Ford to Drop Zephyr-Replace with MKZ

[Bluecon]

So who would buy the Zephyr for the rest of 2006?

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../602070414/1014

[wildosvt]

People who sit back and wiat for the end of year sales. :D

[pcsario]

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index...?showtopic=1578

 

Repost.

Edited February 7, 2006 by pcsario

[silvrsvt]

Grasp at straws much?

[Bored of Pisteon]

I guess "innovation" does breed complacency sometimes. And this is just an example... :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[mkoesel]

So who would buy the Zephyr for the rest of 2006?

 

Anyone with a hairdryer and $9.99 for a MKZ liftgate badge?

[ZanatWork]

Anyone with a hairdryer and $9.99 for a MKZ liftgate badge?

 

 

Apparently, that's a bit much for Bluecon. We could pass the hat....

[slider71]

So who would buy the Zephyr for the rest of 2006?

 

 

Its obvious, right? H E R T Z !

 

In all seriousness, this is where the car should have been at launch. But because Lincoln is so desperate for product, they didnt wait, should have put the money into the Milan this year, and the Whatever they Call it Next for 2007. If it launched with AWD and a competitive motor, that would be near luxury. Instead, this model will wither out the sales for this year, but should come back stronger next year. Meanwhile, those who bought an '06 get a free groin kick in the residual value.

[630land]

i guess car companies should never change a thing?

 

if they don't change, they get labeled complacent. They do, they are 'mis managed'

 

Some are just never satisfied unless car companies go under. Then they 'know what would have saved them'.

[slider71]

i guess car companies should never change a thing?

 

if they don't change, they get labeled complacent. They do, they are 'mis managed'

 

Some are just never satisfied unless car companies go under. Then they 'know what would have saved them'.

 

When you spend $30K on a "new" model, and then 5 months later they come out with a better, "newer" model, you imply that the first model wasn't really so good and new as you hoped, and you set the expectation that something better lies in the wings. Think about it. The fastest model 'refresh' in automotive history? Is that something you want? Put it to you this way...if Honda came out tomorrow, and anounced the 2007 Ridgeline would have a v8, new styling, etc., better than half of you would say they half-assed the first model, no? Instead of saying they incorporated feedback and responded to the market in record time? You waste a lot of consumer trust that way, which is why it isn't done. Most people don't expect to trade in their computers, TVs, fridges, or other big ticket items. You short cycle products like this, and the residuals tank.

Edited February 7, 2006 by slider71

[PolarBear]

I'm convinced that some PAG management has infiltrated LM, and are determined to kill the division to secure Jaguars future. That's the only possible explanation.

[robertlane]

1) Lincoln should have done the car right the first time (3.5 / AWD).

 

2) Changing the name shows that someone is f-ing sleeping. After all of the time and resources promoting the Zephyr name - they simply change the name? A lot of brand confidence there...

 

3) Yes, goodbye residuals.

 

Ford needs an outpost like the eastern front.

[swenson88]

1) Lincoln should have done the car right the first time (3.5 / AWD).

 

2) Changing the name shows that someone is f-ing sleeping. After all of the time and resources promoting the Zephyr name - they simply change the name? A lot of brand confidence there...

 

3) Yes, goodbye residuals.

 

Ford needs an outpost like the eastern front.

 

1) But we already knew that this car was being rushed to market because what Lincoln needed first and foremost was NEW PRODUCT. ANY new product, competitive, uncompetitive, didn't matter.

 

2) We also know that Ford has no brand confidence in Lincoln. Do any of us really have any brand confidence in Lincoln? Does the average Joe? Can anyone name someone that has cross-shopped Lincoln with any other brand besides Cadillac, like Lexus, BMW, MB, Acura? I doubt it. Lincoln right now has no presence except the Navigator, and that's not the crowd they need.

 

3) I don't think this will really affect residuals that much. Heck, if anything maybe a "Zephyr" will be a collector's item someday, since one year's worth of Zephyrs will probably be ~25K units, so years from now they'll be pretty rare. Of course I doubt that anyone will be snapping these up at Barrett-Jackson years from now, but who knows.

[bystander]

I thought it was dumb for Lincoln to launch its CD3 car with the same engine as the Fusion/Milan and mainly cosmetics to differentiate it from its lesser division siblings (Cimmaron, anyone?). But changing the name less than a year after introduction is the stupidest f-ing thing I ever heard of. What's next? Are they going to change the Navigator's name to MKSUV? Maybe the Town Car will become the MKOLDFKR.

 

One gets the impression that a free-for-all brawl is taking place on the bridge of the SS Lincoln and nobody currently has a firm hand on the wheel...

[slider71]

Maybe the Town Car will become the MKOLDFKR...

 

:lol: That's a classic.

[2b2]

QUOTE(robertlane @ Feb 7 2006)

1a) Lincoln should have done the car right the first time (3.5 / AWD).

1b) But we already knew that this car was being rushed to market because what Lincoln needed first and foremost was NEW PRODUCT. ANY new product, competitive, uncompetitive, didn't matter.

 

 

1c) I believe L-M dealers would still have had 90+% of the sales if the Milan had gone solo for the first 6-12 months and if the Lincoln ad budget was partially redistributed to Merc... (maybe I just don't see enough Jill commercials).

It would have made much more sense to let the Milan establish itself first.

 

[rant]

Mercury still isn't getting enough support- it's display at the LA autoshow was pathetic: 2 (TWO!) Milans, one of which was on a turntable

- WHY didn't they have one of each color & trim to show - lord knows there was plenty of room!

- WHY no freebie Jill pix??

