Interview with head of National Lincoln Dealers Council

[Gurgeh]

He give shout-outs to three Lincoln models in particular: the Navigator, the Nautilus and the upcoming Aviator. I was a little surprised how much he focused on the Naut, but its sales have really surged since the refresh and rename.

 

https://www.autonews.com/dealers/lincoln-remaking-products-and-showrooms?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+autonews%2FRetailNews+(Automotive+News+Retail+News+Feed)&ito=792&itq=89fcbff0-6d32-49d1-8dee-2a4d0272bb7c&itx[idio]=5876139&fbclid=IwAR2eFdF-b57ckL-Mrc2bYzOgEOC_pc41G-i3dCPjjlyjs7KqycFoqhpA62I

[walkabout]

Have sales really "surged"? (Not disagreeing with you, asking).

 

When I leased my MKX, I kept hearing how it was Lincoln's best seller, but then the actual sales rates compared to other vehicles in the class (like the RX350 and Xt5) were dismal. 

 

My guess is that the sales of the Nautilus are up compared to the MKX (as should happen right after a refresh) but otherwise pretty bad. Out here in LA, I've yet to see a single one on the streets. Every once in a while I see the 2016 forward gen of MKX but even that is rare.

 

Lincoln just isn't selling a lot of vehicles these days. 

[akirby]

Navigator sales are up considerably compared to the previous model.  ATPs (Average Transaction Prices) are WAY up - something like $20K or $30K higher.   You can sell half as many of the new vehicles (Navigator, Aviator, Continental) and make 3 times the profit of the older ones.

 

Ford doesn't seem willing to put big incentives on the hood to move more volume instead relying on higher ATPs.

[Gurgeh]

1 hour ago, walkabout said:

Have sales really "surged"? (Not disagreeing with you, asking).

 

When I leased my MKX, I kept hearing how it was Lincoln's best seller, but then the actual sales rates compared to other vehicles in the class (like the RX350 and Xt5) were dismal. 

 

My guess is that the sales of the Nautilus are up compared to the MKX (as should happen right after a refresh) but otherwise pretty bad. Out here in LA, I've yet to see a single one on the streets. Every once in a while I see the 2016 forward gen of MKX but even that is rare.

 

Lincoln just isn't selling a lot of vehicles these days. 

 

Good point. It might be better to say that sales are back up to the peak level they were at about a year after most recent redesign of the MKX. Last year they started easing downward as a lot of folks put off purchases, I expect, in anticipation of the refreshed and renamed Nautilus. For much of 2018 the MKC overtook the MKX as Lincoln's volume leader. But similar models by other competitors sell better, like the XT5, Q5, RDX, etc. They are not necessarily superior vehicles, but they do sell better for a variety of reasons. I expect we'll see a couple of significant step ups in Lincoln sales this year with the Aviator and Corsair, as the new models get a lot of attention and Lincoln's reputation continues its revival. By the end of the year one or both of those might well be selling better than the Nautilus, and I don't expect Nautilus sales to really break out until the redesign in a couple of years. And who knows what Lincoln's version of the electric performance vehicle based on the Mustang (cousin to Ford's Mach E) will do? Will it be nothing more than a halo car when it comes out next year or will it turn into another hot seller?

[Cosmos36]

For the 1st two years of my MKX ownership I never saw another 2nd Gen on the road. Finally, I spotted one in Kona HA, my first in two years. The winged grill was always the identifier with a quick glance at the rear hatch to confirm that it wasn't a clam shell MKC.

 

Now, with the N. sporting a grill that blends with all the ubiquitous offerings of competitors, I don't expend even a fraction of a moment trying to confirm a Nautilus vis-à-vis some other lookalike. If I get a hankering to see Lincoln crossovers, I just drive by the PDX Terminal 6 and view acres of Lincoln exports on their way to Asia.