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Next Gen MKC?

83K views 313 replies 39 participants last post by  FloridaMatt 
#1 ·



The current gen MKC is, for the most part, a nice looking compact CUV, inside and out and how it performs. But the problem is as I see it, is with it's fit in the market segment. What seems to have happened is that Lincoln took the 40+ 'Quiet Luxury' playbook, and applied it to the C-Segment CUV where the market is the high 20s and low to mid 30s. Nice product, but the wrong audience for maximum penetration.

Which brings up the question, what should Lincoln do with the next gen MKC so it's a better fit for the segment it competes?




Looking at sales since the MKC was launched, the Lexus NX coming late to the game, has dominated the segment with more than double the MKC sales for 2016. The design was polarizing, with many wondering what Lexus was doing. But apparently, Lexus knew what they were doing....targeting the younger market segment directly. This segment is loud and in your face not quiet and reserved which for that demographic = old.

And they don't want anything that represents old.

Which means next gen MKC needs a reboot, inside and out along with a new attitude for Lincoln that can reach that demographic. Which will be a challenge for Lincoln who currently has the 'Quiet Luxury' image has been successful with bringing down the customer demographic from the 70s to the 50s. But as we know, 50 is the new 40 and 40 is the new 30. Which means Lincoln has to find a way to meet the expectations of the 20s and 60+ crowd at the same time.

But to get there Lincoln can't still be 'Quiet Luxury' because that won't reach that 'loud and in your face' demographic. But there may be an easy way to deal with this issue by attaching 'Quiet Luxury' to specific Lincoln models and not to the Lincoln brand itself.

20s to 30s Target Demographic:
MKC(SUV) - Exhilarating Performance
MKZ(Sedan/coupe/convertible) - Exhilarating Performance
MKX - Quiet Luxury / Exhilarating Performance depending on the model/trim


40s+ Target Demographic
Aviator - Quiet Luxurty / Exilarating Performance depending on the model/trim
Continental - Quiet Luxury
Town Car? - Quiet Luxuty
Navigator - Quiet Luxury

Which could mean that next gen MKC should offer a radical approach to the new Lincoln grille.



Even now, the MKC concept seems a bit too tame to reach the demographic where many are moving from luxury sport sedans into luxury sport CUVs.

So what do you think Lincoln should do with the next gen MKC?
 
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#2 ·
:thumb: ^

guess I'm now/lately hoping the USFiesta moves onto a shorty-wheelbase version of the ngFocus
cuz in addition to a possibly desirable (for me) hatchling
it could lead to splitting the MKC in TWO = slightly smaller & a Macan-size
tho
really wonder about the factory situation...ie afaik U.S factories don't have room for more volume
1 - fercryin'outloud: MKZ-Energi 2.3Atkinson-or-1.5T ...even CARB-only!
2 - MKX-Lg :facepalm: including a [BL] version :facepalm:² = R.I.P.M.K.T
3 - still wondering about taking a pair of Focus-BEV drivetrains & sticking them in Both the front & back of SOMEthing...
...daydreaming follows / ignore:
jack up a Z, stick a 2-3" thick battery surfboard under it, scrap a PanoRoof for a carbonfibre ceiling + a HATCH
= e-TOURING
that should be plenty thru next NAIAS
missed your ^question
...& staying with the current architecture;
1. the 9-speed :toetap:
2. electrificationing, esp a Turbo-Plug-In (pureBEV prolley needs new architecture)(hybrids are for mainstream)
3. Package TWEAKing: a) simplify the lower end/combine Premier & Select, b) standardize some stuff on [BL]
4. more color choices? dunno how many the paint shop can accommodate
Ø. actually top priority: make the dash trims dealer-swappable!!
5. wheel boutique, across the whole lineup
6. I'd like to SEE a 500+hp 3.5T, maybe limited-time/edition but note that's not high priority
 
#8 · (Edited)
:thumb: ^

guess I'm now/lately hoping the USFiesta moves onto a shorty-wheelbase version of the ngFocus
cuz in addition to a possibly desirable (for me) hatchling
it could lead to splitting the MKC in TWO = slightly smaller & a Macan-size

Wheelbase: 110.51 in. | Length: 184.29 in.

