fusion Hybrid is expected to get around 47 to 48 mpg in the city.

The Fusion's brother, the 2013 Lincoln MKZ has been delayed until the second half of 2012.

Ford has finally fixed its lineup and killed off the Mercury brand, now it's time to finally pay attention to its luxury brand, Lincoln. Compared to GM's Cadillac, it's easy to ignore Lincoln due to its lack of stand out models.
Lincoln has been an American luxury brand for 96 years, but today many buyers simply see the brand as more luxurious Fords. Ford is now committed to making over the brand.

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal , Ford's head of global product development, Derrick Kuzak, stated "You think of BMW as engaging to drive; you can think of Lexus as refined. Bring them together and it is a new experience no customer has ever had."

That statement should give a slight hint of what we can expect from the next-generation Lincolns. The first new Lincoln models will debut this fall. The Taurus-based MKS and the large crossover (ugly) MKT are set to get a refresh and will debut this fall at the LA Auto Show. The two models are the first of seven all-new or redesigned Lincolns. After that we can expect an all-new MKZ late next year and four new models in 2013 and 2014.

We've reached the halfway point of 2011. With that we have a view of what cars buyers are ignoring or simply hate this year. CNN Money has put together a list of 10 cars that it sees as the most disappointing cars this year.

The list includes some models that aren't surprising, like the disappointing Honda Insight, which has failed to steal away Prius buyers and the Smart ForTwo, which is just too small for American buyers.

Which models do you think are missing from the list?

Check out the full list after the jump.

Once again gas prices are insane, which is prompting most automakers to continue to think small. Mercedes-benz has announced plans to finally offer its A-Class here in the US and other automakers like GM are thinking about small luxury cars with the Cadillac Urban Luxury Concept.

Not to be left behind, Lincoln is said to be working on a new small car that will be based on Ford's global compact platform. According to sources Lincoln designers are hard at work on a new concept vehicle and it's likely that it will debut at the Los Angeles auto show this November.

Ford has already stated plans to build a new Lincoln model off of its compact car platform, so there is a good chance that we will see a concept version by the end of the year.

Lincoln has released data that supports the fact that its buyers are becoming increasingly more interested in all-wheel-drive equipped models. Every one of Lincoln's models is available with all-wheel-drive and it looks like lots of Lincoln buyers are choosing it.

So far in 2011, 72 percent of Lincoln MKT crossover buyers have opted for the all-wheel-drive version and 62 percent of MKX buyers as well. Lincoln's sedan models also have all-wheel-drive and 46 percent of MKS shoppers chose that version, while 25 percent of MKZ sedans are leaving the dealer with power going to all four wheels.

We're seeing the number of customers choosing all-wheel drive increasing steadily as drivers appreciate the benefits," says C.J. O'Donnell, Group Marketing Manager for Lincoln. "More than half of our crossover customers are enjoying the reassurance that all-wheel drive delivers, such that once they have experienced it, they don't want to give it up.

"We see all-wheel drive as a core technology option for the entire Lincoln line-up, both today and for the future."

Goodbye Mercury. Ford officially killed Mercury back in June of 2010, but now the last Mercury has rolled off the line. The last Mercury produced was the Grand Marquis at Ford's St. Thomas plant in Ontario, Canada. The Grand Marquis had been produced at the Ontario plant for the past 25 years. The last one went to a fleet customer. The plant continues to produce the Ford Crown Victoria.

Ford is issuing a recall of 14,737 2011 F-Series pickups and Edge/MKX crossovers that were built during a 6-day production period. According to Ford, the supplier of the body control module manufactured modules that may have the potential for an internal short.

If the module does short out overheating could occur and lead to a possible vehicle fire.

Ford is going to replace the body control module, free of charge...

It's being reported that Ford is going to build a new small Lincoln SUV at the Louisville Assembly plant next year. Ford is finally focusing on Lincoln now that it is no longer being overshadowed by Volvo, Land Rover and Jaguar.

The new small SUV would be built alongside the Ford Escape and would be smaller than the current Lincoln MKX. It would mainly compete with the Lexus RX, which currently leads the small luxury SUV segment.

Ford has announced that the new 2011 Lincoln MKX has been officially rated at 19 mpg city and 26 mpg on the highway, with a combined fuel economy of 21 mpg by the EPA. Those numbers put the 2011 MKX at the top of its class.

The 2011 MKX is powered by a 305-hp 3.7L V6.

"The Lincoln MKX doesn't sacrifice power to receive its great fuel economy," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president, Global Product Development. "Our engineers were able to deliver an increase in power and torque in a fashion that reflects the luxurious driving experience that Lincoln is known for."