- WHY weren't their very attractive show-ladies dressed in "Jill-suits" (little blue top, slacks, & stillettos)?

- WHY didn't they have little "lists" (to put Mercury on) as part of their 'promo' materials?

Sure the Zep is outselling the Milan - if you were a salesman which would you push? everything you really need for well under $25k or a $30k+ Zep?

[/rant]

[Footballfan]

QUOTE(robertlane @ Feb 7 2006)

1a) Lincoln should have done the car right the first time (3.5 / AWD).

1c) I believe L-M dealers would still have had 90+% of the sales if the Milan had gone solo for the first 6-12 months and if the Lincoln ad budget was partially redistributed to Merc... (maybe I just don't see enough Jill commercials).

It would have made much more sense to let the Milan establish itself first.

 

[rant]

Mercury still isn't getting enough support- it's display at the LA autoshow was pathetic: 2 (TWO!) Milans, one of which was on a turntable

- WHY didn't they have one of each color & trim to show - lord knows there was plenty of room!

- WHY no freebie Jill pix??

- WHY weren't their very attractive show-ladies dressed in "Jill-suits" (little blue top, slacks, & stillettos)?

- WHY didn't they have little "lists" (to put Mercury on) as part of their 'promo' materials?

Sure the Zep is outselling the Milan - if you were a salesman which would you push? everything you really need for well under $25k or a $30k+ Zep?

[/rant]

 

You wonder how much longer the LM dealership network can remain viable with the lack of product. It is a huge network. At least GM combined Pontiac, Buick, and GMC to make it a realtively healthy dealer body that can sell over 1M units a year. The rate Ford is going with L/M, this network will be lucky to sell 300,000 units a year by the end of the decade.

 

 

This name game reminds me a lot of what Chrysler did in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1975, the Plymouth Division thought they were being clever when they put a new front end on the pervious year's Satillite sedan and wagon, and called it the "Fury." It was marketed as an "all-new" shorter full-size sedan (ahead of GM's plans to downsize their large cars two years later). The customers saw it for what it was: a Satillite with a new name. This car ended up taking sales away from the larger Gran Fury, only at lower profit margins, and still sold far less than the Satillite it replaced.

 

1) But we already knew that this car was being rushed to market because what Lincoln needed first and foremost was NEW PRODUCT. ANY new product, competitive, uncompetitive, didn't matter.

 

2) We also know that Ford has no brand confidence in Lincoln. Do any of us really have any brand confidence in Lincoln? Does the average Joe? Can anyone name someone that has cross-shopped Lincoln with any other brand besides Cadillac, like Lexus, BMW, MB, Acura? I doubt it. Lincoln right now has no presence except the Navigator, and that's not the crowd they need.

 

3) I don't think this will really affect residuals that much. Heck, if anything maybe a "Zephyr" will be a collector's item someday, since one year's worth of Zephyrs will probably be ~25K units, so years from now they'll be pretty rare. Of course I doubt that anyone will be snapping these up at Barrett-Jackson years from now, but who knows.

 

It is apparent with the name game that they are trying to compete with Cadillac head-to-head: MkZ against the CTS; the MKs against the STS; the stretched MkS against the DTS, the MkX against the SRX. The fact that as of now the Navigator name is not being changed (as the new Escallade's is not being changed) shows that Cadillac is Lincoln's primary competitor. If this is the case, pack it in now Lincoln. The CTS and STS will blow circles around the Mk Z and the 500-based Mk S. Cadillac has better styling, a better reputation, and its own platform (as Lincoln once had with the LS). Bottom line: If I had a choice between a base CTS, or a new MkZ, I'm taking the CTS hands-down.

 

I'm convinced that some PAG management has infiltrated LM, and are determined to kill the division to secure Jaguars future. That's the only possible explanation.

 

You wonder. Management has all but destroyed these brands in the last four years. It is hard enough resurecting one brand let alone two. But until Mercury has distinctive products aside from badge-engineered Fords, there is no use keeping it. Jaguar, Land Rover, and Volvo still have some brand equity in buyer's minds- Mercury has none, and Lincoln is about to loose what little it has left.

 

At this point in time, the only viable alternative appears to be to drop Lincoln and Mercury. Give the viable products-if any- to Land Rover (Navigator and MK LT), build Volvos, Land Rovers and Mazdas in Ford plants in NA, and convert all LM dealers to Jaguar/Land Rover and/or Mazda/Volvo. At least here you will have four divisions that have distincitve brands instead of three brands that are now offering different trim packages of the same vehichle.

[Radius]

Well it sounds like the pieces are starting to come together for the strategy and products at Lincoln. They are moving to a new naming scheme, which is more in line with the competition and cuts the connections with products they have put out (or didn't put out) over the last 5 years.

 

They were so far behind in new products that they rushed the Zephyr to market. The new 3.5 liter V6 and new 6 speed transmission was not ready yet, the AWD option was not ready yet, and I think they were still making decisions on signature design features, like the grill. The MXZ seems to be the car they should have come out with in the first place. But, they had to make do with what they had.

 

If they try and raise the price of the MXZ over the Zephyr they are going to have problems. The MXZ competes with the Lexus ES330 and the Acura TL, both front wheel drive cars with more power, luxury, and image. Keep the price where it is, gain some share, and for God’s sake, keep improving it.

 

As they release the MKS and what ever they are going to call the larger sedan they are finally going to have a look and offering that might work.

 

And they need to stop limiting the line because of possible overlap with Volvo and Jaguar. They limited the LS by doing that, smaller V8, lower horse powered V6, etc. and hurt it. Lincoln is a North American brand only; let it be all that it can be. Volvo and Jaguar have other markets they can get volume from.