Over the past week, two separate readers have emailed regarding the Lincoln MKC. “How can the most important Lincoln in years be hitting dealer lots,” asks one reader “and yet there’s zero marketing behind it?”
The most obvious answer seems to be a lack of supply. Automotive News shows just 300 units nationwide (or 12 days of supply) for the MKC. Industry sources I talked to suggest that Lincoln doesn’t want a marketing push that will get consumers excited for the car, only to have them show up at a dealer and find exactly zero units on hand to look at.
The other alternative theory being floated is that a last minute part change has led to unexpected delays – but our generally trustworthy sources have given no indication that this is the case.
Edit: From our colleagues at Autoblog comes this story. It seems that Lincoln is looking to avoid the same mistakes they made with the MKZ, where early advertising and a delayed roll-out led to less than desirable results.
Mr. Detroit Bball where is your review!? It’s timely now!
Trying to finish it in the next couple of days. I’m on vacation this week, but so far it has been working from home plus doing electrical work.
Sounds like you need a vacation from your vacation.
That happens when you have a backlog of honeydew.
You can do it!
I love the MKC’s exterior, but it has what I would consider to be a godawful interior for a vehicle of that class, especially the center-stack area.
I don’t find the interior too bad in the pictures. I haven’t seen it in real life, as the MKC was roped off on a platform at the local car show back in February. The front three-quarters of the MKC looked good, if a bit reminiscent of a better-proportioned VW Tiguan, but it was strange how the car was backed facing out of a corner so you couldn’t see the rear end. When I saw the press photos later, I realized that it had probably been parked this way intentionally. There’s a reason why there aren’t many press photos of the rear end – the hatch has some very strange cutlines.
http://img.xcitefun.net/users/2013/11/338689,xcitefun-lincoln-mkc-5.jpg
Oh dear. What happens when you wash your Q7 on too hot a setting.
Huh? Lincoln’s actually quite proud of the hatch, as it’s one hydroformed piece. They’ve highlighted the engineering feat in press materials.
The center stacks of Lincolns the last few years kind of remind me of the Chrysler ones during the Cerberus era. The 2006-2009 MKZ models REALLY looked like they came from the Chrysler parts bin.
I’ll be curious to see if it’s resale sinks or swims vs the Escape.
I remember seeing a recent ad in a magazine saying the “first ever MKC”. But I thought this model already existed. Is this not the re-badged Edge?
The MKX is an Edge with Chrome. This MKS is an Escape with Chrome, which is a new model for Lincoln.
You mean MKC, not MKS.
MJZ,
You’re right – I keep getting confused. Not a fan of the new Lincoln naming system.
Vogo– you’re 0:2 so far today. Try harder. Spit less venom– read more.
Saw an MKC as I drove past a Ford/Lincoln dealer last week and it looks very nice.
As for the interior, based on the photos I think the interior looks great.
My wife, a CRV lovin’ school teacher, *really* likes this car.
I imagine she would, basically the same type of thing.
I saw ~6 on the back transportor (with the rest being escapes) heading towards Indianapolis this evening. So there will be 6 more for sale tomorrow in the northern mid west
because its yet another me too! sperm pod minivan wannabe?
Have yet to see it in person, but looking at it on the Ford website the first thought was it’s akin to the Escape.
Lincoln = Mercury of 20 years ago. They should have called it the Lincoln Mariner.
This is coming from a man who loves his Grand Marquis – “The Man’s Car”
http://clickamericana.com/eras/1960s/mercury-the-mans-car-1966
Mariner would have been a good name.
Jill Wagner would be an even better name. Glad my wife never reads this.
Still don’t like the split wing grille. Just doesn’t shout “luxury car” to me. Otherwise, a good looking vehicle. Interior is just ok, I frankly think the new Chrysler 200 has a more upscale interior, particularly with the “premium group”. Too bad Lincoln insists on continuing the confusing, very non-intuitive MK-blah naming system.
Presently, I think the Ford Titanium trim lines look better, and have more brand cachet, than the comparable Lincolns.
