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Ford in Mid-Phase Development of 'Baby' Lincoln SUV

11 December 2000

Ford in Mid-Phase Development of 'Baby' Lincoln SUV That Targets Mercedes M-Class Units, Stark's Reports

    CHICAGO, Dec. 8 Ford Motor Co., a major maker and seller
of sport utility-type vehicles in North America, is developing a new compact
luxury-type sport utility vehicle for its Lincoln-branded model lineup that
may be spun off the platform of redesigned 2002 model Ford Explorers and
compete directly for sales with luxury-type Mercedes M-Class units, Stark's
News Service Interactive ( http://www.starks-news.com ) reported today.
    The yet-to-be-named compact Lincoln SUV might be up-scaled with third-row
seating to compete more effectively for sales with DaimlerChrysler AG's
Mercedes-Benz compact M-Class model SUVs manufactured at Vance, Ala., it
added.
    The compact Lincoln SUV being developed under a secretive program may not
debut until the 2003 model year, Stark's reported.  Manufacturing capacity for
the baby Lincoln SUV is yet to be allocated.
    Stark's said other details of the secretive program were not immediately
disclosed, DaimlerChrysler is expected to build and sell more than 80,000
units of Mercedes luxury-type M-Class SUVs this year in the United States.
    Ford currently builds more than 40,000 units of full-size Lincoln
Navigator SUVs annually at a production site in Wayne, Mich., where it also
makes Ford Expedition SUVs.
    Ford will launch final production of 2002 model Mercury Mountaineers at
St. Louis this month that eventually will come equipped with optional V-8
gasoline engines and a standard third row of seats that will compete directly
for sales with Dodge Durango SUVs built and sold by DaimlerChrysler.
    Until now, DaimlerChrysler's Dodge Durango has enjoyed most of the market
to itself for consumers who prefer third-row seating in compact sport
utilities.
    Ford launched production of redesigned 2002-model Ford Explorers and
Mercury Mountaineers last month at a site in Louisville, Ky.  Shipments to
dealers begin this January 1.  The vehicles will be sold to consumers starting
in the spring of next year.
    Mercury Mountaineer assembly will expand this month to a second
manufacturing complex here.  The Ford unit will possess 80,000 units of
overall production capacity for the Mountaineer vehicles.
    Ford froze prices for 2002 Ford Explorers at $24,620-$32,690 each.  Prices
for redesigned 2002 Mercury Mountaineer vehicles were raised by $1,000 to
$29,230-$34,920 each.