Lincoln wants you to know that they are serious about design and more importantly they are trying to appeal to a younger crowd. (Hence me writing this article.) Lincoln is doing this with a design tour touting the launch of the brand’s first small SUV, the 2015 Lincoln MKC.
Recently Lincoln made a stop in our nation’s capitol (that’s Washington DC in case you were wondering) on a design tour that has spanned several cities. The design tour is to show off the new 2015 Lincoln MKC, ahead of its release this summer, and gave a chance for Dillon Blanski and Antonio Molinari, the MKC designers, to talk about the inspiration and art that went into the SUV.
“Through our research, we came to understand that the customer for this car wants a vehicle that is warm, open and inviting. It also has to be sporty and exuberant.” commented Dillon Blanski who is the exterior designer for the Lincoln MKC. “The Lincoln MKC was designed with a younger customer in mind,” he added. The design could also be characterized as muscular and athletic which is more inline with the demographic Lincoln is aiming for this new introduction to the small SUV market. (That means old people need to be turned off from buying the MKC.)
A lot of detail and attention went into the interior as well. “In the interior, the goal to appeal to a younger luxury customer is shown in particular in the line work, which is spirited and energetic. Most lines in a luxury car are quite long. Instead, we created lines with more snap and acceleration. One of my inspirations was a Formula One car approaching a turn: it slows when approaching, then accelerates with tons of energy out of the turn.” exclaimed Antonio Molinari who was the interior designer for the MKC. “A key outcome of interior luxury automotive design is to complement and amplify what you see with a warm and inviting environment,”
Lincoln feels the interior design is progressive and classic with a modern twist. It is supposed to make you feel like you are in a home environment utilizing materials to create a cabin where the driver feels both comfortable and in control. The luxury automaker has achieved this by using new Deepsoft leather, made exclusively for the Lincoln MKC by well known leather manufacturer Bridge of Weir, authentic “open pore” wood trim and unique door-panel stitching inside. Also the all-new leather-wrapped steering wheel has a softer, thicker grip and is available in hand-stitched Wollsdorf leather.
Lincoln’s design tour will continue with scheduled stops in Boston and Chicago. The all-new 2015 Lincoln MKC is set to go on sale later this summer. We will be excited when we get a chance to get our hands on the 2015 Lincoln MKC and see what the inspiration and art that Antonio Molinari and Dillon Blanski described.
*Article originally published here