The Macan should have about the same size wheelbase, as the next gen MKC, but Lincoln couldn't get away with being so relaxed in its design, with being a Porsche.

MB has their version GLA shared with Infiniti QX30 and both have sales right below current MKC.



But something that small seems to more belong to the Ford brand.
 
#3 ·
But to get there Lincoln can't still be 'Quiet Luxury' because that won't reach that 'loud and in your face' demographic. But there may be an easy way to deal with this issue by attaching 'Quiet Luxury' to specific Lincoln models and not to the Lincoln brand itself.

20s to 30s Target Demographic:
MKC(SUV) - Exhilarating Performance
MKZ(Sedan/coupe/convertible) - Exhilarating Performance
MKX - Quiet Luxury / Exhilarating Performance depending on the model/trim


40s+ Target Demographic
Aviator - Quiet Luxurty / Exilarating Performance depending on the model/trim
Continental - Quiet Luxury
Town Car? - Quiet Luxuty
Navigator - Quiet Luxury
I think Lincoln can still use the "Quiet Luxury" theme without sacrificing desirability and performance. Look at Acura with the MDX or Lexus with the RX for example. Both vehicles are aggressive looking but still have quiet rides and decent quality; a requirement for any successful modern vehicle, especially SUV's/CUV's.

 
#5 ·
They should make the next-gem MKC aspirational, powerful, sporty and a bit edgy.
Yes, yes, yes, and yes! That should apply to every Lincoln going forward, though in differing proportions of each. In other words the bottom end product should be edgier while the higher end product should have some of the same edge, just more refined.

Lincoln will not be allowed to do this because it would take the spotlight from Ford.
This is an argument that I think had validity a decade or more back, but not today. The Ford name cannot do in terms of margins what a healthy Lincoln can, and both management and the Ford family understand that. If they didn't we wouldn't have the Lincoln we have today, much less what we expect is coming.
 
#6 · (Edited)
WardsAuto.com, Oct 16, 2009 8:42 AM

“We have an aging owner body, and we have the ability to move it in the right direction and get younger,” Matt VanDyke-marketing communications director, tells Ward’s at a recent media event here.

“To think we could flip over and get young 20-somethings into a luxury product at this point and consider Lincoln is something that I think is too much of a stretch,” he says.

Lincoln brass spent considerable time determining the unique makeup of Gen Xers, which VanDyke defines as being in their mid-30s to mid-40s. Unlike traditional luxury buyers, these consumers don’t want to appear “ostentatious.” Rather, they are “folks that are time-starved and look at luxury as something that makes their life simple and easier.”

VanDyke says Generation X represents a “white space” in the automotive market, meaning there are no other auto makers targeting them. Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision Inc., a California-based automotive consultancy, agrees.

“They’re a target that there’s not a battlefield of people going after,” Edwards tells Ward’s. “You have a group of folks earning a bit more than people a little older and younger than they are.

“(Lincoln) can have results today, rather than when Generation Y (ages 15-32) grows up.”

http://www.fordinsidenews.com/forums/37-lincoln-discussion/3305-lincoln-aims-gen-x.html
 
#7 ·
“They’re a target that there’s not a battlefield of people going after,” Edwards tells Ward’s. “You have a group of folks earning a bit more than people a little older and younger than they are."

This does explain why Lincoln seems to have been marketing to a niche market early on. But to be successful in the small/midsize luxury market, Lincoln will need to charge into the battlefield with the right equipment. Next gen MKC should be part of Lincolns first wave.
 
#9 · (Edited)
what I'd like to do with the Macan is leave the perfect-sized interior & SHAVE off all the excess bulbousness from the sheetmetal
which
would undoubtedly make it "edgy"er :joyous:

for the smaller which imho isn't TOO small for Lincoln
_wlb___ovl____w____ht______
106.3 - 173.9 - 71.0 - 58.8 - MB GLA
105.9 - 179.2 - 73.4 - 65.2 - Lincoln MKC
104.7 - 171.9 - ??.? - 64.4 - Range Rover Evoque
& an old quote I didn't keep a Source for:
"GLA is 3.5 inches longer, yet 3.8 inches narrower and 5.2 inches lower than the Range Rover Evoque"
 
#10 ·
As cliche as this sounds, I'd love for the interior of a new MKC to resemble that of the new Navigator, but in a small package. The new Navigator has a youthful yet sophisticated interior, and I can see that in the MKC and every upcoming Lincoln. The new Lexus interiors are way too gaudy and overly styled in my opinion. I obviously want Lincoln to progress but I don't want them to be so in your face with a weird design like Lexus. I feel like they're going for a more simplified chique Audi/Jaguar aesthetic.
 