Lincoln has announced a new promo for the summer that will offer free scheduled maintenance for three years or 45K miles on all new vehicles that are purchased by September 7th.

The promotion comes on the heels of Ford's announcement to officially kill the Mercury brand and to expand the Lincoln lineup.

"Our commitment is to further grow the Lincoln brand and offer our luxury customers the premium experience they deserve and expect," said Ken Czubay, Ford Motor Company's vice president of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. "Our free scheduled maintenance offer marks only the first step in our plans to further upgrade the Lincoln experience."

As was predicted, Ford has officially killed the Mercury brand. Ford released a press release earlier today in which the automaker has announced the demise of the Mercury brand and the further expansion of the Lincoln lineup.

Ford is going to end production of the Mercury brand in the fourth quarter of this year. With sales dropping significantly over the past ten years and a lack of new models it was only expected that Ford was going to kill off the brand.

Although Mercury is now officially dead, the news isn't all that bad since Ford has announced plans to expand the Lincoln lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed models within the next four years.

"We have made tremendous progress on profitably growing the Ford brand during the past few years. Now, it is time to do the same for Lincoln," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas. "The new Lincoln vehicles will transform luxury for North American premium customers through an unexpected blend of responsive driving enjoyment and warm, inviting comfort. We will also offer our customers a world-class retail experience through a vibrant retail network."

Ford is going to expand the Lincoln lineup with its first ever C-segment vehicle as well as the 2011 MKZ Hybrid and 2011 MKX.

According to the Detroit News, Ford is going to hold a press conference at 3 PM EST in which the automaker is going to announce the official death of the Mercury brand.

Stay tuned....

After years of promising new products for its Mercury line, it looks like Ford is finally going to kill Mercury.

Mercury sales have dropped 74 percent since 2000 and without any new product, the sales will only continue to fall. According to sources, Ford's top executives are preparing a proposal to kill Mercury.

Mercury has long been a forgotten brand and the fact that it keeps losing models, only makes it worse. Ford CEO, Alan Mulally originally promised that the brand would survive, but it looks like Mercury is set to follow the same route as Pontiac, Saturn and Oldsmobile and Plymouth.

According to sources, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and other members of the founding family all support killing Mercury.

Mercury was originally launched by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford in 1939.

Lincoln is debuting the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, which is set to become the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in the US.

"Lincoln's hallmarks are design, technology and comfort. Now, Lincoln also delivers the best fuel efficiency of any luxury sedan in America," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas.

Like it's Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrid siblings, the Lincoln MKZ hybrid is powered by a 2.5L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder mated to an electric powertrain. The setup puts out 191 horsepower and yields at least 41 mpg on the highway, which tops its nearest competitor the Lexus HS 250h. The MKZ can also travel up to 47 mph in electric mode compared to only 25 mph in the Lexus.

The 2011 MKZ Hybrid will go on sale later this year.

J.D. Power and Associates has released the results of its 2010 long-term dependability study. The study measures problems with vehicles that are three-years old (2007 models). Overall dependability is determined by the level of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality.

This year Porsche leads the overall nameplate rankings, followed by Lincoln, which improved by six rank positions from 2009. The rest of the top five nameplates are Buick, Lexus and Mercury.

Regarding specific models, Toyota took home the most awards with four segment awards, Honda took home three and Lincoln received two awards.

Mark Fields, Ford President of the Americas unveiled plans to launch a new small car for the Mercury brand in early 2011 during a meeting with U.S. dealers at the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando, Florida.

The new small Mercury will be built off the same platform that is also the basis for the new 2012 Ford Focus. The small Mercury is one of ten models that Ford is planning on building off its global small car architecture. It's been a question for years if Ford was going to eventually kill off the Mercury brand since Mercury hasn't had a completely new product in years. When the new small Mercury launches, Mercury will only consist of the Milan, Mariner and whatever the small car is named.

Ford has officially unveiled the refreshed 2011 Lincoln MKX. The 2011 MKX benefits from a refreshed exterior with a new front fascia that now includes Lincoln's new signature grille. Out back there are new taillights and exhaust tips.

The most noteworthy changes to the 2011 MKX lie beneath the hood and in the interior. First the new MKX gets new engine, a 3.7L V6 that puts out 305 horsepower and 280 lb-ft. of torque. Even though horsepower has been increased 15 percent over the 2010 model, the MKX gets 25 mpg on the highway and runs on regular fuel. To improve its handling the revised MKX gets retuned springs, shocks and stabilizer bars.

