FORD could import the new 'baby' Lincoln to the UK in a bid to compete with General Motors, which starts to import the Cadillac Seville in the second quarter of 1998. The Lincoln, which will be launched in the United States of America at the end of next year, is a rival to the BMW 5-series, Lexus, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz in the same way as the Seville.

The car will be badged LS6 and LS8 and powered by V6 and V8 engines. Ford chiefs in the United States have already signalled that it will be a global car, but they have not revealed into which markets it will be sold. Fleet NewsNet understands that the new Lincoln could be sold in the UK, in which case it would slot into the Ford range above the struggling Scorpio - a revamped version of which will go on sale in January. New features include new headlamps, revised bumpers, new chrome radiator grille and a 2.5-litre turbodiesel automatic model.