#12 ·
The current gen MKC is, for the most part, a nice looking compact CUV, inside and out and how it performs. But the problem is as I see it, is with it's fit in the market segment. What seems to have happened is that Lincoln took the 40+ 'Quiet Luxury' playbook, and applied it to the C-Segment CUV where the market is the high 20s and low to mid 30s. Nice product, but the wrong audience for maximum penetration.

Which brings up the question, what should Lincoln do with the next gen MKC so it's a better fit for the segment it competes?




Looking at sales since the MKC was launched, the Lexus NX coming late to the game, has dominated the segment with more than double the MKC sales for 2016. The design was polarizing, with many wondering what Lexus was doing. But apparently, Lexus knew what they were doing....targeting the younger market segment directly. This segment is loud and in your face not quiet and reserved which for that demographic = old.
I can agree with some of what you said. The production MKC does look frumpy compared to the concept. I don't know if you ever saw the concept, but it was much more sleek and sporty looking than what we ended up getting, and likely would've better appealed to the younger audience you're talking about. The production model, while nice, is more upright and less sporty, which hurt that image.

In regards to the NX, I think the biggest reason for its success is the strength of the Lexus brand more so than the NX itself. I've been in a few, and I just can't see how anyone likes the bizarre shapes on the interior (that applies to anything Lexus these days for that matter). I will admit, though, aside from the new LC, the NX is my "favorite" of the Lexus designs (I don't like it, but something about it seems like they got the design right compared to the other models). I think they cruise on reputation that helps people get past the strange styling direction they've gone with. Lincoln currently doesn't have that reputation, they have to work to build that.

As cliche as this sounds, I'd love for the interior of a new MKC to resemble that of the new Navigator, but in a small package. The new Navigator has a youthful yet sophisticated interior, and I can see that in the MKC and every upcoming Lincoln. The new Lexus interiors are way too gaudy and overly styled in my opinion. I obviously want Lincoln to progress but I don't want them to be so in your face with a weird design like Lexus. I feel like they're going for a more simplified chique Audi/Jaguar aesthetic.
Oh I for sure think we'll see Navigator's interior be the standard for Lincoln interiors going forward - both in quality and design/look. I think Navigator's interior looks great - it's a luxurious look, but is clean and not overstyled.

The thing I'm curious to see is whether the crossovers retain the more curvy design language of the current MKC and MKX or if they go a more boxy, mini Navigator/Range Rover design direction.
 
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#13 ·
I don't think the MKC needs to be overly sporty, just needs to be comfortable and quiet with decent driving dynamics. Looks wise they don't need to go crazy, Audi sells well and they do most bland designs. Need to put an emphasis on further differentiating it from the Escape and making sure fit and finish as well as materials are top notch. Wouldnt mind seeing a bit more power though, we the the 2.3 has got it.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I don't think the MKC needs to be overly sporty, just needs to be comfortable and quiet with decent driving dynamics. Looks wise they don't need to go crazy, Audi sells well and they do most bland designs. Need to put an emphasis on further differentiating it from the Escape and making sure fit and finish as well as materials are top notch.
I wouldn't exactly call the Q5 bland, it's clean and the proportions are nice.

(previous gen)


Concept MKC with nice athletic Audi-rivaling proportions...

...production MKC with stubby proportions.
 
#14 · (Edited)
pRe-tro-edit: just remembered how some/many of us were thinking/expecting/hoping the MKC would have a (slightly) long wlb than the Escape.
Whatever FLincmoco does next, reallyREALLY want to see a *bit* of differentiation there!!

