Dubai: A radical makeover and some eye-catching model launches later, the Lincoln is out to rewrite history. This time out it has “presidential” aspirations rather than just remain a perennial contender in the luxury automotive marketplace dominated by Germany’s Big 3.
Last year, it sold more than 94,000 plus units worldwide, and its oft-stated aim of 300,000 units by 2020 is looming closer on the horizon.
“We are beginning to see some of the fruits of the hard work since the launch of the first-generation of new products,” said Kumar Galhotra, global President at Lincoln and Vice-President at Ford Motor Co. “We’ve gotten a good start … and you’ll see that our Continental Concept vehicle we’re showing at the Dubai Motor Show is a big step in our evolution.” (It was in 2012 that FMC announced that it was fully committed to Lincoln regaining its bearing.) It did look a game plan that seemed out of touch with market reality. BMW, Daimler and Audi had stitched together a dominance that was near unassailable in each of the global markets, and there were Lexus and Infiniti to contend with as well. Even in its domestic market, General Motors was also going through its own top-to-bottom overhaul of the Cadillac marque.
Younger customer base
But three years down the line, Lincoln is starting to see the results. In the US there have been steady gains and the expanded model line-up (especially the crossovers) have been winning over a younger customer base.
The numbers from the Middle East and China are also stacking up. “In the Middle East, it’s important that we be part of a buyer’s consideration list,” said Galhotra. “We think our existing line-up paired with our future products gives us a compelling story to tell.
Currently, the Middle East figures prominently as Lincoln’s key overseas territories, alongside China, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. It was in October 2014 that it made the push into China. (In 2014, its US sales were up 16 per cent.) “The Asian and North American markets are certainly the largest regions that we compete in today,” said Galhotra. “However, the Middle East is of growing importance as we’ve been doing business with our distributors for nearly two decades.
“In the Middle East, the perception is that it’s a land of the supercars. But in reality there’s a large population of luxury car buyers … and that population only continues to grow.”
In the Gulf, Lincoln had launched four models in the last three years, including the extensively remodelled Navigator. “We are beginning to see customers from competitive brands that may not have considered us in the past,” said Galhotra. “The exciting part for us is that we are just getting started.
“As we continue to reposition the brand, we will be working with our Middle East distributors to deliver not only great products but an uncompromised automotive experience.
“When we worked on our first generation of products, we decided to focus on the most important — and growing — luxury segment globally. This is why we launched the MKZ (sedan and the first to bear the “MK” badge) first and then MKC (crossover).
Future flagship
“With Navigator and the all-new MKX, we are offering a comprehensive SUV luxury line-up. The Lincoln Continental Concept announces our future flagship coming in 2016.
“While volumes are certainly important to any manufacturer, we are ultimately focused on ensuring every person encountering a Lincoln comes away with an impression that they talk about with friends and family. This is the discussion that we stay focused on internally to ensure we make the right decisions to the most important stakeholders — our owners.”
