Ford in Mid-Phase Development of 'Baby' Lincoln SUV
11 December 2000
Ford in Mid-Phase Development of 'Baby' Lincoln SUV That Targets Mercedes M-Class Units, Stark's ReportsCHICAGO, Dec. 8 Ford Motor Co., a major maker and seller of sport utility-type vehicles in North America, is developing a new compact luxury-type sport utility vehicle for its Lincoln-branded model lineup that may be spun off the platform of redesigned 2002 model Ford Explorers and compete directly for sales with luxury-type Mercedes M-Class units, Stark's News Service Interactive ( http://www.starks-news.com ) reported today. The yet-to-be-named compact Lincoln SUV might be up-scaled with third-row seating to compete more effectively for sales with DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz compact M-Class model SUVs manufactured at Vance, Ala., it added. The compact Lincoln SUV being developed under a secretive program may not debut until the 2003 model year, Stark's reported. Manufacturing capacity for the baby Lincoln SUV is yet to be allocated. Stark's said other details of the secretive program were not immediately disclosed, DaimlerChrysler is expected to build and sell more than 80,000 units of Mercedes luxury-type M-Class SUVs this year in the United States. Ford currently builds more than 40,000 units of full-size Lincoln Navigator SUVs annually at a production site in Wayne, Mich., where it also makes Ford Expedition SUVs. Ford will launch final production of 2002 model Mercury Mountaineers at St. Louis this month that eventually will come equipped with optional V-8 gasoline engines and a standard third row of seats that will compete directly for sales with Dodge Durango SUVs built and sold by DaimlerChrysler. Until now, DaimlerChrysler's Dodge Durango has enjoyed most of the market to itself for consumers who prefer third-row seating in compact sport utilities. Ford launched production of redesigned 2002-model Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers last month at a site in Louisville, Ky. Shipments to dealers begin this January 1. The vehicles will be sold to consumers starting in the spring of next year. Mercury Mountaineer assembly will expand this month to a second manufacturing complex here. The Ford unit will possess 80,000 units of overall production capacity for the Mountaineer vehicles. Ford froze prices for 2002 Ford Explorers at $24,620-$32,690 each. Prices for redesigned 2002 Mercury Mountaineer vehicles were raised by $1,000 to $29,230-$34,920 each.