Lincoln MKS Axed, Continental To Be Assembled Elsewhere

by Cameron Aubernon

June 12th, 2015 2:00 PM

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lincoln mks axed continental to be assembled elsewhere

The 2016 Lincoln MKS will be the last of its kind, as the brand will cease production when the calendar rolls over.

Parent company Ford gave a statement on the matter, USA Today reports, which reads as follows:

Chicago Assembly Plant is vital to our global manufacturing footprint and will continue to manufacture the Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor vehicles even after we phase out production of the MKS in 2016. We will continue to match production to demand.

Meanwhile, the MKS’ replacement, the Continental, will not take its place on the assembly line in Chicago. Automotive News says the Explorer will fill the void left behind thanks to overwhelming demand for the crossover.

Where the Ford Fusion-based Conti will be assembled isn’t yet confirmed, though insiders say it could be built alongside the Fusion and Mustang in Flat Rock, Mich.

Until the end comes for the MKS, however, consumers could find huge deals on the luxury sedan, whose price of admission already starts at under $40,000. Whether they decide to pull the trigger is another story: 3,304 units left the showroom over the first five months of 2015, down 19.1 percent over the same period in 2014. In contrast, Explorer sales are up 15 percent through May.

[Photo credit: Lincoln]

#2016 #ConsumerDemand #Continental #DiscontinuedModels #Explorer #Lincoln #MKS #MY2016 #ProductionIncreases

Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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14 of 79 comments

Namesakeone on Jun 12, 2015

The pictures I've seen of the new Continental show that it has a fairly long front overhang, a narrow fender between the wheel well and door cut line, and a wide front console--a lot like the current MKS and Taurus. Why do I suspect that the new Continental is just a renamed front-wheel-drive MKS with a better back seat for two?

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TrailerTrash on Jun 12, 2015

I was one of the early MKS buyers. And to once again remind folks here...there wasn NO Taurus at the time. OK? Please try to remember the MKS was out first and was supposed to stand alone. Only after Mr Mulaly decided the Fivehundred was a mistake did he promise to bring out the Taurus that should have been. I have tried to get posters here to back up their statements. I do not know, still today, which car would have offered me the same luxury and options as the MKS ecoboost. Nobody had near the same offers. Not AWD. Not 355 HP and twin turbo. Not the best at the time Bridge of Weir leather. Not heated and cooled seats. Not panoramic roof. Not adaptive cruise. Not turning headlights. Not 19 CuFt trunk. Not THX sound system. Not Self parking. Please. I remember Baruth even praising this car. I test drove em all. Many times. I walked away in Nov 09 with a fully loaded MKS ecoboost for 51K. Still would do again.

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- SC5door on Jun 13, 2015
  
  The current body style of the Taurus came out in 2010---the same year auto park and EcoBoost came to the MKS. And no the MKS was not to "stand alone". The Taurus "re-do" was done in the studio by 2008. Hell no one even noticed that they spent money on re-doing the decklid and badging----as if that's gonna generate sales. And no loss for Chicago, rumor that the Lincoln Explorer is going to fill its place.
  
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- TrailerTrash on Jun 13, 2015
  
  @SC5door I purchased my 10 in Nov 09. This was actually my second as I had a 09 MKS with 31K on it. I wanted the ecoboost and the additional changes to it required for the turbo power. There were many changes. However, I think you made my point...the MKS had been out over a year. So...it was on the design table long before the Taurus. I clearly remember these days and even Mulaly's remarks. Until he said thos...there was no Taurus. Initially...the MKS was supposed to be stand alone. The fact thst a year later after Mulalay spoke it came out proves my point. These were, IMO, his worst decisions as the head of Ford. He diluted the MKS and instead came out with the wrong SHO. I wish the Fivehundred stayed AND I wish the SHO was a high performance Fusion (or Fivehundred). I would LOVE this 3.5 ecoboost in an AWD Fusion SHO.
  
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Akear on Jun 13, 2015

Lincoln's sales are so bad that none of this matters.

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- Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Jun 13, 2015
  
  ALL OF THIS coulda been avoided with a supercharged-V8 and BREMBO brakes.
  
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- Bd2 on Jun 14, 2015
  
  And even the MKC is lagging behind its rivals.
  
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Inside Looking Out on Jun 13, 2015

The problem with MKS is not only out of date platform and dated and plain interior but also it is tall, narrow and short.

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- 28-Cars-Later on Jun 13, 2015
  
  Lincoln brought those issues on itself. The car could have been styled similar to the then outgoing S80 and all would have been well. It may not have helped sales but it would not have hurt them either.
  
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- Inside Looking Out on Jun 13, 2015
  
  @28-Cars-Later It supposed to be be like SUV. The idea (stupid one) was that people preferred SUV because of high seating position (and not because of utility which is obvious). It is ridiculous how American design went from low, wide, long, gorgeous to tall,short, narrow,downmarket in just couple of decades. I remember the huge impression American cars made in my childhood compared with what I could see around (European penalty boxes). American meant big and luxurious back then, even brands like Chevy and Ford.
  
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- Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Jun 14, 2015
  
  @28-Cars-Later My Uncle leased a 2009 MKS Ecoboost loaded and then re-leased a 2013. It feels like a big car on a smaller car's platform. Same goes for the Lacrosse. The interior space doesn't "make sense" and as a big guy I feel everything wrong with it. Then you get to the lack of a proper V8...
  
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- Inside Looking Out on Jun 14, 2015
  
  @bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube Same about Chrysler 200 - it looks as a stretched Dart. Same with European Passat - it is just Gold stretched little bit. The only real American cars are made today are 300 and Charger. The rest are either European cars like Fusion/Malibu/200 or a parody on German luxury.
  
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- Bigtruckseriesreview @ Youtube on Jun 14, 2015
  
  Inside Looking Out... I agree with you. The 300 and Charger are the only "traditional American cars "...but I need to add one to that: The HYUNDAI GENESIS...
  
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- Corey Lewis on Jun 15, 2015
  
  @Inside Looking Out The MKS if you consider it, is very similar to the LaCrosse. But that's selling better.
  
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