Ford Lincoln C

By Sam Hardy

16th January 2009

There was no hesitation in Ford’s plans to reveal its first stop-start system at the Detroit Motor Show.

The technology debuted on the Lincoln C, a compact luxury car seen for the first time at the US expo. It has some amazing design details, such as rear-hinged ‘suicide’ doors, but its best feature is under the skin.
That’s because the C gets Ford’s new Assisted Direct Start system, making it the first passenger-carrying Ford to boast stop-start.

As with set-ups from other manufacturers, it cuts emissions and improves fuel consumption by switching off the engine when the car is stationary. The system will debut on European models in 2010. In the Lincoln C, it’s hooked up to a 180bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged unit and dual-clutch gearbox. This set-up is claimed to return 50mpg.

The new engine will appear in the Focus, Mondeo, S-MAX and Kuga in the near future. The Lincoln C itself is based on a modified Focus platform, and its styling is the work of ex-Volvo design boss Peter Horbury.

His aim was to show US buyers that luxury cars don’t have to be big. Inside, it gets large digital ‘infotainment’ displays, seats that are raised from the floor and light colours which create an airy environment. There are no firm plans for production, but the C could be a rival to the MINI and Audi’s forthcoming A1