How does a brand reinvent itself as one catering for the desires and wishes of the luxury end of the market when it has little or no previous form in those shark-infested waters? It’s a question that must have been keeping Ford execs up at night for years when considering bringing back Lincoln with a vengeance.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when reading that name? Abraham? Memorial? Or Town Car, like the model normally seen stretched to three times its normal length for service as tacky limousines? Perhaps the Lincoln name conjures up images of the car in which JFK was assassinated in 1963, but it’s unlikely that you’ll instantly think “class-leading luxury”. But that, if Lincoln has anything to do with it, is about to change.
In much the same way that Infiniti has attempted to distance itself from its parent company Nissan over the years (with varying degrees of success) and Lexus from Toyota, so too will Lincoln attempt to float away from Ford. At the moment, at least in most countries that sell Lincolns, the two brands normally share showrooms and dealership floor space, which isn’t doing it any good whatsoever. In the UAE, where the brand has been all but absent for years, it’s about to launch a fairly aggressive marketing campaign targeting buyers who might normally be stomping around Audi and BMW dealerships at the weekend.
Leading this will be the MKC, a new, medium-sized crossover that Lincoln says beats Audi’s excellent Q5 at its own game. To gauge public recognition of the brand, Lincoln recently spent a few hours in Dubai with an MKC parked up outside the Meydan Hotel, with clipboard-wielding questioners approaching anyone who went near the car. Its badges were taped up and, at least on the film I got to see, nobody guessed correctly – but all seemed to be rather taken by it (and, no, I wasn’t privy to the outtakes).
To my eyes, the whole “bird-of-prey” styling to the car’s front makes it look a little bit odd, but the rest is pleasing enough, and it certainly looks distinctive and quite unlike the marauding masses. It appears and feels very well made, too, with plenty of the trappings of luxury cars on offer. Two engines are available, both turbocharged, four-cylinder efforts. One is a 2.0L with power sent through the front wheels; the other a 2.3L mated to a four-wheel-drive transmission.
In a move being made by an increasing number of manufacturers these days, Lincoln has brought along an example of its model’s closest rival, in this case a 2.0L Audi Q5. Hardly scientific (or even fair at all in some instances), these “compare-and-contrast” exercises can sometimes backfire, with motor noters preferring the model that’s supposed to be lambasted. Truth be told, I’m expecting that to be the case here. Is the Audi prepped to the correct standards? Are it and the MKC of comparable specifications? Who knows, but I set off for a drive in the Q5 first and, yes, it still feels like an Audi: special, well-made and stylish. It’s not a bad little performer, either.
After a short while, however, I swap it for the 2.3L Lincoln. Immediately, I form the impression that the Q5 must have been some sort of poverty spec, because the MKC looks and feels more luxurious. Leather is soft touch (the Q5’s felt brittle by comparison) and the plush detailing with quilted sections to the door inserts and other pleasing touches really lift the car’s ambience above the ordinary. So far, Q5 0, MKC 1.
How about the performance? I can’t dismiss the Audi on the basis of what a more powerful car can achieve, but especially with Sport mode engaged, the MKC feels markedly quicker. It doesn’t sound particularly inspiring (it’s so whisper-quiet that it barely sounds of anything at all), but the way it tackles corners with minimum body roll actually inspires me to keep my foot planted for longer. It’s a mightily impressive piece of kit, even on this relatively short acquaintance.
It rides with levels of comfort that troubles its Japanese rivals from Infiniti and Lexus, and while its interior space isn’t overly generous for taller occupants, at least the dashboard and all its trimmings are pleasingly laid out, intelligently designed and, as Lincoln’s people proudly point out, entirely bespoke to the brand. You won’t find any of this inside a Ford Fiesta – something that may or may not matter to the customers Lincoln is hoping to appeal to with the MKC.
As good as the MKC undoubtedly is, Lincoln does still have a problem on its hands – and that’s down to brand and model recognition. A lot will rest on that marketing programme and its effectiveness, because once you become aware of this car’s existence, and you’re in the market for a crossover that doesn’t need to bash any dunes, you’ll owe it to yourself to try it for size. It’s a Lincoln, not a Ford, and it’s a luxurious one at that.
khackett@thenational.ae
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