New Lincoln D6 Platform Part of $5B Investement
New Ford CEO Mark Fields really, really wants Lincoln to succeed. For that matter, so does new Lincoln president Kumar Galhotra. Really, we all want Lincoln to succeed: it’s a brand that’s as much a part of our cultural automotive heritage as any other, and it’s in everybody’s best interest that it thrive at a point in history where the industry is back on the uptick.
So just how deep is Ford’s commitment to getting Lincoln back to the promised land? How does about $5 billion sound?
Among the effects of this generous investment will be a new flexible architecture platform—tentatively called the D6 platform—that will underpin future generations of crossovers and sedans as early as 2019.
Related: Two All-New Lincoln Models Announced
The D6 platform will follow planned updates to the MKX, a replacement for the ever-struggling MKS, and a next-gen Navigator that will likely be built on the new F-150 chassis and include aluminum-alloy body panels.
According to Galhotra, the new MKS (or its replacement) will also be offered in a long-wheelbase model in order to be of more eminent appeal to customers in the Chinese marketplace.
It’s said that the first models to be built upon the D6 platform for 2019 will replacements for the MKZ and MKT that will be available in AWD and FWD.
Since there’s plenty of time between now and then, a few suggestions for Lincoln if we may: hybrid powertrains, bolder styling, and—for the love of all that is holy—please get rid of the alphanumeric nomenclature.
More from Lincoln: Lincoln MKC Named Crossover Utility Vehicle of Texas
News Source: Reuters
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