Lincoln Vehicles Winning Over Luxury Shoppers Who Value Interior Layout

Lincoln has received some decidedly mixed results in recent studies, with the lowlights including a below-average finish in the 2021 J.D. Power U.S. Technology Experience Index Study and Kelley Blue Book’s Q3 Brand Watch study, which found that just nine percent of luxury vehicle shoppers considered Lincoln vehicles last quarter. However, Lincoln did finish a respectable fourth in the 2021 J.D. Power APEAL Study, beating out most of its rivals, and now, the luxury brand has shown some improvement in terms of its interior layout, according to KBB research.

Of the 12 categories KBB counts as factors that influence and drive consideration in the luxury market, Lincoln was the top-ranked brand in terms of interior layout, beating out Acura and Porsche, the two runners-up. This category was the sixth most important among shoppers at 48 percent, ranking behind only durability/reliability (80 percent), safety (71 percent), driving comfort (70 percent), driving performance (62 percent), and reputation (48 percent). Interior layout was a more important factor to shoppers in Q3 than technology (47 percent), exterior styling (44 percent), affordability (41 percent), fuel efficiency (40 percent), ruggedness (20 percent), and prestige/sophistication (20 percent).

The importance of these factors is fluid, and changes with each passing quarter as shopper preferences change. For example, durability/reliability, driving comfort, and technology all rose in Q3, while reputation and affordability were less important to the shoppers surveyed by KBB.

Interestingly, J.D. Power’s Tech Experience Study found that infotainment systems in Lincoln vehicles left a lot to be desired, but that study centers around owner experiences – not the way shoppers feel, as is the case with KBB’s Brand Watch study. Regardless, Lincoln is investing heavily in that area with vehicles like the refreshed 2022 Lincoln Navigator, which features a new and larger 13.2-inch infotainment screen with SYNC 4, as well as a 12-inch digital gauge cluster, a 5.8-inch digital module for second-row passengers with climate and audio controls, and a new head-up display, among other interior updates.

We’ll have more automotive insights like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Lincoln news and non-stop Ford news coverage.