US automakers face luxury challenge: Analyst

U.S. automakers are looking to recapture the luxury market, with Ford (F) reviving the Lincoln Continental and General Motors (GM) expected to introduce its latest Cadillac model Tuesday.

However, the companies are going to face challenges in competing against German automakers, analyst Alec Gutierrez said Monday.

"When you look at the luxury space, it's all about prestige, it's all about reputation, and Mercedes and BMW at this point, and even Audi for that matter, have a huge head start over Cadillac and Lincoln, who have been floundering for a lot of years," Kelley Blue Book senior market analyst Alec Gutierrez said in an interview with " Closing Bell ."

Ford unveiled a prototype of the future Continental sedan on Monday.

"It signals what we call 'quiet luxury,' which is about elegance, it's around effortless power, it's around a serene and relaxing interior, a place you could chill, so what we want for this vehicle is to be an extremely successful vehicle in that segment," Ford CEO Mark Fields said in an interview with " Squawk on the Street ."

Read More Ford revives the Lincoln Continental, aims at US and China

Gutierrez said he thinks the new Lincoln Continental looks "fantastic" and believes it could shake the market up a bit. However, while the automaker is making big steps in the right direction, he said there is still a gap in terms of quality when compared to Mercedes and BMW.