Matte Black Navigator with Gianelle Wheels

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Lincoln MKZ Hybrid sales exceeding Ford’s expectations

Given that the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is little more than a gussied-up Ford Fusion Hybrid, it’s not surprising that the gas-electric MKZ achieves the same 41 miles per gallon city and 36 mpg highway rating. Admittedly, we were a bit shocked when Lincoln announced that the MKZ Hybrid starts at $35,180 (including destination and delivery) – the same price as a gas-only front-wheel-drive 3.5-liter V6 model. Perhaps that’s why buyers are snatching up the MKZ Hybrid at a rate that even Ford didn’t expect.

Initially, Ford targeted the hybrid version to account for approximately 15 percent of total MKZ sales. However, the numbers show that the MKZ Hybrid’s take rate has averaged between 22 and 23 percent since January of 2011. Ford says that March’s numbers look similar. Through the end of February, Lincoln sold a total of 3,343 MKZ sedans, 762 of which were hybrids. With no premium price tag and gas prices soaring, perhaps nobody should be surprised by the MKZ Hybrid’s take rate. Perhaps the better question would be, is the hybrid model profitable?

[Source: Ford]

PRESS RELEASE:

Consumer Demand for the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Continues to Outstrip Expectations; MKZ range excels for choice and dependability

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

* Percentage of hybrid models sold within the MKZ range is higher than expected
* Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America and is the first model to offer a no-charge hybrid powertrain option
* Lincoln received highest score for durability in the latest J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study of three-year-old vehicles

DEARBORN, Mich., March 28, 2011 – Sales of the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid luxury sedan continue to exceed expectations. Having launched with a sales mix of approximately 15 percent within the MKZ model range, sales have continued to track at more than 20 percent since January 2011.

In addition to sales momentum, the MKZ Hybrid is proving popular for its other strengths, including fuel economy and top-rated dependability. No other four-door luxury sedan – gasoline, diesel or hybrid powertrain – can top the MKZ’s certified 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway EPA rating.

Lincoln Dependability
Recently, Lincoln received the highest score for long-term durability among all vehicle brands in the annual J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Vehicle Dependability Study, the second-highest performing model for long-term durability in the entire study.

The study asked owners about their experience in the past 12 months with their three-year-old vehicles (for the 2011 study, 2008 model-year cars and trucks were surveyed). Survey respondents were asked to indicate any problems they experienced with their vehicle in the previous 12 months, choosing from a list of more than 200 issues in eight diverse categories.

The study also shows a strong link between reliability and purchase. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of new-vehicle buyers say reliability/durability is one of the most important factors in choosing a new vehicle. Additionally, the study found that fuel economy is among the top 10 purchase considerations.

Lincoln MKZ Choice
Lincoln was the first luxury automaker to offer a hybrid vehicle with the same base price as its gasoline counterpart. Both gasoline and hybrid versions of the MKZ have the same suggested retail price of $34,605.

That’s a value equation for the consumer that San Diego Lincoln dealer Ed Witt calls “huge.” He has delivered Lincoln MKZ Hybrids to customers who traded in other luxury brand vehicles as well as other hybrids. Witt’s store has delivered MKZ Hybrids to drivers of Toyota’s Prius and Lexus luxury vehicles, and has even taken BMWs in on trade for the car. One family, he said, traded in three cars and bought two Lincoln MKZ Hybrids.

To date, Witt has sold the most MKZ Hybrids out of any other Lincoln dealer in the United States since the vehicle’s launch in October. “Potential customers are surprised by the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid’s quietness, comfort and power. They just love the performance,” says Witt.

Outfitted with Ford’s award-winning 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, permanent magnet electric motor and eCVT transmission, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid delivers seamless performance. The gas-electric powertrain is rated at 191 horsepower.

MKZ’s interior has been laid out with an array of standard features, including real wood trim taken from sustainable forests, supple leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, and the award-winning SYNC voice-activated in-vehicle communications and entertainment system.

Lincoln is also the only luxury car brand to offer a THX® II Certified Audio System, bringing home theater sound quality to the MKX through 14 speakers strategically spread around the acoustically engineered cabin.

“Lincoln’s latest models continue to be well received by luxury car customers” said C.J. O’Donnell, Lincoln group marketing manager. “The MKZ Hybrid is just the start of the journey we are taking in redefining the Lincoln brand and its new model range for the future. Lincoln uniquely blends the style today’s luxury vehicle customers demand with impressive, clean, economical performance as well as a wide range of intuitive technologies and features.”

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 164,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

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Beijing 2010: First Auto Works Red Flag limo is fit for government work

Beijing-based First Auto Works has long been the provider of the official transportation for the hierarchy of the People's Republic of China. Back in the 1950s, FAW started off building a localized version of the standard Soviet parade car, and over the past half century, they have evolved. FAW has also built licensed stretched sedans based on Audi and Lincoln vehicles.

Here at the Beijing Motor Show, FAW is showing off a new limo that is a modern interpretation those original models from the 1950s, but with a greenhouse and door array that looks more like a contemporary Rolls-Royce Phantom. We couldn't find any press materials written in English, but we have reason to believe that this machine is powered by a V12 engine that looks suspiciously like the one from the BMW 7 Series V12 of the late-1980s.

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New York 2010: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

Ford has reminded us over and over again about its plans to offer a full line of electified vehicles in the United States. The Escape and Mariner hybrids started this trend, the Fusion and Milan hybrids are garnering lots of praise, and with new products like the Transit Connect Electric and Focus Electric hitting the streets in the not-too-distant future, the automaker appears to be fulfilling its goals. The newest addition to the electrified lineup is this 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, which builds upon the success of its Fusion and Milan sister hybrids.

