MKX Concept Previews Lincoln’s Future in China, US
The MKX Concept made its North American debut at the 2014 LA Auto Show
The 2014 LA Auto Show has come and gone, and all was relatively quiet on the Lincoln front. Lincoln’s presence was admittedly limited, consisting mainly of the North American debut for the MKX Concept that it revealed at Auto China earlier this year.
Related: Lincoln Crosses US Borders to Unveil MKX Concept in China
While Lincoln, in that regard, is as guilty of having a boring presence at the show as Mitsubishi was, the MKX Concept was a natural choice to bring to Los Angeles. It represents a natural—and realistic—progression from the brand’s current lineup into its future, and it further cements its plans to make its Chinese customers a priority on the way to tripling sales in five years.
“Concept vehicles are defined by every design detail,” said David Woodhouse, Lincoln design director, “and this MKX Concept shows how Lincoln’s thoughtful design philosophy continues to evolve. The Lincoln brand was built on vehicles with stunning design, and the MKX Concept is the latest example.”
Lincoln likely chose to focus its efforts on a concept that could ultimately foreshadow the replacement for its current MKX as much out of necessity as choice.
The MKX is an old model: it was first introduced for the 2007 model year, and its last refresh was all the way back in 2011. Being four model years from your last refresh may as well mean that you’re running with a 20-year-old model in the competitive mid-size luxury crossover segment, and so an MKX overhaul is long overdue.
More on the MKX: Lincoln Debuts New, Renewable Interior Materials in 2014 MKX
Lincoln is aware of the importance of the segment, which accounts for 36% of all global luxury utility sales and is expected to account for as much as 44% of all sales by 2018, per IHS. This is why we can reasonably expect the MKX Concept to represent Lincoln’s future, and why we can then reasonably expect Lincoln’s future to be a promising one.
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