Lincoln Zephyr to start just below $30,000
By Greg Migliore
Automotive News
DETROIT -- Lincoln's 2006 Zephyr, which Ford Motor Co. hopes will lure younger buyers to its U.S. luxury brand, will have a base sticker price of $29,995, including shipping, Lincoln announced Thursday.
The Zephyr goes on sale in the fall.
The five-passenger mid-size sedan is Lincoln's attempt to attract drivers in their mid 30s. Its average customer is considerably older.
"The Zephyr makes the Lincoln brand more relevant to a new generation of younger customers who are ready to move to a luxury vehicle," Al Giombetti, Lincoln Mercury's president, said in a statement.
Powered by a 3.0 liter V-6 engine, the front-wheel-drive Zephyr has a highway fuel economy in the upper 20s, the automaker said. It also has a six-speed automatic transmission. Lincoln will offer 3.5 liter V-6 and all-wheel drive versions next year.
The Zephyr has six premium options, including a moonroof, navigation system and chrome wheels, that could raise the price to $35,575, including shipping.
The sedan, built on a version of the Mazda6 platform, will be manufactured with the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Lincoln has sold 51,667 vehicles through May, a 7.4 percent drop from 2004's five-month performance, according to the Automotive News Data Center.
By Greg Migliore
Automotive News
DETROIT -- Lincoln's 2006 Zephyr, which Ford Motor Co. hopes will lure younger buyers to its U.S. luxury brand, will have a base sticker price of $29,995, including shipping, Lincoln announced Thursday.
The Zephyr goes on sale in the fall.
The five-passenger mid-size sedan is Lincoln's attempt to attract drivers in their mid 30s. Its average customer is considerably older.
"The Zephyr makes the Lincoln brand more relevant to a new generation of younger customers who are ready to move to a luxury vehicle," Al Giombetti, Lincoln Mercury's president, said in a statement.
Powered by a 3.0 liter V-6 engine, the front-wheel-drive Zephyr has a highway fuel economy in the upper 20s, the automaker said. It also has a six-speed automatic transmission. Lincoln will offer 3.5 liter V-6 and all-wheel drive versions next year.
The Zephyr has six premium options, including a moonroof, navigation system and chrome wheels, that could raise the price to $35,575, including shipping.
The sedan, built on a version of the Mazda6 platform, will be manufactured with the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Lincoln has sold 51,667 vehicles through May, a 7.4 percent drop from 2004's five-month performance, according to the Automotive News Data Center.