Ford Plans Lincoln Facelift for China

Going global

Re-branding Lincoln, investing $1 billion in the brand, coming out with a new line-up of models, and pushing a new ad campaign might be a few good ways to boost popularity of the brand in some markets. But if Lincoln wants to truly go global, it will have to adapt to satisfy the tastes of different markets.

As China’s economy grows more and more, the market for luxury vehicles can be expect to expand, and Ford wants the opportunity to get a foot in the door with Lincoln. One problem with the new Lincoln models is that they don’t entirely suit the tastes of China’s luxury car buyers. For one, many of the buyers would be driven by chauffeurs, and features in the cars would need to be arranged to suit the different dynamics of that arrangement. The models, with their low-profiles headlights, may even need a facelift to meet the different tastes of Chinese consumers — even the Lincoln grille may need to be adjusted.

Just what Lincoln will do to ensure it can expand to become a global brand is uncertain, but it’s clear that Ford is making a significant investment in the brand, with Lincoln’s first Super Bowl advertisement planned for this year.

Don’t Miss: December Retail Sales: Shoppers Ignore Fiscal Cliff.