You might cross-check a automotive just like the 2011 Lincoln MKZ and assume, “A hybrid? Really?” however Lincoln’s bean counters say half luxury automotive consumers would think about a hybrid, and that they expect the phase to grow four hundred % within the next 2 years. That’s too huge a pie for Lincoln to not grab a slice.
Rather than begin from scratch building a automotive to counter the Lexus HS 250h, Lincoln cribbed from the superb Ford Fusion Hybrid. The MKZ Hybrid uses its very little brother’s drivetrain and is equally thrifty. The EPA says it’s sensible for forty one mpg around city and thirty six on the highway. Those are spectacular numbers for a full-size sedan that weighs three,752 pounds, and that they comfortably prime the Lexus.
Power comes from a two.5-liter four-banger and a 26-kilowatt electrical motor. Together, they create 191 horsepower and 136 pound feet of torque. That isn’t lots in an exceedingly automotive this huge, thus acceleration isn’t stellar. however then full-sized yank sedans aren’t known for hustle. Still, the MKZ Hybrid has no hassle maintaining with traffic.
We raved concerning the smoothness of the Fusion Hybrid, that exhibits none of the shudder or lag you frequently expertise as a hybrid makes the transition from electrical power to gas. It’s equally seamless here, as is that the continuously variable transmission. The MKZ Hybrid is smoother than 20-year-old Scotch.
Electricity is stored in an exceedingly one.4 kilowatt-hour nickel metal hydride battery behind the rear seat. you'll tool around on electricity alone up to forty seven mph if you go straightforward on the pedal. (The Lexus HS twenty five0h tops out at 25 mph.) It needs a deft bit, however you’ll get the suspend of it. Once you are doing you’ll like it. The engine kicks in once a mile or thus to refill the charge.
The regenerative brakes — that capture ninety four % of the energy that may be lost as heat throughout braking — have none of the squishiness you frequently notice in hybrids. Out on the road, the MKZ Hybrid handles like you’d expect an enormous front-wheel drive sedan to handle. It’s soft, however not mushy, and you won’t be carving any corners. Not that it matters. nobody buys a automotive like this for sportiness. It’s all concerning comfort, and Lincoln delivers.
Standard options includes 10-way adjustable leather seats that are heated and cooled — one thing we tend to liked lots quite expected. They’re snug and supportive, and you'll build an extended road trip during this automotive. The THX-certified five.1 surround sound system with one4 speakers place Hound Dog Taylor right there within the automotive with us, additional adding to car’s long-haul, or grueling commute, appeal.
Of course there’s Sync with its stellar connectivity and hands-free infotainment. however we’re not wild concerning the Traffic, Directions and knowledge feature. though it offers turn-by-turn directions, traffic conditions and different information, it solely works through a Bluetooth connected phone. No phone, no navi. We’ve created this grievance before, however Ford says a phone-based system is cheaper and additional convenient than an embedded navigation system.
Our favorite feature is that the SmartGauge dashboard show taken from the Fusion Hybrid. The LCD show turns hypermiling into a game. The speedometer is flanked by displays showing everything from what proportion gas you’ve used to what proportion energy you’re generating whereas braking. A vine on the proper “grows” leaves and flowers as your potency climbs. It’s a remarkably participating manner of teaching you the way driving vogue effects fuel economy.
For all the slick tech, the MKZ will have a draw back. except for the snazzy seats and spectacular stereo, there isn’t lots to differentiate the MKZ’s interior from the Fusion’s. The styling isn’t terribly impressed, and there's lots of plastic. the important wood veneer helps, however you’d expect a automotive creating a play for the luxurious phase to be a additional upscale than the MKZ.
Still, it’s onerous to fault Lincoln once you cross-check the price: The MKZ Hybrid starts at $35,180. That’s precisely what you’d get hold of a comparably equipped MKZ with a V-6 (although at the time of this writing, Lincoln was giving $1,000 money back on the V-6 model). That’s exceptional, as a result of each different hybrid on the world carries a premium of a minimum of a few grand over its typical counterpart.
More exceptional, that money buys you a (relatively) reasonable, (relatively) luxurious and really fuel economical automotive. Lexus ought to be terribly, terribly nervous.
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