Lincoln Mark LT
rctennis3811
Member Posts: 1,031
in Lincoln
After having the easily-forgotten Blackwood, Lincoln steps up to the plate of the luxury truck category with the new Mark LT, which is based on the new F150. The primary competitor will be the Cadillac Escalade EXT.
More info can be found at:
http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2004_detroit/index2.mv
Enjoy!
More info can be found at:
http://www.autoweek.com/specials/2004_detroit/index2.mv
Enjoy!
Tagged:
0
Comments
The Mark LT will have just as much difference between them, as teh Lexus LX470 and Toy Land Cruiser...
Minimal investment in differentiating it, allows profit at lower sales volumes.
The Mark Luxury Truck will actually be functional which the Blackwood lacked. And even if they still sold a few, since the product doesn't differ that much from it's F-150 roots, it'll be profittable.
Notice how Ford tested the market with the first round of the Navi's. Same engines, same interiors, just a different grill. Then as time went by, and they saw they established that segments and it's sales were solid, they strayed a bit... Offered a larger engine over it's Expy sibling, as well as some extra toys/gadgets.
Now in it's latest reincarnation, the Navi has it's own interior, more interior insulation, a few other items to enhance it's luxury side. And coming this fall, a new 6 Speed automatic lifted from the Jag S-type.
And the same could occur with the Mark if it follows the same steps, all provided that the market is open to it.
If Porche can sell an SUV, Lincoln can do a truck.
"Mark LT" sounds like the name of someone on the cover of Tiger Beat.
If they couldn't come up with something decent, how about at least Naviator LT?
LT-Light Truck
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=19704
Source: Ford Media
THere could be a Mark Pickup, a Mark Sedan, and a Mark Coup!
Anywhay, I think more American cars should look like the LT, so much chrome! Its beautiful!!!
But why are there no XENON's and no NAVIGATION!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a luxury truck!
Personally, i dont care in this case, if i were in the market i would buy one, balck on black, with all the options.
Big Chrome, big Power, and lots of pizzaz, wow...
I must say, I do enjoy the adulation my Navigator interior receives when I entertain clients, as I did today. Took to clients to lunch, I drove. One of them drives a Jaguar XJ, the other a Lincoln LS, and both of them were cooing over the design of the interior in my Navigator. That's pretty good, for a truck. So, the Mark LT (still, misnamed, if you ask me) may have a place. We'll see. If I needed a truck, I'd probably buy it.
Possibly the worst name possible.
Mark LT?! Isn't that one of the guys on Queer Eye?
Gee, fellas, maybe "Navigator LT" might be, oh, say 100% better?
The SAME EXACT headlights as the F150? Couldn't they have changed them slightly for $45k?
Maybe they could have bought some on eBay so it doesn't look like a Ford F150 with a pimp kit grille.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
No the Blackwood failed because: 1. Ford has no clue how to market anything. 2. How many people really want a $50 thousand + luxury truck? 3. How many people spend $50K on a luxury sled and then take it off road? NONE! 4. The bed was big enough to carry several golf bags, which is what those that can afford a $50K truck will be doing. The Mark LT will fail and perhaps Ford will finally get the message.
I do know of some people who take their Navigator and Escalade's off road. Not mudding, or boulder hopping either, but they do go off road when they go camping.
There's minimal investment on this vehicle (since it's not all that different from the F-150 it's based on) At 2000 units, your breaking even on the initial cost that differentiated the Mark LT, from the F-150 (not including the profit it already makes as the F150). Anything there after, is purely profit. Would that be a failure if you sell at least 5K units?
As it is, the vehicle (F-150) will makes $10-15K profit in it's highest trim which is the King Ranch edition. Jumping into the Mark LT, is just a few thousand more, again...more profit. From the start, monetarily speaking, the vehicle won't fail since it'll post a profit from the first sale.
Really. What then, is your explanation for the relative success for the Cadillac version of the
Avalance that is still in production today?
BTW, I take my Navigator off road every month.
If Lincoln hopes to steal Escalade EXT customers, then Lincoln needs to offer a new standard engine with at least 350 hp. Using the same old F-150 engine doesn't justify the steep price tag. Many Escalade customers buy the truck just for the power of the engine. Lincoln should take the supercharged 5.4 liter V8 with 390 hp from the Ford F-150 Lightning. Or better, develop an engine with about 450 hp so that the Mark LT can compete with he Dodge Ram SRT-10.
All in all, I think luxury trucks are the most useless vehicles on the planet. What is the point of the Escalade EXT? It looks good, sure but so does the less expensive Avalanche. Luxury pickups suck gas, and are usually just fancy rebadged versions of their cousins. The only good thing about them is that they look really cool if you add aftermarket pieces to them.
And the same will occur with the MarkLT... If sales do as well as projected, then in the future you will see various items (possibly different interior and engines) over the F-150.
Usually with vehicles in these luxury segments, it'll have those "start up" senarios. Same can be said with the Lexus LX470, Inifiniti QX54, Caddy Escalade, etc.etc. Luckily with the MarkLT, it already comes from a good structure, interior materials, noise insulation ahead of the competition.... Imagine the competition which gets slammed for it's bad quiality of interior materials, fit/finish, structure, etc.