<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/lincoln/" rel="tag">Lincoln</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/rumormill/" rel="tag">Rumormill</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost/"><img border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/08/01lincolnmktebawdopta.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><small>2010 Lincoln MKT - click above for high-res image gallery</small></em></strong></div>
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Doesn't it seem like only yesterday that <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> was in charge of seven different brands? Now The Blue Oval is down to two, Ford and Lincoln, after today's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/ford-officially-sells-volvo-to-geely-for-1-8b/">sale of Volvo</a> to Chinese automaker Geely and the pending execution of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/mercury">Mercury</a>. This means more energy and money will be available to plot success for Ford and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/lincoln">Lincoln</a>, and according to a report in <em>Automotive News</em>, that means Lincoln could get "a compact, front-drive car or crossover" (<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/12/detroit-2009-little-bigtime-concept-c-takes-lincoln-in-brand/">Lincoln Concept C</a>, anyone?) and perhaps a model based on the next Ford Mondeo. Not exactly what we would have expected from Ford's luxury brand, but times change.<br />
<br />
A small taste of what's in store for Lincoln: the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mkx">MKX</a> will get a redesign next year, the same year that the venerable Town Car dies, and, according to AN, a brand-new MKX with a design less like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/edge">Edge</a> will appear in 2014. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mkz">MKZ</a> gets a new look in 2013, which could be the last year for the controversial Ford <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/flex">Flex</a>/Lincoln <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mkt">MKT</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/navigator">Navigator</a>, perhaps replaced by an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/explorer"> Explorer</a>-based crossover or an SUV with more chops for rough terrain. Hopefully, they'll also rework that whole MK-Random-Letter approach to nomenclature as well.<br />
<br />
The more germane revelation is this: Ford apparently believes Lincoln's success is contingent on putting lots of daylight between Ford and Lincoln engineering. Lincoln models need to be more distinct from their Ford counterparts in everything from engines to styling to feature sets. That might mean a lot more luxury features and refinement could be making their way into Lincolns soon - and that's something <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/detnews-fords-slow-revival-of-lincoln-taking-heat-from-dealers/">increasingly anxious Lincoln dealers</a> ought to be able to get behind.<br />
<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review">Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost AWD</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/01lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/02lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/03lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/04lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/05lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100802/OEM04/308029996/1256#ixzz0vRnKlMDv">Automotive News</a> - sub. req.]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/">Report: Lincoln MKT, Ford Flex to be phased out at end of 2013?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100802/OEM04/308029996/1256#ixzz0vRnKlMDv>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19577125/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><small>2010 Lincoln MKT - click above for high-res image gallery</small></em></strong></div>
<br />
Doesn't it seem like only yesterday that <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> was in charge of seven different brands? Now The Blue Oval is down to two, Ford and Lincoln, after today's <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/ford-officially-sells-volvo-to-geely-for-1-8b/">sale of Volvo</a> to Chinese automaker Geely and the pending execution of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/mercury">Mercury</a>. This means more energy and money will be available to plot success for Ford and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/lincoln">Lincoln</a>, and according to a report in <em>Automotive News</em>, that means Lincoln could get "a compact, front-drive car or crossover" (<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/12/detroit-2009-little-bigtime-concept-c-takes-lincoln-in-brand/">Lincoln Concept C</a>, anyone?) and perhaps a model based on the next Ford Mondeo. Not exactly what we would have expected from Ford's luxury brand, but times change.<br />
<br />
A small taste of what's in store for Lincoln: the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mkx">MKX</a> will get a redesign next year, the same year that the venerable Town Car dies, and, according to AN, a brand-new MKX with a design less like the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/edge">Edge</a> will appear in 2014. The <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mkz">MKZ</a> gets a new look in 2013, which could be the last year for the controversial Ford <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/flex">Flex</a>/Lincoln <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mkt">MKT</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/navigator">Navigator</a>, perhaps replaced by an <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/explorer"> Explorer</a>-based crossover or an SUV with more chops for rough terrain. Hopefully, they'll also rework that whole MK-Random-Letter approach to nomenclature as well.<br />
<br />
The more germane revelation is this: Ford apparently believes Lincoln's success is contingent on putting lots of daylight between Ford and Lincoln engineering. Lincoln models need to be more distinct from their Ford counterparts in everything from engines to styling to feature sets. That might mean a lot more luxury features and refinement could be making their way into Lincolns soon - and that's something <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/16/detnews-fords-slow-revival-of-lincoln-taking-heat-from-dealers/">increasingly anxious Lincoln dealers</a> ought to be able to get behind.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review">Review: 2010 Lincoln MKT EcoBoost AWD</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/01lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/02lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/03lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/04lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2010-lincoln-mkt-ecoboost-awd-review/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/05lincolnmktebawd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100802/OEM04/308029996/1256#ixzz0vRnKlMDv">Automotive News</a> - sub. req.]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/">Report: Lincoln MKT, Ford Flex to be phased out at end of 2013?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100802/OEM04/308029996/1256#ixzz0vRnKlMDv>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19577125/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/02/report-lincoln-mkt-ford-flex-to-be-phased-out-at-the-end-of-20/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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