Ford to Give Lincoln a $5 Billion Boost
Ford is preparing to give their ailing luxury arm a boost.
Over the next five years, Ford plans to pour roughly $5 billion into Lincoln in an effort to make the American luxury brand a true competitor to companies like Mercedes-Benz and BMW. A new vehicle platform that will underpin several future Lincoln models is at the forefront of the investment and is internally known as D6.
The flexible D6 platform will support crossovers along with sedans, and can be configured for front-, rear- or all-wheel drive vehicles. Vehicles based on D6 will begin arriving in 2019, with a replacement for the MKZ sedan said to be first on the agenda. This separate platform should help Lincoln to differentiate its products from Ford.
SEE ALSO: 2015 Lincoln MKC Review
Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally declined to make a serious investment into Lincoln, but this revitalized effort comes from Ford’s new CEO, Mark Fields. “It’s really important for us to have a relevant and vibrant luxury brand,” Fields told Reuters. “You need to make the investment and build this brand over time.”
Ford executives say that the goal of the current Lincoln revamp is to push sales to 300,000 vehicles sold annually by 2020.
[Source: Reuters]
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Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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divest the brand not amount will make it competitive against european brands heck even japanese luxury brands
Sounds great... But Marky you should focus on your main brand FORD. Keep making Ford a global brand. Also keep investing in core technologies. Stop thinking like you did when you failed at Fords PAG with Jaguar, Linchon and Land Rover. In fact, Jag and Land Rover are successful brands.... RIGHT AFTER they are dumped by Ford! Ford needs to focus its R&D on its main vehicle! Alan did so well because he focused on the boring stuff Reliability, cost cutting and then he focused on innovative technologies! DSG in the Ford Focus didnt sell well but it was a good try Anti Torque Steer drive train. Good for future products. Eco Boost Light weight chasis hybrids technology