-

a thread elsewhere is bringing up (heartburn-ly) some speculation that the rumored 4-door version of a 2-door Bronco MIGHT be the Aviator...

...since I've never met a hallucination I didn't like,
WHAT IF
the smaller Bronco formed the basis for a small Lincoln SUV, Plus
Lincoln keeping a smaller than X (maCAN!**), bigger than C CUV
? ...no idea how they could best differentiate them size-wise

**
 
#20 ·


If Lincoln actually made the MKC Concept as the next gen or evolution of the MKC, a cleaner more modern design with a new front end and sharper edges, less black cladding and without the clamshell hatch it would do well. MKC does have good DNA to work with.

Notice how much cleaner the profile is of the MKX(which is closer to the concept than MKC) without the additional cut lines of the clamshell hatch.

 
#29 ·
The longer wheelbase on the MKC Concept and MKX lengthen the vehicle. The production MKC with it's shorter wheelbase and hood, as I said before, looks like it's about to give birth.

I still think Lincoln should have a GLA competitor. A CUV that splits the difference in terms of height between a MKC and Focus type of car. Give it an edgier version of Lincoln's look and target it towards younger buyers to get them into the brand.
 
#21 · (Edited)
I think the MKC looks dated only in the details but is otherwise one of the more attractive Crossover in its class. I know it doesn't have the ideal proportions but I think the design works well with it. I think the MKC lost some of the Escape's interior airiness with the attempt to fix the cab-forward wedge shape so I think that's probably the bigger issue with what they are working with...it feels like a small car because they had to fill out the available space to fix it.

I agree that Lincoln really needs to work its way into the hearts and minds of younger consumers because I think they've moved in the opposite direction with the sedate redesigns of MKZ and Continental. Right now I'm fearing the move toward the boxier Lincoln fascia on MKX, although I think it may look better on Crossovers if applied correctly. I wouldn't mind a Lincoln that looks a bit more like an Audi or Volvo, but Lincoln still feels like a lesser copy of other cars that look better and I didn't feel that way before the latest fascia iteration. But Lincoln isn't for car snobs, it needs to find a successful formula for its customers. There is something to be said about a carmaker that is successfully avoiding controversy.
 
#22 ·
In terms of purely exterior styling, the MKC eats Audi's lunch. That's my opinion, and not a humble one. Front, side, profile....take your pick.
Audi face is just old and tired and borderline fugly, and I fear that Lincoln is moving now closer to it and I am not excited about that. Perhaps Lincoln will surprise us, but I am sensing that is not the case any more. Or not.



 
#23 ·
...Which brings up the question, what should Lincoln do with the next gen MKC so it's a better fit for the segment it competes?
re: the hatch
I *still* think that putting the cutlines 'on the corner' as much a possible is best = invisible or minimally visible from both the back and sides
between the usual as on X and clamshell as on C & with the cut by the rearwindow completely HIDDEN where painted meets black



&tho
really want a BIT of variation on the grille styling ... yet related ... not like FLincmoco bought them in BULK at Costco
inverted plinth ...for smaller vehicles actually: MKC & LincStangs

+ donor HLs

& wondering how the "horizontal weave" of the Z's grille insert would look if made vertical instead
...meanwhile
 
#30 · (Edited)
^ one of the styling 'failings' that irritate me is squarish-tubular motifs ie constant-width.
The Mustang's upper-rocker area is actually *worse* cuz not curved = like a box-beam sticking thru the sheetmetal,
be much better if tapered or not Flat-Surfaced


...really want a BIT of variation on the grille styling ... yet related ... not like FLincmoco bought them in BULK at Costco
forgot to mention the grille INSERTs
got a feeling the Conti will (should!) switch to what I've called the StarShadow pattern like the production Navi & Conti CONCEPT
tho the Z prolley keeps the current 'StarWeave' (don't remember if that's what Lincoln has called that pattern)...
...so, Navi & Aviator the more billet-like StarShadow / X & C the more wire-like one
 

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#24 ·
The C looks very small in person and is not enough attractive for the younger customers. What Lincoln needs to do? :

Move the base of the windshield a couple of inch rearward. This could be posible with the next generation of C cars (the next Focus has the windshield in this position) This will give the car better proportions and will looks longer.

