The Lincoln MKT will live on even though its sales are small and the company is about to launch the Aviator, which is meant to replace it.
Just 1,653 MKT crossovers were sold this year until the end of August, down 22% from this time last year. But with the cost of engineering and tooling paid for, and the car still popular with livery services, hotels, funeral parlors and other fleet operators, it will live on servicing that niche.
“MKT can fill that role profitably for the company and will for the time being,” Robert Parker, Lincoln’s manager of marketing, told Automotive News. “We don’t think it negatively impacts the brand.”
The Aviator will be based on a new RWD/AWD platform shared with the next generation Ford Explorer, and will be the “best expression of how elegant Lincoln can be.”
Chasing retail customers, Lincoln won’t offer generous incentives for fleets. The MKT was launched in 2009 as a 2010 model year car.
Source: Automotive News
