Among luxury brands, Lincoln is particularly different.
It is the latest luxury car brand to enter China, and it is also the latest luxury car brand to be domestically produced. But compared with the overwhelming publicity of most brands, Lincoln did not have much publicity in the form, but bowed his head and did a good job of each car.
How effective is this approach? Sales are perhaps the most telling.
According to the authoritative data of the Association of Automobile Associations, Lincoln's annual sales in China in 2021 were 91,621 units, an increase of up to 48% year-on-year, which not only refreshed the brand's sales record in China, but also became the fastest growing luxury brand in China in 2021; it is worth mentioning that one of the important models after its localization, the Lincoln Adventurer, has exceeded 50,000 units per year.
This means that in the mainstream market segment of more than 200,000 yuan, Lincoln does have a considerable right to speak. And when Lincoln gained a foothold in the field of SUVs in this price range, the blockbuster model of the layout sedan, the Lincoln Z, was also officially launched, priced at 25.28-34.08 million.
Lincoln Z: The sincerity of an entry-level luxury sedan
In the eyes of many people, entry-level luxury brands mean that the value of the car logo is far greater than the car itself.
But for a brand like Lincoln that carves luxury into the DNA, we have never seen the perfunctory consumers in Lincoln's models, even entry-level adventurers can see the same configuration on a higher level of navigators; and this time, Lincoln Z not only inherits Lincoln's tradition, but also allows more people to see Lincoln's sincerity for young consumers.
Externally, the Lincoln Z is the lincoln I have ever seen that resembles a concept car, and it can almost be said that the concept car is directly moved over.
The exaggerated grille with dot matrix chrome mesh looks very imposing, the body side, the waist line runs straight through the entire side, with the concave shape under the door, so that the front and rear fenders have a wide body effect, and the black decorations at the fenders hide the hidden door handles again.
From the wheelbase point of view, the Lincoln Z's length, width and height are 4982/1865/1485mm, which is very close to the BMW 5 Series standard axle and the luxury C-class car such as the Lexus ES.
In terms of ceremonial sense, Lincoln Z also never compromised. Its Own Embrace & Farewell Welcome LightIng Light and Shadow System, when you carry the car keys close to the vehicle, the "through-horizon light strip" is lit, and the 1.8-meter large welcome light blanket appears on both sides of the body, which is a sense of ceremony that only Lincoln Z owners have; it is worth mentioning that Lincoln also added a sporty appearance kit for the first time, i cool and i enjoy two styles provide two styles of appearance, from grille, rim, side air intake decoration to body trim style, there are obvious differences, sweet and salty.
When you come to the interior, you will find that as Lincoln's youngest car, its interior style has also been renewed.
The 12.3+ 27-inch through-channel panoramic screen can not only allow the driver to concentrate on driving, but also meet the entertainment functions of the co-pilot; in addition, the piano paint button plus the chrome trim decorated with a large number of chrome trims used in the car bring a good sense of texture and luxury to the cockpit, coupled with the piano button shift and Lincoln has always been proud of the SYNC+ car engine system, the luxurious atmosphere is always reminding you that this is a luxury brand car.
Although the Lincoln Z is already sincere enough and competitive enough. But I think that the biggest significance of Lincoln Z is not this, but to show another possibility of rejuvenation.
Lincoln Z: Young people who read Gen Z
What exactly is rejuvenation?
In the eyes of many car companies, youthfulness means sports. It is true that young people are full of passion for life, and passionate cars must have a very sporty tuning, a clear sense of the road, and a heavier steering wheel? For young people, the sport they want may not be these, but a sense of movement.
Acceleration is not procrastinating, steering is flexible enough, the car does not feel clunky when driving... For this level of sedan, such a dynamic performance is actually more in line with the current consumer demand. A clear example is that when the BMW 3 Series, which has always advertised sports, becomes more and more comfortable, and in the same class, the Audi A4L has become the most sporty model, and from now on, the BMW 3 Series sales are far greater than the Audi A4L.
This is the truest feedback from young people. So, we see plenty of power and a lot of gear that's better suited to young people on the Lincoln Z.
From the data point of view, the Lincoln Z series is equipped with a 2.0T four-cylinder turbo engine with a maximum horsepower of 246 hp, and the two models are both 8AT gearboxes. It is worth mentioning that Lincoln's set of 2.0T + 8AT powertrain has been used for a long time on adventurers and navigators, whether it is durability or fuel consumption, it has a relatively good performance, and this time it is still placed on a lighter car, which also makes the 0-100km/h acceleration time of Lincoln Z advanced to 6.8 seconds.
But as mentioned earlier, this speed does not mean that Lincoln Z is like a frizzy lad, on the contrary, whether it is the shift clearance, the linear tuning of the throttle, the way of power when accelerating in the middle section, the Lincoln Z can make the people in the car feel comfortable and luxurious.
In addition to this, the comfort of the Lincoln Z is also reflected in some details. For example, the in-car fragrance, 128-color mood lights, symphonic safety sound, etc., coupled with super driver assistance functions, make it more playable and safer. There are also many high-tech ingenuities, such as in the high-end version of the model, Lincoln Z is also equipped with a camera above the center console, brushing your face can log in to your own account, whether it is the seat position or music preferences, and even the map collection location can be quickly adjusted, truly achieving insensible switching between different drivers. In addition, the camera also has a fatigue monitoring function to ensure safety during long-distance driving.
At the same time, the Lincoln Z also maximizes the comfort of the car, such as seat adjustment. It is equipped with a maximum of 24-way seat adjustment, plus ventilation/heating and 4-way waist rest, flying headrest with wings and electric massage function, making the Lincoln Z's seat comfort unprecedented; at the same time, Lincoln Z also has an active noise reduction function and front noise reduction glass, which makes the front row quietness have a more obvious improvement, coupled with up to 13 speakers of the audio, you can enjoy the unique nature in the car.
Lincoln Z tells us in practical action that such youthfulness is obviously much deeper and more horizontal than just emphasizing movement.
Write at the end:
Many people are always willing to compare the Lincoln Z to the BMW 3 Series.
But the truth is that the Lincoln Z can not only challenge the rear comfort of the BMW 3 Series, but also compare the size with higher-level models such as the Lexus ES, and compete with the convenience of a number of luxury brands.
In short, a more stylish look, a more sincere interior, and a smarter core, in the 250,000-350,000 mid-size car market, Lincoln Z such a combination is really very rare.
More importantly, the younger Lincoln Z, with the title of Lincoln maturity and luxury, is likely to open up a new luxury car market, which is a new market that can be obtained by more young people with real products and affordable prices.
From this perspective, the Lincoln Z makes a lot of sense.