Keep the "waves" lines at the sides. Is a style characteristic that could be the MKC presentation card

Accentuate the horizontal lines . This could help to make the car longer to the eyes.

Add the new Lincoln grille and give to the front end a more aggressive look to attract the young people. Do something interesting with the headlights (in the LEDs lights era, everything is possible)

Add some controversial detail to the design. Something that looks disruptive, exciting and ignites the conversations over the car. (The horrible predator grille of Lexus is a good example of what I mean) The young customers love this kind of things

Let the "calm, relaxing luxury" feel go to the big Lincolns. This small vehicle needs to be more "sport, dynamic and exciting luxury"

With the clamshell tailgate the car looks short. It needs to be replaced by a conventional one
 
#25 ·
Yeah, I was hoping the CUVs would get a grill of a similar theme, but with more aggressive features to make them look a lot less sedate. Now, it works on the Navigator, because of the size, and it is more suited to their clientele. The MKX, MKC, and Aviator need to be aimed at a younger audience.
 
#27 ·
The problem with the MKC fascia is that it doesn't look terribly upscale, the thin horizontal chrome strips forming the grille essentially flatten the face and you see way too much internal structure through it. The new Lincoln grille does fix this annoying problem which Lincoln grilles have long suffered from so I do appreciate that.

The next MKC will probably look something like the Audi Q5 since it's clear Audi is the main inspiration for Woodhouse design at Lincoln, I think he even said Audi is the brand he admires the most.


Still, I could have imagined more interesting implementations for the split-grille, I really like the two-toned grille on the Black Label MKX for example.
 
#31 ·
I am with the posters liking the MKC as one of the best looking in its class. The Audi looks good at night IMO as Audi is doing the right stuff with creating an image just with the LED headlamp & tail lamp pattern executions, but it is rather dull in the daytime.
 
#34 · (Edited)
Others?
There's the ancient Infiniti QX50, it's a refreshed version of the decade old compact EX with a 3.2-inch extended wheelbase originally meant for the Chinese market.
YTD sales: 6,935.


Porsche Macan, YTD Sales: 6,907


Volvo XC60 (outgoing), YTD sales: 6,447


Land Rover Discovery Sport, YTD sales: 5,890.


Jaguar F-Pace, YTD sales: 666


Source: http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2017/06/may-2017-ytd-us-suv-and-crossover-sales.html
Images: Edmunds and Autoblog

Other premium compact CUVs are the shorter hatchback-sized crossovers like the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes GLA, Infiniti QX30, MINI Countryman, and Range Rover Evoque.
 
#36 · (Edited)
^ here ya go
Since JLR refuses to put their numbers in sales charts, here these are with as much info as they give out. They obviously hide bad numbers doing it this way.

Land Rover - 4,993
-Evoque - 858 ^ 6%
-RR Sport - 1,813
-RR - 1,272 ^ 22%
-Discovery Sport - 904
-Discovery - ?
-LR4 - ?


Jaguar - 3,113 ^ 44%
-F-Type - 409
-XE - 764
-XF - ?
-XJ - ?
-F-Pace - 1,440
figurin' ^ XF + XJ = 500
est.:
XF = ~350-400-...
XJ = ~150-100-...
?
btw Discovery + LR4 = 146

edit: THANKS to Bellanca's Link :thumb:
F-Pace.....1440 May -- 8058 YTD
Jaguar.....3113 May - 17719 YTD
LR...........4993 May - 30079 YTD
JagLR...... 8106 May - 47798 YTD
 
#38 ·
Looks much better! I don't understand why they broke up the light on the C when all the other Lincolns have one large light bars that are even bigger than the C's!
 
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#44 ·
:thumb:
F-Pace.....1440 May -- 8058 YTD
Jaguar.....3113 May - 17719 YTD
LR...........4993 May - 30079 YTD
JagLR...... 8106 May - 47798 YTD

&
re: STARstang
I've speculated on a STARstang shootingbrake/wagen for a longish time
and started to think about basically a raised variant as another niche
:joyous: ...tho also wonder how close the Bronco will come to that?
 
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