Lincoln Might Drop Its “MK” Naming Strategy For Conventional Vehicle Names
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In a world of alphanumerics and global markets, conventional vehicle names have fallen out of favor, especially in the luxury-vehicle segment. Lincoln, however, might buck the trend after Ford Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Lincoln Kumar Galhotra said the brand could revert back to real names.
Why the change of heart? He noted the “Continental” name has done wonders to attract buyers back into Lincoln showrooms, and in general, has stirred up more buzz, he told Autoblog in a report published last month.
It’s something some have wished Cadillac would re-introduce for sometime, though the brand is in the process of switching its strategy from the “#TS” nomenclature to the “CT” and “XT” scheme. Coincidentally, the only vehicle not slated for the change is the Escalade because the name holds too much value
Photo: Scott Downing for Cadillac
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In a world of “me too’s” names will differentiate. Cadillac should absolutely go back to names especially since there are so many. The Chinese LOVE American heritage thus their thirst for Buick’s and I think if Cadillac went back to using their iconic names again it would translate to sales. Years ago Acura dumped all the fantastic names they used because they didn’t want folks saying they have a Legend or ive got a Vigor, but wanted them to say I have an Acura. look where that got them?
I think, reverse to names will confuse buyers again, especially at global markets. But cadillac could make their well known names as trim levels. Current “premium” or “luxury” doesn’t work.
I like that idea but that reminds me of the MX-5 Miata, 2 names. The US we only call it the Miata… but I think that could confuse even more, depending on the market. Names were used for decades so why do a ‘me too’ and try to not only match personalities and looks but names. I’d say Cadillac & Lincoln buyers are NOT looking for a BMW or Mercedes or they’d buy one, and thus may ultimately buy for the differences? Once Cadillac comes out with new models, (IE: replacements for the ATS/CTS and XTS) call one the Cadillac Calais (smaller) and the other the Cadillac Seville… there will be more name recognition than CT2 or CT5 period and especially within their main markets the US and China. Everyone will know the Seville is a Cadillac…
Clearly the author doesn’t understand that the entire point of the alphanumeric names is that luxury buyers aren’t buying an “ATS”, they are buying a “Cadillac”. That is the real mission. This only works when the brand has true luxury value. Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Porsche, Ferrari, etc.. When was the last time you heard a song reference Lincoln or Acura. Or seen an upper class soccer mom flaunting their Lincoln ownership. Those brands don’t have the same cache and therefore alphanumerics mean little to nothing for them.
Hot rod Lincoln to name one. Never heard hot rod Beemer or Audi? Alpha/Numer’s used to “really” mean something but now are boring “internal” categorizations… names have much more character….
“I’m a Real Man” …
check out this Lincoln in my garage.
Probably not on most people’s playlists. Like “Willie the Wimp in his Cadillac coffin” by Stevie Ray Vaughan.
A buyer already knows what brand they’re buying. Till this day Acura made a wrong move when abandoning the ‘Legend’ name for nondescript RL. What is that!!!???
It’s a no-brainer; I bought a Legend…, yeah from Acura. The model and the brand both receive recognition in the same thought process.
When a couple with last name of ‘Williams’ has kids they don’t designate the first born as C1 (Child one) and so on…. They’re given proper names.
Cadillac sales in china are flying off these charts.
Don’t follow a brand without a rudder…
Going back to those old, tarnished names of the past would only undo the progress Cadillac has made and dreams of making. Now, new names I would absolutely 100% be in favor of. All the alphabet soup stuff invokes confusion, especially with all the realigning Cadillac has done, and it says nothing except that they want to be like the Germans.
What progress? Unless you’re speaking of the properly named Escalade none of the other Cadillac sedans are gaining in sales and in fact are losing each month to all time embarrassing lows. The only other Cadillac vehicle selling in decent numbers is the CUV thing. That doesn’t sound like much progress
2016 was Cadillac’s best year in 40 years, sales wise.
Also, the US is no longer Cadillac’s biggest market, China is & they love the sedans Cadillac makes.
