Could the MKC Win North American Truck/Utility of the Year?
Could he 2015 Lincoln MKC Win North American Truck/Utility of the Year? It’s not very likely, but it definitely deserves to be there.
Could the 2015 MKC win North American Truck/Utility of the Year?
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that tomorrow morning’s North American Truck/Utility of the Year award is something of a foregone conclusion. While the consensus is somewhat divided as to whether it’s going to be the 2015 Colorado or the 2015 F-150 that takes home the title—and both certainly have more than enough right to stake their claim to being the best—seemingly nobody is of the opinion that the third option has any chance against Ford and Chevy’s offerings.
Some may not even remember what that third option is. The third finalist, for those of us who might have forgotten, is the 2015 Lincoln MKC, and it might be the most important of the bunch if only because of its impact on the future viability of an entire brand.
The 2015 F-150 and 2015 Colorado are both incredibly important vehicles. The former could well spark the full-on advent of aluminum-alloy body panels in mass-produced vehicles, and the latter could be responsible for bringing the mid-size pickup segment back to the forefront of consumer consciousness.
But the 2015 MKC could be the vehicle that saved the Lincoln Motor Company.
Is it the world-beating model that single-handedly won back the luxury segment? No. Is it a crossover that redefines the segment? No.
Does the MKC give Lincoln the confidence it needs going forward to believe that it can connect with buyers and reclaim demographics? Does it reinforce Mark Fields’ belief that Lincoln is worth a $2 billion investment? Does it make the expansion into China and the well-touted belief that global sales will triple in five years seem less like pipe dreams and more like something practical and workable?
Yes.
There are more eyes on Lincoln in 2015 than there have been since 2008, and that’s going to be incredibly important if the brand plans to roll out the new MKX, reintroduce the MKZ, and reveal whatever it is that’s replacing the MKS next year.
If 2020 rolls around and midsize trucks and aluminum-bodied vehicles are en vogue (and they most likely will be), we’ll have the Colorado and F-150 to thank. If, in that same year, Lincoln is not only still surviving but thriving at a level tantamount to its and Ford’s expectations, we will look back at 2014 and the launch of the MKC as the moment that turned the tide. For that reason, it deserves serious consideration for the North American Truck/Utility of the Year.
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