I’ve noticed Lincolns actually have lower resale value on some models vs. the same year top-line Ford models.
Lincoln doesn’t want to repeat the disaster of the MKZ launch, where they ran all the marketing ads (including a Super Bowl spot), but due to quality glitches at the Mexican assembly plant, they had no cars to sell. People responded to the ads, showed up at the dealerships to look at them, and had to be turned away. Not a good way to launch a car, and you can bet they won’t risk a repeat with the MKC.
And they better not use Jimmy Fallon for a social media launch. That was a Lame-O Epic Fail…as is Jimmy Fallon, come to think of it.
bomberpete –
That MKZ ‘social media’ ad was probably the most cringeworthy thing I have ever witnessed on television. I can’t find the words to describe just how bad it was other than a complete clusterf***.
Funny! Agreed, and hope Mr. Farley learned his lesson.
I’ve heard rumors that Scott Monty objected to it but Fields and Farley thought it was the greatest thing since the ’64 Mustang intro. If true, the fact that Scott Monty is gone concerns me.
It may have worked with Conan, but not Jimmy Fa[i]llon.
So, essentially Ford I’d admitted that they are incapable of building a quality vehicle at the rate the rest of the industry can.
Can’t say I’m shocked…..
Shill
Call it the Lincoln Discount and save a step in moving them off the lot.
LMC is a sponsor of NPR, but “MKC” sounds an AWFUL lot like “MKZ” on the radio.
I suggest that, going forward, we use the radio alphabet:
“The new Lincoln Mike Kilo Charlie! Lease one for only three-four-niner dollars per month!”
Me? I drive a Charlie Tango Sierra, but I test drove an Echo-class a couple of months back…
Incidentally Mike, Kilo, and Charlie were all NATO reporting names for Soviet classes of nuclear submarines.
Dive, dive, dive!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_K-278_Komsomolets
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilo_class
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie-class_submarine
Lincoln is going to be doing some by-invitation consumer ride & drives in July. The Detroit event is going to be held at the Shinola retail store, which coincidentally is located in the Willys Overland bldg.
http://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8205/8214579299_0f5607699b_z.jpg
I love Shinola! I’d love to see their building. More likely that I’ll try wrangling a NYC area invite though.
I drove an MKC last week out here in SF. I’ve got a 2013 Edge, and it felt like they’d taken one through a really hot cycle in the dryer. This one was the 2nd highest package. The leather is definitely of a better quality than in the Ford (one my pet peeves; the dye from my jeans keeps rubbing off on my stone colored seats on the Edge). The seat bottom cushions felt a little short front to back in the MKC, and I’m only 5’4″; how are tall people going to drive this?! The center stack is weird; the real switches look like something out of a 1970’s car in shape and tactile feedback; they felt out of place (although probably will be easier to find at 80 mph on the freeway than my electrostatic ones on the Edge). The nav screen is also tilted up toward the sun (the whole center console is), which is going to make it wash out in sunlight since the screen isn’t recessed much at all. The turbo 4 was definitely quick on its feet, although I highly doubt there’s any Eco to its boost. Once they get the inventory regulated, it will be curious to see how these price out. I’m more interested in it now that I know the next-gen Edge has become larger (which I don’t need). The gauges are definitely nice; the dealer put a nav card in, and the center screen on the IP shows the mini screen like the Edge does (and which the Escape does not?) to show next turns, etc. The limit for the road you’re on appears in the dial for the speedometer as well as on the nav screen. Very nice. The electronic parking brake switch is too hidden away, on the downslope of the dashboard under the headlight switch.
Is this the Lincoln Escape?
i still say someone at lincoln needs their mouth washed out with soap for that disgusting design language. nasty!
Having seen an MKC in and out, it was nice but not exceptional. That said, especially considering that a loaded 2.0 Ecoboost FWD MKC tops out at ~$45K (2.3 with AWD is pushing $50K), I’m expecting the Lexus NX is going to deliver a beatdown of epic proportions on it.
300 units really isn’t a 12 day supply based on what sales should be with ample supply.