The global COVID-19 pandemic and an uncertain economic future have both put the hurt on auto sales this year, but it’s not all doom and gloom for every automaker, such as FoMoCo’s luxury Lincoln division. Despite seeing a 7 percent percent decline in overall sales volume, Lincoln SUV sales showed encouraging signs during the second quarter of 2020 as the luxury marque was able to eke out an increase in retail market share.
The encouraging news on Lincoln SUV sales is due to a few factors, mainly related to strong showings from both the Corsair and Aviator, which are both all-new for the 2020 model year. Specifically, Corsair sales totaled 5,463 units during Q2 2020, slightly lower than the 5,956 deliveries posted by its predecessor, the Lincoln MKC, during the year-ago quarter.
Nautilus sales took a beating, dropped 39 percent to 5,036 units during the second quarter. Similarly, Navigator sales were 37 percent lower in the second quarter. Aviator sales totaled 4,016 units during the quarter.
Sales Numbers - Lincoln Utilities - Q2 2020 - USA
| MODEL | Q2 20 / Q2 19 | Q2 20 | Q2 19 | YTD 20 / YTD 19 | YTD 20 | YTD 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORSAIR | * | 5,763 | * | * | 11,133 | 0 |
| MKC | -100.00% | 0 | 5,956 | -100.00% | 0 | 11,743 |
| NAUTILUS | -38.49% | 5,036 | 8,187 | -35.83% | 10,281 | 16,022 |
| AVIATOR | * | 4,016 | * | * | 9,682 | 0 |
| NAVIGATOR | -37.34% | 2,749 | 4,387 | -25.76% | 6,575 | 8,856 |
| TOTAL | -5.21% | 17,564 | 18,530 | +2.87% | 37,671 | 36,621 |
But all that wasn’t enough to spoil the show for FoMoCo’s luxury brand. In fact, Lincoln SUV sales gained 1.5 percent in retail market share to more than 7 percent of the premium SUV segment.
Corsair saw an 8.5 percent retail share of the small premium SUV segment, while Aviator saw a 10 percent retail share of the large premium SUV segment. The performance of Lincoln SUV sales helped the company gain traction in the retail sector, despite experiencing an overall decline in sales volumes. Retail sales generally tend to be more lucrative for automakers, as opposed to less profitable fleet sales.
Meanwhile, Lincoln’s two remaining sedans – the MKZ and Continental – will be discontinued at the end of the 2020 model year, leaving the luxury brand with a portfolio consisting entirely of utilities.
Sales Numbers - Lincoln Sedans - Q2 2020 - USA
| MODEL | Q2 20 / Q2 19 | Q2 20 | Q2 19 | YTD 20 / YTD 19 | YTD 20 | YTD 19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MKZ | -36.14% | 2,985 | 4,674 | -27.83% | 6,467 | 8,961 |
| CONTINENTAL | -32.08% | 1,012 | 1,490 | -9.49% | 2,575 | 2,845 |
| TOTAL | -35.16% | 3,997 | 6,164 | -23.41% | 9,042 | 11,806 |
Sales of the MKZ and Continental declined 35 percent during the second quarter of 2020, totaling a combined 3,997 deliveries. The wide gap in sales performance of Lincoln SUVs to sedans confirms the luxury marque’s decision to withdraw from the ever-shrinking sedan segment.
We’ll have more about all things Lincoln shortly, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Lincoln news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
This is unreal, Porsche knows how to build a sedan (PANAMERA) market it correctly and make money on it. As of June 30, 2020, they have sold 66,309 of them since introducing it in 2010. Fix Or Repair Daily is absolutely clueless when it comes to sedans.
Hence one of the reasons they are getting out of that segment. SUV/CUV is where the profit is now, it is cheaper and more economical to build trucks than cars! In case you haven’t noticed or aware but most automakers are cutting back on their sedan offerings. Have to follow the money trail!
John – 66,309 units of the Panamera since introducing it in 2010? So they sold 66,309 units in a decade, and that’s somehow impressive?
To put that into perspective, that’s a smooth average of 6,309 units per year… or 525 units per month. I think that’s called peanuts.
Now to be fair, each one of those goes for $120K, so it’s definitely a low-volume luxury product. However, it’s unclear just how lucrative or successful the Panamera actually is.
