The journey of the Lincoln MKZ, the sedan that FoMoCo hoped would spearhead the renaissance of its luxury unit, is not off to a great start. A delayed launch caused by an assortment of damaging factors, has put serious pressure on the dealers, which have to sweet talk to people who have made a deposit into not getting angry.
Showroom managers say that the car has sparked up considerable interest, but they simply don’t have enough units to meet the demand. Buyers are calling in asking when their car is to be delivered, and aren’t given a definitive answer, because it is not available.
A problem of communication between the manufacturer and the dealers has been cited as one of the reasons for the delays.
Lincoln itself cites the reasons for the failed launch as being their concern for the quality of their cars, and parts supply delays. A total of 6,000 units were shipped from the Hermosillo plant, in Mexico, since December of last year, and of those only 1,000 have been delivered to customers, while 2,000 more are stuck in dealer lots – the remaining 3,000 cars are said to be currently on their way to showrooms.
Lincoln spent millions in promoting the MKZ, with ads running during Super Bowl and Grammy awards. However, it has all-but gone to waste, as they are still struggling to commence full-scale deliveries.
Officials say that a final dose of extra advertising in the month of April should be successful in offsetting the bad taste left by the botched launch, and assure the car smooth sailing out of the dealerships.
By Andrei Nedelea
Story References: Autonews
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