Beijingers made fun of my rental Lincoln MKT

"Franzouse" (franzouseinchina)
05/22/2014 at 05:35 • Filed to: lincoln,, china

I had some company bigwigs in town and had to take car of their transportation needs. I called my usual rental company to get a 12th or 13th Gen Toyota Crown (the Audi A6L is wayyy too common for a snob like me) and thought we'd have that with driver for the day.

Instead, the driver showed up this morning with the incredibly bizarre looking Lincoln MKT. My busy bosses didn't give a damn but when we met our Chinese partners, two of them (good friends) who know I'm a car guy just straight up asked me:

"WTF are you doing with this thing? Did your bosses bring their kids? are you moving some furniture? That's not a car worthy of your bosses". Followed a few non-repeatable jokes about westerners maybe liking things with over-sized rear-ends...

Face is a very important concept in this country, and rolling up in some non-boss looking car is just not the right thing to do. I'll never do it again.

I never liked the MKT and never understood how Lincoln could believe it would sell here but that really seals the deal in my mind.

Honestly, even this abomination would work better than a standard MKT on the Chinese market.

DISCUSSION (16)

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 05:57

Make fun of their air or their communism or something.

jkm7680 > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 05:58

Huh, I see it as a perfectly respectable car. After all, it's supposed to be replacing the Town Car sedan.

Franzouse > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
05/22/2014 at 05:59

That's tempting; they're quick to remind foreigners like me that we are "guests" in their country though...

Franzouse > jkm7680
05/22/2014 at 06:04

I'm a Panther fan (so i'm obvs biased) butI don't see how these two cars could be on the same segment.

Granted they didn't need to absolutely replicate the same recipe for its replacement but the MKT is a wagon-type thing, it's not slick, doesn't really convey luxury and, in this market, successful luxury sedans need to look like sedans (with the exception of the Panamera).

jkm7680 > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 06:08

I'm a panther fan also, I'm thinking that they mainly targeted the "Black cars" those hire cars that were Town Cars with the change. They're in a completely different class, but I think Lincoln intended for them to serve the same purpose for some reason.

CRider > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 06:13

Much hospitality they're showing you!

Franzouse > CRider
05/22/2014 at 07:00

The whole super obsequious "honorable stranger" cliche that there used to be about the Chinese is dead, way dead.
They're globally great hosts as long as you don't criticize anything or point out what they're doing wrong...

Meatcoma > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 08:33

Kinja'd!!!

Not one image of a MKT for reference!

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 08:58

Next time, get a Crown. Especially the Crown with Athlete trim and drive it there.

Franzouse > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW.
05/22/2014 at 09:09

oh yes, love me some Crown action. Is athlete trim the version with the laurels on the C pillars?

As for the driving myself there, no way, my insurance company forbids it!

Franzouse > Meatcoma
05/22/2014 at 09:10

Thank you for saving people the effort of googling it.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 09:36

Laurel?

Laurel like what?

*The Crown have a Crown logo in the C-Pillar, and that's about it. No matter what trim you get.

Well, there's 4 trim of toyota crown:

-Comfort (The one used as taxis)

-Royal Saloon (the normal crown, with all gadgets and stuff)

-Athlete (the sport model. Still very equipped like royal but with moar powar and stiffer suspension and stiffer chassis.)

-Majesta (the top of the line crown, has the biggest engine and streched body as well)

The simplest way to distinguish them is look at the back of the car, normally the trim is printed there on the right side.

Franzouse > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW.
05/22/2014 at 10:07

thanks for the knowledge.

I checked an old invoice and the one we usually get is the "Royal Saloon VIP". I guess they just ad VIP so they can charge me more...

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 10:15

Nah, there's nothing called Royal Saloon VIP.

Franzouse > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW.
05/22/2014 at 10:19

I just googled it, and there is, but only in China

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Franzouse
05/22/2014 at 10:48

oh, that's weird. I never heard it before. I guess it's just a streched royal saloon.