Ford axes the Lincoln Continental and MKZÂ
This is the end of the line for Ford Motor Company’s luxury sedans in the United States as they end both Continental and MKZ production. By this time next year, the Ford Mustang will be the only car the company builds for our market. While many saw the demise of the Lincoln Continental and MKZ coming, the former’s death may be a bit of a surprise to diehard fans.Â
As you’d expect, Lincoln will focus on crossovers and SUVs instead. With vehicles like the Lincoln Aviator and Navigator leading the way, it’s easy to see where the automaker is heading. It remains to be seen if they will offer a crossover replacement that complements the Continental and MKZ.Â
Last year, Lincoln sold less than 7,000 Continentals in North America. The Lincoln MKZ sold about 18,000 models in North America in 2019. The 2020 sales numbers look dismal for both vehicles, but that’s the case for nearly every automaker.
To put those numbers into perspective, Lincoln sold about 20,000 Navigators and nearly 30,000 MKCs in 2019. The trend for crossovers and SUVs is hitting Lincoln hard.
What’s next?
Ford has announced that they intend to build all-electric crossovers for their brand and for Lincoln. The one we know about is about the size of a Ford Edge and could share components with the Ford Mustang. There’s a chance that Rivian will come back with components as well, but we heard that they were pulled from the Lincoln project a while back.
You can read about that here.Â
We expect to see a lineup that will challenge the likes of Lexus and, possibly, Mercedes-Benz in terms of size, capability and trim. The question of value for the dollar will remain one that only Ford/Lincoln PR can address. Will they prove to be a dollar-to-dollar competitor with their new crossovers and SUVs? Or, will they offer value for the buck – compared to the competition?
As for now, they put their final two cars out to pasture – which may be a sign of the times.
