Ford first offered the SYNC system on the 2008 Ford Focus followed by the Ford Edge, Taurus, and the Lincoln MKX and Lincoln MKZ. After much demand from customers and dealers Ford announced today that it is offering a dealer-installed SYNC accessory kit that allows select 2008 Navigator and Navigator L customers to enjoy Microsoft-powered system.

Customers that own a 2008 Lincoln Navigator or Navigator L equipped with the Elite Package can get the SYNC accessory kit installed for under $550. And if you care to know, installation time is under 2 hours.

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So you want to buy a luxury car but don’t want to end up spending more than $50,000? Check out Forbes list of the Top 10 best luxury cars costing $50,000 or less. Forbespoints out the luxury automakers are targeting young professionals with high-paying jobs and are looking to transition into a luxury vehicles.

“You are treating yourself with these vehicles,” says Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis at AutoPacific, a market research firm covering the auto industry. “It is reaching a level of maturity.”

Let us know what level of maturity you’ve reached and which car you’d consider purchasing on the list.

Click through for the list of Top 10 best luxury cars costing $50,000 or less.

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In 2006, Mark Fields, Ford Americas President, said that Lincoln will eventually take over as the volume brand of the Lincoln-Mercury business. Well Lincoln did that in March, but just by 12 units.

In March Lincoln sold 24,462 Lincolns to retail customers, while Mercury came up with 24,450. Nonetheless, Mercury is still in ahead with total sales by nearly 6,000 vehicles. Sales for both brands are down in 2008 with Mercury by 21.5 percent and Lincoln by 18.9.

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You don’t need to buy a small and cheap car to drive a vehicle that’s kind to the environment. What comes out of a car’s tailpipe is just as important as what goes into the fuel tank.

Our two least-polluting lists, one for luxury vehicles and one for non-luxury vehicles, are based on examining each model’s Air Pollution Score and Carbon Footprint ratings as determined by the EPA.

The Air Pollution Score represents the amount of health-damaging and smog-forming airborne pollutants a vehicle emits. Among these are hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde. Scoring is based on a 10-point scale, with 10 representing a zero-emissions vehicle, meaning higher numbers are better.

Click through for the list of Top 10 Luxury Cars That Pollute the Least.

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According to a Ford engineer, design work is well under way on the Lincoln MKT crossover but no final decision has been made as of yet whether to give the green-light to the program known internally as D472. The Lincoln MKT is based on the same architecture as the Ford Flex, however, both bear no resemblance to each other.

FoMoCo has told The Detroit News, that a production prototype was shown to a consumer panel on Saturday to figure out where to position the MKT in the market.

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From a gravity-defying Dodge Charger to a futuristic Ford Mustang, we take a look at the 10 most memorable cars to appear on the small screen.

K.I.T.T. is back in action.

One of the most memorable television stars from the 1980s, K.I.T.T. was a smart-talking Pontiac Trans Am driven by David Hasselhoff in the series Knight Rider. Now K.I.T.T. returns in a new television movie that premiered to such big ratings NBC executives are hinting a weekly series is likely again.

The original K.I.T.T., or Knight Industries Two Thousand, was remarkable for its sarcastic personality and array of high-tech features. In its four years as a reluctant crime-fighter on a hit show, it became an icon worthy enough to make our list of the top 10 most famous TV cars.

Click through for the list of Top 10 Most Famous TV Cars.

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FoMoCo will be cutting back on the number of available equipment combinations on its 2009 models. Jim Farley, Ford’s marketing chief, told Automotive News that Ford will reduce its vehicle order combinations by more than 50 percent. That means all of Ford’s nameplates will have fewer options and more standard features and you can’t customize your Ford the way you want it.

Ford will be using sales data to determine the most popular configurations. CEO Mulally hopes that the move will help dealers keep less inventory and will make ordering a vehicle easier for dealers and customers.

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Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company’s marketing chief said that Mercury’s role is changing as the company concentrates more on Ford and Lincoln models.

“Its role is changing, but we’re not going to compromise Mercury,” Farley said Wednesday in an interview with Bloomberg at the Chicago Auto Show. “No doubt Lincoln and polishing up the Blue Oval,” the symbol of the Ford brand, “is absolutely our priority.” He didn’t elaborate about Mercury.

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In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, FoMoCo’s CEO Alan Mulally said that Ford is considering turning the Lincoln brand into a global premium name.

“We are considering distribution in Europe and Asia. We already sell Lincolns in the Middle East,” Alan Mulally told the German magazine.

A Ford spokesman confirmed the report saying that Lincoln does have potential but any plans to go global would be “sometime in the future since the priority right now is clearly on North America.”

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Lincoln has taken the wraps of their latest concept called the Lincoln MKT. The premium division of Ford said that they are looking at the model as a growth opportunity showing a new future vehicles for Lincoln. You can already tell that the car is already in the testing stages since its been spotting by spies over-and-over again.

The Lincoln MKT concept is powered by a 3.5L V6 EcoBoost engine with turbocharging and direct injection that produces 415 horsepower with a peak torque of 400 lb-ft.

The new EcoBoost technology by FoMoCo consists of 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder engines features turbocharging and direct injection technology. Ford will introduce EcoBoost with the new Lincoln MKS flagship in 2009, followed by the Ford Flex and others. FoMoCo says that by 2013, Ford will have more than half a million EcoBoost-powered vehicles on the roads in North America.

Click through for the press release and live images from the Detroit Auto Show.

Lincoln MKT Concept Gallery:

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The year ahead is critical for several automakers and their success or failure will be defined by the tried-and-true template of the ubiquitous four-door sedan.

Carmakers are rolling out eight new luxury sedans this year, and each one brings something fresh to the industry, be it style, performance or technology. Two other all-new entries from non-luxury automakers promise to heat up the premium segment.

How these vehicles fare with consumers is more critical than ever. The success of several manufacturers hinges almost entirely on which of the vehicles on our list of Hottest Sedans of 2008 will win over car buyers.

Click through for the list of the Top 10 Hottest Sedans of 2008.

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According to report by Los Angeles Times, Ford will debut the 2009 Lincoln MKT (Lincoln’s Ford Flex version we told you about last week) at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

The Ford Flex is a 7-passenger SUV that will take place of the minivan in Ford’s lineup and will be built at the Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant. Ford expects to produce 20,000 units.

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According to a report by Car and Driver, Lincoln will be getting its own version of the 2009 Ford Flex Crossover as a 2010 model year. Ford’s CEO, Alan Mulally, confirmed the report made by Automotive News back in August 2007 to the press at an event in Dearborn.

The Ford Flex is a 7-passenger SUV that will take place of the minivan in Ford’s lineup and will be built at the Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant. Ford expects to produce 20,000 units.

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