Lincoln mulling compact sedan to slot in below MKZ

Automotive News sat down with Derrick Kuzak, Lincoln's product development chief, to discuss what lies ahead for Ford's erstwhile luxury marque, and Kuzak was quoted as saying, "We do think that there is room for a smaller car in the Lincoln brand," but he was unable to provide any hard details on what – if anything – is planned.

Lincoln surely has a slot to fill below the MKZ sedan (think 1-series or compact Caddy competitor), but Kuzak said in the past that Mercury will be repositioned to fill the gap between Ford and Lincoln, with a focus on smaller, premium cars. If that plan has any chance of success, Lincoln has no business getting into the compact marketplace. Ford's mid-level luxury brands are in desperate need of definition, but brand overlap seems to be de rigueur for the domestics, and if a compact Lincoln comes to fruition the cannibalization will continue unabated.