Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

SPECIFICATIONS

1. A 2.0L 4-cylidner and electric motor combine to deliver 188 hp. 2. Fuel economy is rated at 45 mpg in the city and on the highway 3. Priced identical to the entry-level gas model, the MKZ Hybrid starts at $35,925.

PREVIEW

Quality problems at Ford’s assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico caused months of production delays for its all-new Lincoln MKZ. Despite that, there were still thousands of hand raisers ready and willing to take delivery of their American luxury cars. Some among them became proud owners of the purportedly fuel-friendly hybrid version. Was theirs an astute choice or one mislead by the Shangri-La of modern fuel economy estimates.

Does the idea of mass-market flying cars in the next 50 years seem silly to you? Rewind as many years and the idea might have seemed plausible. Hanna-Barbera’s cartoon predictions about family propulsion are off a few turns of the Mayan calendar, but the futuristic look is sitting in Lincoln showrooms today.

 

The MKZ looks more like an alien spacecraft than it does a mid-size luxury sedan. Credit the copious head turning it encourages to the space-age sheet metal and glass. That look moves from ludicrous speed to plaid when you choose the optional 19-inch alloy wheels crammed full of small spokes.

Perhaps the most visually striking features of the car come from the roof and rear – the grille being a touch excessive. An optional retractable glass roof rises and slides back over the rear window. It obstructs most of the rear window when open, significantly harming rear visibility, but is so large it makes the MKZ feel almost like a convertible. There’s also a fixed glass roof available as a less costly option. 

Around the rear, you’ll find a solid light bar and widely-spaced “Lincoln” lettering capping off a very short caboose. But the car’s rake masks what is actually a large trunk — unless you buy the hybrid. In that case, much of the trunk is taken up by the car’s electrical components. In fact, you only get 11.1 cubic feet of cargo room, smaller than what you might find in any compact sedan.

 

INTERIOR

Aluminum accent panels look nice and the soft touch materials are equally welcome. There are also scores of plastic pieces composing the cabin. The traditional gear selection knob is replaced by buttons along the center stack to select drive, reverse, neutral and low gear modes. 

That plastic continues down over the storage compartments and cup holders, both of which are hidden. It might sound cheap, but it doesn’t feel that way. Pushing a button releases the cover, splitting it open to reveal the usual cargo spaces. It wouldn’t work in most cars, but with the gray plastic heavily steeped in modern style works beside the MKZ’s eccentric modern style.

If there’s any downside to the interior it’s that you’re stuck with MyLincoln Touch, which apart from being confusing for newcomers, has larger issues, namely, a hard drive that freezes and even crashes.

UNDER THE HOOD

During a week of real-world driving in congested city traffic, the readout reported averaging roughly 32 mpg. It sat at 35 in lighter city traffic, but both are disappointingly far from the promised mileage. Creeping from every stoplight, you might be able to manage better than that, but not by very much. Low-speed highway driving will actually achieve the EPA numbers, but you’ll need to peg cruise control at about 60 mph to do it. Those numbers fall dramatically if you keep up with traffic.

Don’t forget to keep things in perspective. This is still a luxury sedan that you’ll regularly beat 30 mpg driving in city conditions. Doesn’t that deserve some respect? With 188 hp it’s silly to expect any sort of spirited acceleration from this car. It just isn’t there.

A hint of initial torque from the hybrid system tugs the car forward, but that fades as quickly as it merges. Dull, slow acceleration is all you’re left to deal with. But with a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle engine, that’s less of a disappointment and more of an unfortunate expectation.

Soulless acceleration also isn’t helped by the fact that you’re saddled with a continuously variable transmission. Should it matter that the car’s gas pedal makes The King’s Speech seem like a white-knuckle thriller? Probably not when you consider that this car isn’t being billed as one of the industry’s fence-straddling performance hybrids.  It’s meant to be comfortable and fuel efficient, and arguably it offers both. Yes, the fuel consumption deserves an asterisk, but the ride really doesn’t. 

Lincoln uses continuously controlled damping to deliver a smooth passenger experience. Cooled seats are available, but the buckets are remarkably comfortable regardless of whether or not you choose to check that option box.