Inside the 2011 MKX gets Ford's recently announced MyLincoln Touch driver connect technology. MyLincoln comes standard on the 2011 Lincoln MKX.

"With its combination of style, performance and uncompromising luxury, the Lincoln MKX has brought new customers into the Lincoln showroom in a way that very few products have before," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. "Lincoln customers tell us they care most about style and technology, and the new Lincoln MKX meets these needs perfectly. The new MyLincoln Touch technology will change the way customers interact with their vehicles while its new design language gives the vehicle a distinctive and stylish silhouette we know customers will love."

2010 is going to be a big year for Ford with the introduction of nine new engines and six new transmissions, which is part of a five year plan to overhaul its entire global powertrain portfolio, which totals 60 new powertrains.

Ford began working on the new engines and transmissions in 2008 and the push continues through 2013.

"Ford is delivering on our commitment to lower emissions, improve fuel economy and deliver the highest quality powertrains in the industry," said Barb Samardzich, Ford vice president, Powertrain Engineering. "We are making this happen with one of the most ambitious powertrain upgrades ever undertaken by Ford. By the end of 2010, nearly all of Ford's North American engines will have been upgraded or replaced since 2008."

In 2010 Ford is going to introduce new engines in the Fiesta, Mustang, F-150 and Super Duty. The all-new 2012 Focus will be powered by an all-new normally aspirated 2.0-liter direct fuel injection engine.

Ford as introduced a new smarter, safer, simpler system to connect drivers with in-car technologies, dubbed MyFord. Building on its successful SYNC system Ford has combined a variety of technologies into one powerful, intuitive connected driver experience.

"MyFord delivers a premium interior experience that will help consumers fall in love with their vehicles again," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. "It integrates all our signature features so customers will know exactly what they're going to get in any Ford vehicle they may find themselves driving, no matter where they are in the world."

The MyFord Touch system does away with the buttons and knobs that we've become accustomed to in today's car interiors. Instead they have been replaced by dual 4.2-inch LCD screens in front of the driver, five-way button steering wheel controls and an 8-inch touch screen all controlled by a simplified SYNC.

The MyFord system will initially launch this year in the 2011 Ford Edge and globally with the introduction of the 2012 Focus. The MyLincoln Touch system will will be standard equipment on new Lincolns beginning with 2011 Lincoln MKX.

Lincoln is poised to downsize its current lineup with the addition of new smaller vehicles that are a huge departure from its other vehicles like the Navigator SUV.

Lincoln has shown off the possibility of small Lincolns with its recent concept cars and It's rumored that Lincoln could be working on a new compact car that would share its platform with the new global Focus. But it's not certain if Lincoln is ready to take a risk that its other luxury rivals have shied away from, fearing that the US market isn't ready for smaller cars.

But in the meantime a new compact crossover based on the European Ford Kuga is expected to be offered in late 2011. Redesigned versions of the Kuga will be released by Lincoln and Mercury. The Kuga is also expected to replace the Ford Escape.

Ford has reported a third quarter profit of $997 million compared to the $161 million net loss for the same period last year. The announcement represents Ford's first operating profit in nearly two years.

"Our third-quarter results clearly show that Ford is making tremendous progress despite the prolonged slump in the global economy," Ford CEO Alan Mulally stated. "Our solid product lineup is leading the way in all markets. While we still face a challenging road ahead, our One Ford transformation plan is working and our underlying business continues to grow stronger."

Ford expects its positive cash flow to continue into the fourth quarter.

Motor Trend has announced the list of SUV contenders for its "SUV of the Year" award.

Of course this award is great to whomever wins, due to all of the bragging rights that come along with it. It's usually heavily used in every ad campaign. Last year the Subaru Forester took home the award.

Which SUV do you think should win this year's award?

Green Car Journal has announced the five finalists for its Green Car of the Year award.

And the finalists are:

-Audi A3 TDI
-Honda Insight
-Mercury Milan Hybrid
-Toyota Prius
-Volkswagen Golf TDI

The winner of the 2010 Green Car of the Year award will be announced at the 2009 LA Auto Show on December 3.

Which car do you think should win?

Ford has announced the introduction of the new EcoBoost 4-cylinder engines, which will join the existing 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine. The new turbocharged 4-cyl engines will be available as a 1.6L and 2.0L.

Ford has yet to announce official performance numbers, but the 1.6L is expected to put out around 180 horsepower and 175-180 lb-ft. of torque. The first application of the 1.6L will be in the Ford C-Max in late 2010. The 2.0L will be launched in larger European models and in North America in 2010.

A new study by Consumer Reports claims that 81 percent of respondents who stated that they are looking to buy a new car, would consider a domestic brand. This compares to only 47% for an Asian vehicle and 46% for a European brand.

