Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Lincoln boasts the MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury car on the market with a 41/36-mpg (city/hwy) rating. 2. Fuel economy is up significantly from the V6-powered MKZ, which gets 18/27-mpg. 3. Using the same 2.5-liter Atkinson Cycle 4-cylinder from the Fusion Hybrid, the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid makes 191-hp and can travel at speeds of up to 40-mph on pure electric power. 4. Pricing for this fuel-efficient luxury car starts at just $34,330.

PREVIEW

Like the HS250h, the MKZ Hybrid shares much of its DNA with a blue jeans brother, in this case the Ford Fusion. If you’ve spent any time in the regular MKZ, then you’ll feel right at home in this one. Even though the basic design of this car is now close to eight years old, it still cuts a unmistakable profile amid a sea of gilded-edge mobile porridge and the new corporate front fascia and tail tweak – introduced on all MKZs originally for the 2010 model year, make it look more mature and perhaps just a little menacing (a certain dark Lord from Middle Earth comes to mind for this scribe).

Unfortunately, aside from some hybrid badges, there’s little to distinguish the MKZ Hybrid as a “green” car, something that surely won’t help move these cars off dealer lots.

It’s decently put together too – panel gaps are nice and precise – the chrome is not over the top and the paint is better than some other cars competing in this segment (is it just me, or does orange peel seem to be enjoying a resurgence as of late?).

INTERIOR

Inside, the MKZ Hybrid isn’t perhaps what you’d call futuristic. The dash and switchgear is as familiar as apple pie, but even though the design is getting on in years, the ergonomics are still good. The seats are actually rather supportive, with excellent height and rake adjustment, yet without the hard bolstering found on some Teutonic sedans, which can leave you wanting to stretch your back after just an hour of driving. Heated and cooled rotary knobs are also a nice touch and the Bridge of Weir leather – straight from Scotland - is distinctive, yet tasteful. Front passengers also get additional comfort in the shape of 10-way power adjustment.

Fit and finish inside are very good for this class of car – everything feels solid, from the one-touch power window switches to the turn signal stalk and shifter handle, plus the real wood inserts have a nice, deep aura to them. However, the biggest difference between the bent-six powered Z and this one, at least from inside, concerns the dash.

                              

UNDER THE HOOD

Flanking the speedometer is a ‘smart gauge’ cluster. This allows you to monitor vehicle system functions as well as ‘coach’ you to try and be a more fuel-efficient driver. Like it’s more pedestrian Fusion counterpart, the display has white blossom inspired leaves, which expand over time into a five-leaf tree, as a reward for being thrifty with the throttle. (According to Ford’s official stats, over the course of one year, a driver can save around 200 gallons of fuel and two tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions compared with a standard mid-size luxo sedan). Additional monitoring such as EV/gasoline engine power transfer, braking and active fuel economy can also be switched on or tuned out depending on how much information the driver wishes to absorb.

In terms of fuel economy, Lincoln is pushing this thing on the merits of achieving 41-mpg in town and 36-mpg on the open road versus a rating of 17/29-mpg for the V6 version. It does this by utilizing what Ford calls its second-generation Hybrid powertrain, a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, teamed with an electric motor. Based on technology used in Ford’s other Hybrids and developed from Toyota’s original concept, the MKZ is a ‘pure’ hybrid, able to run exclusively on electric power at speeds up to 44 mph. What’s interesting, is that according to Ford engineers, this almost doubles the EV vehicle speed over some of Toyota’s own offerings, including the HS250h.

On busy traffic and Segway infested streets of the Nation’s Capital, we had a chance to see if the MKZ was all it was cracked up to be. The 2.5-liter twin cam four-cylinder puts out 156 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 135 ft-lbs of torque at 2250 revs. While that might not seem much, combined with the electric motor, the result is 191 net horsepower (electric only you’ve got the equivalent of 106 hp), so in terms of acceleration, the MKZ Hybrid isn’t as sluggish as you might think. Combined with the electronic CVT transmission, it’s not what you’d call sprightly off the line; nor is it particularly involving and can at times appear to be a bit glacial, especially when trying to overtake on faster roads – but under most circumstances, it gets the job done.

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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. 

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