Yes Mr Luft that is impressive, I definitely don’t believe Ford is capable of selling that many sedans over a period of 10 years in that price range.
Karl – I understand that, however, by discontinuing sedans, Ford is antagonizing its current sedan owners, as a proud owner of Ford sedans from 1989-2018, I will never buy a Ford product again, and I’m pretty sure a lot of current Ford sedan owners won’t either. I also would not be surprised if Toyota slips past Ford to number 2 in US sales.
TOYOTA, NISSAN, MERCEDES BENZ and a handful of others don’t seem to have a problem finding room for sedans in their lineup. Say what you want about the CHRYLER 300 but they are still building it. Maybe GM and FORD are just too retarded to figure it out.
Look at the numbers, even the mighty Camry, Accord and Altima has seen steep declines in recent years! Lexus just announced the discontinuation of the once might GS sedan. Chrysler 300 is as old as time itself. Tell us the last time it got a major update or totally redone? Trucks are where the profits are and it makes perfect sense to head in that direction. Leave your emotions out of it, just look at the facts.
crabby – Nissan is on the verge of bankruptcy. They’re not selling sedans, but are giving them away, and their biggest customers (the rental car agencies) aren’t buying. Big picture stuff, Nissan is failing at the thing called running a business. That disqualifies them as a good example. Toyota and Mercedes-Benz (and BMW) are still building sedans, but with sales in the red, for how long? Are they simply behind the curve of dropping their sedans?
Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger are still being built, absolutely. Both of these related products are in a unique position due to the way they were conceived over a decade ago, and the financial advantage of their conception (Mercedes-Benz paid for their development, and the company today does a good job of updating that gift). No other automaker is in a position to invest in a new mainstream sedan, and no other automaker is in a position where it will get a fully-developed vehicle gifted to it, for free. Both of those cars are an exception, not the norm. Meanwhile, sales of both cars is in the red, also not a great example.
I don’t like the smaller hot rod types like the GS so they can discontinue those.
So the CHRYSLER 300 is old. How many times has a product been redesigned with all new unproven components only to suffer sales losses because they were crap? (EXPLORER/AVIATOR) If it works leave it alone and make sure the components will work before they make changes. Hey, look how long the CHECKER MARATHON lasted that way. Some of you were complaining about the CONTINENTAL being FWD. AWD was available and the CADILLAC CT6 was RWD so what’s the excuse why GM discontinued that beautiful sedan? Talk about emotions huh? Well if there are no more sedans for me, a CHEVROLET COLORADO or CHRYSLER VOYAGER will be next in line for me. I can’t get past a 4 popper powered EXPLORER.
Still not getting it huh! Sedans are simply going out of favor with the masses. More and more people like the extra room and the more commanding view that SUV and CUV’s afford them. Maybe sedans will gain favor again with consumers in a different design space but in their current iteration they will continue to loose out to higher riding vehicles.
Fine. I just don’t like the short wheelbase crossovers with 4 poppers.
No problem with the CHRYSLER VOYAGER and CHEVROLET COLORADO.
Just because the masses like it…
Colorado is a body-on-frame pickup truck much like the Ranger. Voyager is a unibody van.
Lincoln I hope are gearing up to face off with Land Rover the Luxury SUV Company FORD use to own as well as Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.so what’s the problem?Say what you will and come up with any excuse you wish to believe all the imports Sedans listed above still sales over 100K a year which more than 5K unit a month. As for the ageless Chrysler 300/ Dodge Charger duo which has out live and looks better than both Lincoln Continental and MKZ is still making the company money. GM, FORD and Lincoln really need to pay attention to what customers want, if you build it we will buy it Period….
Nothing terrible wrong with both the Charger or Chrysler 300 except that they are old even with updates compared to current sedan offerings. Have you ever wondered why there haven’t been all new models to these (hot selling) sedans? I will let you answers that question! Selling sedan doesn’t mean they are profitable. You can sell a million but if they are not profitable, what’s the point? Building them for just the case of building them is no business case unless you intend on going out of business eventually.
I driven Lincoln sedans for over 40 years and now you decide you don’t want me for a customer anymore. The market for nice sedans may be small but at least they are loyal customers but I guess you could care less.