Again driven by SUV sales not sedans.
No Cadillac does not what to be like these germans manufactures, they just don’t what to be stuck in these pass like some people want them too be.
Umm ya think! The sole reason why they are keeping the Escalade nameplate is because of the value that it holds. Lincoln brought back the continental and look where it got them. Its funny how people are so oblivious. At the very least, I think the Escalade, CT6 and XTS should have actual names because they are what Cadillac always was, and they are the most important cars to the lineup. Personally, I sort of agree with what they are doing now and think that all of the cars should have real names, “V-sport” should become a package, and the hardcore performance sedans (lets face it the concept will always be there) should have just the “V’ name.
In a perfect world the Cadillac lineup would be (in order from largest to smallest):
Escalade, Escalade Extended (ESV), Escalade V-sport, Escalade Premium.
***(XT6), XT6 V-sport, XT6 Premium.
**(XT5), XT5 V-sport, XT5 Premium.
* (XT4), Ect.
Brougham (XTS), Brougham sport back, Brougham V-sport.
***(CT6), CT6 V-sport, CT6 V, CT6 wagon.
** (CTS), V-sport, V, wagon, coupe, Premium.
*(ATS): Coupe, Convertible, V.
*** represent the size of the car and “to be named later”, XTS would grow, CT6 would stay the same size, CTS would shrink to 2nd gen size, ATS would shrink. V: Basically what it is now. V-sport: Larger engine, brakes, sportier seats/suspension, AWD, different colors/ wheels. Premium: comfort version (opposite of V-sport), softer ride, comfier seats, more lux items standard, that would otherwise be optional in any other trim. V-sport would focus on sportiness and appearance, Premium would focus on Lux and comfort. The trim levels would only be: Luxury, and Platinum with the Premium and V-sport being more like packages.
Escalade V Series.
With an agricultural solid axle? LOL Same as my John Deere garden tractor.
Not a V series, a V-sport. Larger brakes, tighter suspension, sport seats, tight steering, and maybe a 6.2L TURBO.
Escalade V Series would be nice
The new alpha names Cadillac is going to use would be ok if customers knew what they stood for .
CTS , Cadillac Touring Sedan , I get it . XT5 , Crossover Touring 5-seater . alright .
CT3 thru CT6 , not all can be Cadillac Touring ____ . The numbers designate it’s place in the line-up , the lower the # the smaller the car as well as the XT #’s . So XT = Crossover Touring .
I too wish Cadillac could come out with actual names for their new cars but for now you can’t call this new approach a failure when it hasn’t even been fully implemented .
Ford will do alright using their iconic Continental name for their new luxury car , but if they slap the Sable name on one of their new cars that would be a huge mistake .
Agreed but the Alpha/Numeric are not a part of either Lincoln or Cadillac heritage, with exceptions like “Series 62” Cadillac’s from the 30’s-50’s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cadillac_vehicles However Cadillac had some concepts such as the Cadillac LeMans in the 50’s which should be considered. Using Sable or Monterey which were Mercury names is a possible risk but producing a coupe version of the Continental and calling it a Mark V would not be a bad thing… I would LOVE that:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/1c/c2/bc1cc200c780c27f0498aae1e7c4a025.jpg
“Agreed but the Alpha/Numeric are not a part of either Lincoln or Cadillac heritage, with exceptions like “Series 62” Cadillac’s from the 30’s-50’s.”
The numbers are part of Cadillac’s heritage, and you cannot deliberately exclude the Cadillac’s Series range because you want to labor under the impression that a numbered nomenclature can’t be names used for names.
The CT# and XT# are more inline with Cadillac’s heritage than Eldorado is.
“Agreed but the Alpha/Numeric are not a part of either Lincoln or Cadillac heritage, with exceptions like “Series 62” Cadillac’s from the 30’s-50’s.”
The numbers are part of Cadillac’s heritage, and you cannot deliberately exclude the Cadillac’s Series range because you want to labor under the impression that a numbered nomenclature can’t be names used for Cadillac.
