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Automotive Consumer
AUTOS: Ford Readies Lincoln For China
Luxury brand prepared for overseas expansion with new style and production facilities.
The Lincoln MKX could have appeal for Chinese luxury buyers, Ford expects. (Photo: Lincoln)
Putting a luxury face on an automaker such as Ford in a region where it's known more for affordable commuters than superb sedans is a tough endeavor.
But if Ford’s upmarket brand, Lincoln, hopes to be around in years to come, it too needs to expand sales overseas and become more relevant in a global context. China’s insatiable appetite for luxury cars is proving enticing for Ford, which is now considering launching its Lincoln brand in that huge market.
Lexus and Cadillac, and more recently Infiniti, are facing that challenge in Europe. Lincoln is barely acknowledged in markets outside of North America but this could soon change, according to recent comments from Ford CEO Alan Mulally.
“We have a great luxury brand in Lincoln, which we have recommitted ourselves to,” Mulally told Bloomberg. “There’s going to be tremendous pull from China to have access to these great vehicles."
Last year, Chinese consumers bought up more than 18 million vehicles, and with demand for luxury cars expected to grow a further 35 percent this year alone, it’s easy to see why Ford is keen to build a presence for Lincoln in the market.
Ford sells just a handful of models in China including Mondeo and Focus, but the automaker is in the process of building four new factories to help triple its Chinese lineup to more than 15 models by the middle of the decade, potentially including some Lincolns.
Closest rival GM, which already sells its Buick and Cadillac models with great success in China, has 10 percent of the Chinese market whereas Ford has just 2.7 percent.
One hurdle for Mulally and his product development team is getting the design right for the new face of Lincoln. A design team established by Ford to fix its Lincoln brand is working on a new design language which will reportedly lose the jarringly toothy grille seen on the current lineup.
The design revamp has delayed the introduction of a new onslaught of Lincoln products, though we should get a taste of what’s to come with a new MKZ concept due at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.
But if Ford’s upmarket brand, Lincoln, hopes to be around in years to come, it too needs to expand sales overseas and become more relevant in a global context. China’s insatiable appetite for luxury cars is proving enticing for Ford, which is now considering launching its Lincoln brand in that huge market.
Lexus and Cadillac, and more recently Infiniti, are facing that challenge in Europe. Lincoln is barely acknowledged in markets outside of North America but this could soon change, according to recent comments from Ford CEO Alan Mulally.
“We have a great luxury brand in Lincoln, which we have recommitted ourselves to,” Mulally told Bloomberg. “There’s going to be tremendous pull from China to have access to these great vehicles."
Last year, Chinese consumers bought up more than 18 million vehicles, and with demand for luxury cars expected to grow a further 35 percent this year alone, it’s easy to see why Ford is keen to build a presence for Lincoln in the market.
Ford sells just a handful of models in China including Mondeo and Focus, but the automaker is in the process of building four new factories to help triple its Chinese lineup to more than 15 models by the middle of the decade, potentially including some Lincolns.
Closest rival GM, which already sells its Buick and Cadillac models with great success in China, has 10 percent of the Chinese market whereas Ford has just 2.7 percent.
One hurdle for Mulally and his product development team is getting the design right for the new face of Lincoln. A design team established by Ford to fix its Lincoln brand is working on a new design language which will reportedly lose the jarringly toothy grille seen on the current lineup.
The design revamp has delayed the introduction of a new onslaught of Lincoln products, though we should get a taste of what’s to come with a new MKZ concept due at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.
The Lyonheart K
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