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MKZ to be Renamed Zephyr, go RWD


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I'm trying to figure out the business case with this-to me the best way of keeping a sedan around for Lincoln would be to have two wheelbase versions of the same platform-

The Zephyr would replace the MKZ and would the SWB plus the high end product of the low end, with a price starting over the Corsair or if Lincoln gets another smaller product under the Corsair.

The Conti would be a LWB Zephyr that would be aimed at Black car/Limo fleets-which I'm not sure how profitable that is or China-I don't see much of a retail demand for a product like this since people in this price bracket would be looking at a Aviator or Navigator instead.  A different tophat would be required also.

Then throw in electrification... 

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36 minutes ago, silvrsvt said:

I'm trying to figure out the business case with this-to me the best way of keeping a sedan around for Lincoln would be to have two wheelbase versions of the same platform-

The Zephyr would replace the MKZ and would the SWB plus the high end product of the low end, with a price starting over the Corsair or if Lincoln gets another smaller product under the Corsair.

The Conti would be a LWB Zephyr that would be aimed at Black car/Limo fleets-which I'm not sure how profitable that is or China-I don't see much of a retail demand for a product like this since people in this price bracket would be looking at a Aviator or Navigator instead.  A different tophat would be required also.

Then throw in electrification... 

That makes the most sense.  Maybe a sport hatchback on the SWB to make it more appealing.   Explorer chassis for the LWB, shorten it for SWB. 

The nice thing about going CD6R is that you've got a full range of drivetrains readily available in RWD and AWD - 2.3L, 2.7L, 3.0L and 3.5L ecoboosts plus the 5.0 and 5.2L and the supercharged 5.2L.  And the hybrid transmission.

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3 hours ago, silvrsvt said:

I'm trying to figure out the business case with this-to me the best way of keeping a sedan around for Lincoln would be to have two wheelbase versions of the same platform-

The Zephyr would replace the MKZ and would the SWB plus the high end product of the low end, with a price starting over the Corsair or if Lincoln gets another smaller product under the Corsair.

The Conti would be a LWB Zephyr that would be aimed at Black car/Limo fleets-which I'm not sure how profitable that is or China-I don't see much of a retail demand for a product like this since people in this price bracket would be looking at a Aviator or Navigator instead.  A different tophat would be required also.

Then throw in electrification... 

I kind of agree with you... the volume projection for two sedans is difficult to justify unless one (or both) of them gets a substantial volume boost. But one thing you are forgetting... Ford is likely going to build this pair of sedan in China so volume projection is completely different than the status quo with Flat Rock/Hermosilo production. There may also be no Taurus or Mondeo or neither in China to deal with if Ford goes ahead with 2 Lincoln sedans... there are a lot of variables in play.

Ford is probably thinking about Zephyr as more like an Audi A5 or BMW 4 series Grand Coupe kind of car, while Continental will presumably have coach doors and more traditional sedan profile.

I wouldn't necessarily describe the difference as simple SWB vs. LWB decision. I mean the current MKZ and Continental are on the same platform but they have very different top hat.

But the advantage of using CD6 is that powertrain development costs are all paid for essentially. So electrification is already baked in.

Edited by bzcat
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  • 2 weeks later...

the only think that Lincoln is missing on the current MKZ right now is marketing, it seems like they've put a lots of effort in the 3.0 version of the MKZ upgrading it with bigger brakes and stronger suspension components but there's no marketing about that and they dosen't even mention in on their website!! and that's besides the low positioning of the car and the super air dynamics that it's already on all MKZ'S that improves the handling at high speeds

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