The CT# and XT# are more inline with Cadillac’s heritage than Eldorado is. The ‘named’ Cadillac’s were a 40 year aboration, whereas the double digits series, Series #, CT, and CT# range all had a hierarchy,
I always thought CTS stood for Catera Touring Sedan, but I may have been mistaken all of these years.
Nope, you’re completely right. What car did the CTS replace in 2003?
That’s right, the Catera.
Catera Touring Sedan
Seville Touring Sedan / Seville Recreational Xover
DeVille Touring Sedan
Xperimental Luxury Roadster
Electric Luxury Roadster
Eldorado Touring Coupe, because, you know, ETC…..
Funny how Cadillac names its concepts but not its production cars. There’s no going back to the old names though… Fleetwood, Brougham, Seville, and Deville invoke “old”.. more so than Lincoln.
It’s tough to change an alphanumeric scheme.. look at how it’s confused Infiniti customers. Hopefully it’ll help in the long run.
Lincoln means, young and new ok …..
I’m all for Cadillac incorporating meaningful names for their rides! Can’t deny the fact that a lot of the classic names we knew and loved were tied to cars unbecoming of what Cadillac should represent! So I would propose some new names, such as the ones given to those gorgeous concepts of recent years! The Ciel, Elmiraj, Escala: all very unique and roll off the tongue nicely!
I don’t necessarily hate the current naming scheme of Cadillac, but I do feel it’s a tad too “European” in some ways… I get that it’s done to better define the product hierarchy within Cadillac, while ensuring its global status. Which makes sense. But I respect the Lincoln brand even more for bucking the current trend of alphanumeric naming!
Build me a great reliable car and you can name it turd if you want
There y’a go!
http://pictures.dealer.com/t/toyotaofnorthcharlotte/1428/ba73e98b7d696ed22903f4d2e22763cdx.jpg
Unfortunately Cadillac ran all their great names into the ground building shit in the 70s, 80s & 90s & bringing these names back will undo all the progress Cadillac made to reinvent themselves.
When you mention the names Eldorado, Brougham, DeVille… Etc we enthusiasts think of the golden era when Cadillac was a leader & a trend setter, but average people (especially younger ones) will remember their relatives’ shitty 80s Cadillac or that beater one they saw growing up.
The Escalade name survived in part because it wasn’t from that era.
People aren’t complaining about the generic alphanumerical names of Audi, BMW, Volvo …etc & it hasn’t stopped em from buying it, why Cadillac should be treated differently? People are okay with that & you don’t hear people say: “The only reason stopped me from buying a CT6 is that it wasn’t called a Fleetwood.” There plenty of justifiable reasons to Not buy a CT6, but the name is not one of them … That’s just ridiculous.
Funny then that with Lincoln bringing back the Continental name how much recognition, excitement and thumbs up everyone has given this car since breaking cover in 2015. Do you honestly think that if Toyota changed the name of the Camry to the CHXYZ that people would still keep buying it in droves and even know what the hell it was?
People are easy to fool but after an initial flurry, sales are pretty dismal for the long wheelbase Fusion.
“Toyota changed the name of the Camry to the CHXYZ that people would still keep buying it in droves and even know what the hell it was?”
Actually, I think the public would if Toyota could market the CHXYZ as the successor to the Camry.
Lets not forget that the Camry has successfully ingrained itself into the public as a reliably car, and by extension, Toyota as a brand has ingrained itself into the public conscious as a reliable car company.
When people think of the Lincoln Continental, they think of the junky trash their uncle drove in the early 90’s and airport taxis. They don’t think of the Continental as a serious luxury car worthy of being compared to the S-class.
Strange then that when I talk about Continental to any of my car friends they think of the cool cars of the 1960’s and 70’s that many happy folks owned back in the day. Few bring up the 1990’s V6 junk your speaking of. That is best forgotten.
