Ford Hatching ‘Baby Lincoln’ SUV

CHICAGO--Ford Motor Co. is reportedly developing a new compact luxury-type sport utility vehicle for its Lincoln lineup, and the entry may be spun off the platform of redesigned 2002 Explorers.

The yet-to-be-named compact Lincoln SUV might be upscaled with third-row seating to compete more effectively with DaimlerChrysler’s luxury Mercedes-Benz compact M-Class SUVs manufactured in Vance, Ala., according to the Stark’s News Service.

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.

Other details of the program were not immediately disclosed. This year in the U.S. Chrysler is expected to build and sell more than 80,000 Mercedes luxury-type M-Class SUVs s.

Ford currently builds more than 40,000 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 in St. Louis this month. They eventually will come equipped with optional V-8 gasoline engines and a standard third row of seats to compete directly for sales with Dodge Durango SUVs.

Until now the Chrysler-owned Durango has enjoyed most of the market to itself among consumers who prefer third-row seating in compact SUVs.

Ford launched production of redesigned 2002-model Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers last month at a site in Louisville, Ky. Shipments to dealers begin this Jan. 1. The vehicles will be sold to consumers starting in the spring of next year.

Mercury Mountaineer assembly reportedly will expand this month to a second manufacturing complex. The Ford entity 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, according to Stark’s.