Insiders claim Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln is planning a luxury off-roader, designed to compete against the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
Based on the Ford Bronco – which shares its platform with the Ranger ute – the premium SUV could also offer buyers a substitute for the Land Rover Defender and Ineos Grenadier, in line with US publication Autoweek.
With a boxy body-on-frame design, the five-seater Lincoln is predicted to be based on the next-generation Bronco, due in 2030 – nevertheless, that is believed to be a platform update, reasonably than being all latest.
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Such a vehicle could help steal sales from Mercedes-Benz, and other automakers like BMW and Audi are also rumoured to be working on their very own G-Class competitors.
While Lincoln has yet to verify the model and details remain thin, there’s an excellent likelihood the off-roader would offer the next level of each luxury and performance than the usual Ford Bronco, to make sure it’s presented as a viable alternative to the likes of the G-Wagen.
This implies the model could borrow the twin-turbo V6 from the Bronco Raptor – or perhaps a hybrid powertrain – in addition to offering the most recent technology from the Blue Oval.
Given Lincoln doesn’t have a presence in Australia, it’s unlikely the model could be offered here in right-hand-drive guise. Even the regular Bronco stays off-limits to Australia, because it’s produced only in left-hand drive.
Last yr, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class claimed its best yr of sales in its 46-year history, with almost 49,000 vehicles delivered globally – a rise of virtually 15 per cent year-on-year – with the range-topping G63 from AMG making up roughly 60 per cent of sales, Motorbuzz reports.
Despite originally launching as a vehicle for agriculture and military applications, high-performance luxury versions offered by AMG within the 2000s and 2010s propelled it to a standing symbol of the wealthy and famous, fuelling sales.
Closer to home, the Australian Defence Force has greater than 2200 diesel-powered G-Wagens in service as its lightweight vehicle.
Lincoln currently offers a variety of SUVs on platforms shared with Ford, with the Corsair related to the Ford Escape, the Aviator a cousin of the Ford Explorer, and the Navigator based on the Ford Expedition.
It also has the Nautilus, which is expounded to the Chinese Ford Edge L. Unlike its more mainstream cousin, the Nautilus is exported to markets just like the US.
Lincoln now has only one passenger automobile, the Z, which is developed by the Changan Ford three way partnership exclusively for the Chinese market.
All Lincolns feature unique sheetmetal and interiors to differentiate them from their Ford cousins, with most offering particularly luxe Black Label variants.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
