Lincoln is already sold in the Middle-East but Mulally apparently wants the brand launched in Europe and Asia as well. During a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, a Ford official told reporters that Lincoln isn’t targeting top level luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW in Western Europe. Instead it sees itself moving into new markets like Eastern Europe, Russia and China, where most brands are still on a level playing field.
One major problem for Lincoln is its lack of a RWD lineup. If Ford is serious about competing with Europe’s luxury brands it will need to add more RWD models in Lincoln’s lineup and perhaps even a diesel. Lincoln already revealed the RWD MKR concept at last year’s Detroit Auto Show and recently Ford’s group vice-president in charge of global product development, Derrick Kuzak, admitted there is a RWD Lincoln model in the works. Still, it will take several years before the Lincoln brand becomes a household name in countries outside of North America and tough competition from the established European marques as well as a new and improved Cadillac could make it take even longer.