And the point I was making is that neither Toyota or Honda need to change the names of their mid size cars the Camry and Accord. They are long time household names that bring loads of sales. I think if they changed the names it would confuse the public and sales could suffer as a result.
The truth is names mean nothing unless they have clout or image built up.
Cadillac squandered any real name equity and have yet to build any real equity other than the Escalade or V series.
The key is to build compelling best in class cars and you can name it what ever you like as it will define the name or number.
The BMW 3 series was not successful because the number made the car but because the car made the number.
Back in the day the name Fleetwood meant something but today it holds little equity today with most customers that are not in a nursing home or were the late adopters that really never understood what the name really meant back in the day.
The Lincoln line is even worse off as the only r elective name they have is Continental. But after the use on a number of beastly cars it has lost the glimmer.
What few other names they have like Capri, Mark ? and town car mean little today.
You guys can complain about the names all day long but names do not sell or define cars but car names are defined by great creditable cars that have high quality and compelling styling.
The worlds best cars have always defined their name or number and there is a good balance of both on. The great car list.
GM has done a great job with the name Denali. It has taken a number of models and 20 years but it has paid off well with added profits and image. The special GMC styling and higher trim is what defined the Denali not the Mountsin name.
As a 24 year old Cadillac lover I must say that I do not want to see the old names such as Brougham, Fleetwood, and Deville return. It reminds me of something my great grandparents would drive. I bought a CTS at 20, and ELR at 21. My next purchase will probably be an Escalade.
I was a fan of the CTS, DTS names because they each had a different name. Catera Touring Sedan, Deville Touring Sedan. I don’t like the new CT names, however, I think It would be nice if Cadillac gives names to the range toping vehicles. For example Escalade, the new sports car, and the vehicle above CT6.
While I prefer the “real” names, I always did love the SRX, ELX, STS and XLR names. I felt like they sounded cool and rolled nicely off the tongue.
ELX….there was no ELX. That proves how memorable these silly “names” really are. Even GM and Cadillac fans have trouble keeping up with them. There’s a CTS and a CT6 and an XT5 and an XTS and they are all utterly forgettable. Then GM wonders why nobody is buying their products anymore.
*ELR
They need to just drop Escalade too. If the rest of the old names are useless, then so too is Escalade. For many, there is very much a negative image attached to that name too. Just dump it GM and rechristen the big rebadged, leather-lined Tahoe as Cadillac XT7. It’s much more “today” sounding. I’ve never understood the double-speak from GM on this.
For the record, I like names and applaud Lincoln for their decision and wish Cadillac would follow their lead but since the current crew of managers is so snobby about not wanting to associate with the brand’s heritage, why holdout the Escalade name? Be consistent and go all-in on alphanumerics. Cadillac XT7-L6.2 is quite memorable, right?
When BMW relaunched the Rolls Royce brand, they re-used the classic names from a bygone era, from Rolls’ glory days. Phantom, Ghost, and Wraith weren’t modern day, made up stuff, they had history and heritage. When I first read that the new BMW-built 2003 Rolls would be called the Phantom, my mind immediately went to cars from the 1950s and 60s. The association wasn’t of something modern. The same thing happens today when consumers think of Cadillac Fleetwood. The mind conjures up an often not-flattering image from the 1980s; effectively the last time that name was used. But in the same way the words Rolls Royce Phantom now bring to mind a new and very elegantly sophisticated current car, so too could the words Cadillac Fleetwood.
We see this happen all the time with people. There is an old name that everyone associates with their grandmother, like for instance Emma. Then someone decides to pay homage to family members from the past and there is a cute little girl named Emma and the association changes from old to young.
I personally think re-using Continental has done wonders for Lincoln and I now think of the current car when I hear the name, not a Taurus-based product from 1992. There’s no reason for Cadillac to be afraid of their heritage. I could see them using CT5 Seville, CT6 Deville, or CT8 Fleetwood to spruce up the names and allow for international markets. There are lots of ways to do it but I think one thing is clear; the current naming scheme is very much not working.