Lincoln is taking to the high seas in naming its MKC replacement the Corsair.
According to a recent Automotive News report, Lincoln Motor Company is poised to rename its smallest crossover in a 2020 redesign. The MKC, as its currently known, will don the name ‘Corsair’ instead. Used to describe fast, nimble pirate ships, the Corsair name maintains the travel-themed names of its siblings. If it actually happens, the MKC replacement will take after the Navigator, Aviator and Nautilus to complete the company’s revamped crossover lineup. The new Aviator will replace the contentiously styled and aging MKT, while the Nautilus will replace the MKX.
Ford reportedly broke the news to dealers at a meeting in Orlando last month. In that meeting, the company also showed dealers the new Escape, Explorer, the battery-electric Mach 1 and a redesigned Continental. Ford has used the Corsair names on models in the past. The ill-fated Edsel Corsair was produced by the former Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division of Ford between 1958 and 1959. The Ford Consul Corsair was produced by Ford of Britain between 1963 and 1970. It was also a badge-engineered Nissan model sold in Australia in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
While its a likely possibility that Ford will use the Corsair name – it did file a trademark application for the name last year – it’s not certain yet. Ford reportedly mentioned to dealers that it could change its mind before commencing production. The current generation MKC has functioned as an entry point to the Lincoln brand. Matthew McConaughey kicked off Lincoln’s new marketing promotion in 2014 with the then-new 2015 MKC.
Lincoln did redesign the current-generation MKC for the 2019 model year before its inevitable replacement in 2020 for the 2021 model year. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates! Subscribe to The Fast Lane Car and TFLnow for more news, views and real-world reviews.
