DEARBORN, Michigan – Lincoln became the first automaker to offer luxury customers a premium hybrid vehicle with a suggested retail price matching its conventional gas sibling, starting with the MKZ Hybrid in 2010.
This model has been a key component to bringing new customers into Lincoln showrooms, with 72 percent of hybrid buyers being new to the brand last year alone.
“The new MKZ and MKZ Hybrid are proof of our commitment to reinvent the Lincoln brand for a new generation of Lincoln customers,” said Jim Farley, group vice president, Global Marketing, Sales and Service. “There’s a large group of thoughtful individuals who take great pride in planning and following their own unique paths, and the MKZ is the first of a number of all-new vehicles designed with this same attitude to be a compelling choice for these independent-minded consumers.”
Lincoln MKZ Hybrid customers receive the same key feature as Lincoln MKZ gas customers in their respective equipment groups. That means, for example, customers opting for the Hybrid Premiere Package receive SYNC with MyLincoln Touch with 8-inch touch screen, leather-trimmed heated front seats, class-exclusive LED headlamps and Lincoln Drive Control.
Other competitors charge a premium for their hybrid models. The 2013 Lexus ES 300h, for example, is priced at $38,850, representing a $2,750 premium over the 2013 Lexus ES 350 and nearly $3,000 ($2,925) more than the 2013 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.
Exclusive to the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is SmartGauge® with EcoGuide. This instrument cluster coaches drivers to become more fuel efficient, creating visual rewards in the form of the growth of virtual flowers on the system’s right-most screen for the driver’s efforts to operate the car in a fuel-efficient manner on a long-term, day-to-day basis.
Lincoln’s white flowers, inspired by apple blossoms, remain permanently unless lifetime fuel economy is reset.
On the all-new Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, new lithium-ion batteries save weight and generate more power than the previous nickel-metal-hydride batteries. An all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gas engine retains performance with more efficiency than the previous 2.5-liter unit, and the 70-kilowatt electric traction motor alone can power the car up to 62 mph.
The electric traction motor during launch allows for a smaller gasoline engine and significantly reduces fuel consumption. In addition, when it is used as a generator, it helps recover the vehicle energy during deceleration or braking to recharge the battery pack. Projected total system power is 188 horsepower.
For more information about the new Lincoln MKZ, visit lincoln.com