Of course not every domestic automaker is equal. Ford has benefited the most with a 17 percent increase compared to a year ago. GM interest is only up 6 percent, while Chrysler is down 25 percent among new car buyers.

"The Detroit 3 have been in the spotlight all year," said Rik Paul, automotive editor, Consumer Reports. "Ford was the only one of the Detroit 3 that did not seek federal assistance, and this has likely helped bolster its reputation among car buyers."

Out of those surveyed only 9 percent are likely to buy a car in the next year compared to 19 percent a year ago.

Just as Chrysler's sales improved last month and is now running out of vehicles, Ford's sales also improved due to the Cash for Clunkers gov't program.

Ford has announced that its retail sales improved 9 percent in July thanks to the Cars Allowance Rebate System (Cash for Clunkers).

The Ford Fusion saw a 66 percent increase with the Milan up 60 percent. Ford Escape sales were up 94 percent and the Mercury Mariner saw an increase of 71 percent. Focus sales were up 44 percent as well. Ford's hybrid sales were up by 323 percent, which can largely be attributed to the new Fusion hybrid.

"We had another strong month in progress before the 'Cash for Clunkers' program started," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service.

"Our products, our dealers and our advance preparation enabled us to leverage the program and drive traffic and sales to another level," he added. "In addition, we achieved a sales increase even though we decreased incentive spending in an increasingly competitive environment."

Ford's Lincoln and Mercury brands are expected to get an array of fresh new vehicles to keep Ford's ball rolling. Ford has been focusing much of its energy on small vehicles and the same is going to happen over at Lincoln and Mercury. Sales of the Navigator SUV have dropped significantly and now Ford is looking at developing new Lincoln models built off the same platforms as the Focus and Escape.

Who knows when or if the Navigator will be replaced, but Lincoln could add a third crossover to its lineup that would be smaller than the current MKX and MKT models and based off the next-gen Ford Escape for the 2012 model year. Lincoln is also working on a small compact car that is built on the same platform as the next Focus, but it has yet to receive the green light. Mercury is also expected to get a version of the Focus for 2012.

In 2013 the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ are scheduled to move to a new front-wheel-drive platform that is shared with the European Ford Mondeo.

The body-on-frame Mercury Grand Marquis, Mountaineer and Lincoln Town Car are all getting ready to be six feet under...

Sales of the Ford Explorer have dropped significantly to just 78,439 units in 2008, down from over 400K at its peak. Next year Ford is going to release a new Explorer which ditches the current body-on-frame design for a new unibody platform that is shared with the new Taurus. When the new Explorer is released the slow selling Sport Trac version and Mercury Mountaineer will be dead according to the Automotive News. Sales of the Explorer are even worse this year and the Sport Trac and Mountaineer are even lower, which means that Ford can't justify their existence.

Fans of the Sport Trak or Mountaineer better go buy one now before they are gone forever...

The last Mercury Sable is expected to roll off the production line this Thursday. Even though Ford is releasing an all-new Taurus, Ford decided to not spend the money on a Mercury variant...so we're saying bye bye to the Sable once again.

"The last Sable will roll down the line on Thursday," said Ford spokeswoman Angie Kozleski.

The death of the Sable leaves Mercury with only four models, the Mariner, Mountaineer, Milan and Grand Marquis. Both the Mountaineer and Grand Marquis are expected to be dead within the next few years. Mercury is supposed to be getting a new small car, even though nothing has been officially confirmed yet.

Ford chose to not develop a new Sable so that they could invest more money in the Taurus.

"They had to make a choice, and their choice is to polish the Blue Oval," Analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics said.

Ford has officially announced the debut of the 2010 Lincoln MKS with the new 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine.

The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 puts out 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft. of torque thanks to direct-injection and twin turbochargers. The EcoBoost V6 gives the Lincoln MKS the power of a normally aspirated 4.6L V8, but without sacrificing fuel economy. The MKS with EcoBoost will get at least 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.

The 2010 MKS with EcoBoost has standard 19-inch wheels, steering-wheel paddle shifters, all-wheel-drive and adaptive HID headlights. Also included are rain-sensing wipers and a rear-window power shade.

For even more distinction there is the Appearance Package which includes, luxury seats in Sienna with Charcoal Black Tuxedo Seam, illuminated MKS sill plates and upgraded floormats. Outide the package gives you a distinctive grille, front lip spoiler rear fascia lower, side rockers and door cladding, decklid lip spoiler with chrome insert and modified MKS decklid badge ("S" in red).