With fuel economy ratings of 41 miles per gallon in the city and 36 on the highway, the MKZ Hybrid will lay claim to the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America, besting its nearest competitor,the Lexus HS250h,by six MPGs. Ford has also assured us that the MKZ will be priced below the Lexus, making it a more affordable alternative for shoppers. Aside from the addition of the four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, not much changes from the standard MKZ and Ford is hoping that this vehicle will bring more buyers into Lincoln showrooms when the car hits dealerships this fall.

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Detroit 2010: 2011 Lincoln MKX

The final piece of the Lincoln puzzle is here. Meet the new 2011 MKX. And yes, it does look quite a bit like the MKT. Depending on where you stand vis-a-vis the current MKX, the visual difference is either just a change, or a much needed improvement. Most of us are siding with the latter, though we fully realize that many folks simply don't like the MKT. Bottom line, it is what is.

The really story is not the exterior - it's the interior. Specifically, the MKX is the first vehicle getting Ford's all new Minority Report-inspired (no, really) MyFord Touch system. Although in this application the futuristic navigation, entertainment, climate and phone system is called MyLincoln Touch. Hey, what's in a name.

There's more inside to greet you than just MyLincoln Touch, as the MKX features vastly improved materials than not only the previous car, but all other Lincolns. We touched, we felt and please trust us - the MKX is an nice, upscale place to be. Also, they've banished buttons. Literally, there aren't any on the center stack. Instead you're treated to a series of touch sensitive sliders. George Takei would be stoked. The best part: all this inner goodness will soon be making its way across the Lincoln lineup.

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First Drive: 2010 Lincoln MKT

In 1998, Lincoln's overall sales made it the number one luxury brand in America. The Navigator, Continental and Town Car weren't exactly world beaters – let alone an enthusiast's cup of Darjeeling, but the typical Lincoln buyer was getting precisely what he or she expected: soft, cozy, squishy cruisers for soft, squishy old people. In the decade that followed, Ford's U.S. luxury arm has seen about as much success as a modern day typewriter salesman. Mistakes have been made. The Blackwood. The Aviator. The LS. All big-time blunders – tragically so with the Romulan cloak-inspired design of the LS, as it was a pretty good car under that anonymous sheetmetal – and all consigned to history.

It's easier than ever to tell a Lincoln from 100 yards out.
Fast forward to 2009, and yesterday's gaffes have been replaced with a group of indecipherably-named vehicles that don't seem to be catching the eye of the car-buying public. The MKS, MKZ and MKX are nice enough, with tons of tech and luxury amenities, but America's buying public doesn't seem impressed.

Admittedly, the biggest reason Lincoln was kicking ass on the luxury sales charts last decade was the Navigator. It was big, it could haul heavy loads and it had an over-the-top style that affluent Americans were looking for at the time. Today's Lincoln lineup continues to feature the Navi, but the hefty SUV is no long the toast of the town and its massive girth and lousy fuel economy are borderline synonymous with PR losers like global warming and dependence on foreign oil. The 2010 Lincoln MKT is sized to replace the Navigator, but with the improved packaging, comfort and efficiency of a car-based crossover. We exercised a pair of EcoBoost-powered luxury barges through the twists and turns of Ann Arbor, Michigan to answer one simple question: does the 2010 Lincoln MKT have what it takes to become the spiritual successor to the Navigator and help shake the Lincoln brand of its decade-long sales slump?

For every vehicle that Lincoln has in its lineup, there is a mechanically identical Ford on the more pedestrian side of the gene pool. The MKT is no different, sharing its platform and powertrains with the boxier Ford Flex. To distinguish the two CUVs, Ford is employing a "differentiated top-hat strategy." That means precisely zero sheet metal and fewer interior parts are shared between the two models. That's a terrific change of pace for Dearborn's luxury stepchild, as the days of Lincolns that looked way too much like their Ford siblings are still fresh in our minds. Heck, the "in showrooms now" MKX is still a dead ringer for the Ford Edge, so thorny reminders of its blue collar heritage are still alive and well within Lincoln's current lineup.



When we first laid eyes on the concept version of the MKT at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, we were surprised by its odd-looking aesthetics. The tintless glass roof made the massive crossover concept appear to suffer from male pattern baldness, while the exaggerated D-pillar was overshadowed by a bulging hindquarters that made J-Lo's booty look benign. Fortunately the production MKT manages to be better looking than the concept, but we wouldn't exactly say Lincoln's new Freightliner is a looker, either.

Up front, Lincoln turned up the design DNA with its new corporate mug. The split waterfall grille is divided by the four pointed star, and whether you love or loathe Lincoln's new face, it's hard to argue that it's now easier than ever to tell a Lincoln from 100 yards out. The front end rounds nicely into the MKT's overtly chiseled belt line, which moves across the profile undisturbed until it ramps up at the rear wheel.



When viewed from behind, the story gets better, as the smooth transition from the roof to the minimalist bumper and interesting, if over-the-top, tail lamps shows that this Lincoln looks best when it's ahead of you. That rump, by the way, was forged with magnesium and aluminum, shaving 22 pounds from the MKT's 5,000-pound curb weight. Sure, Lincoln's newest crossover is a bit homely, but there isn't exactly a plethora of visually stunning luxury family haulers on the market, either.

The MKT felt more powerful than the 400 pound-heavier Audi Q7.

While we were less than thrilled with the MKT's polarizing exterior, the story improves once you step inside the CUV's commodious interior. High quality leather and soft touch materials abound, with truly impressive blond wood accents that add plenty of visual pop. Ford has faithfully provided very comfortable seating surfaces for some time, and the MKT continues that tradition, but with an added dose of leather-clad luxury.

The MKT can be had in several interior combinations, all of which include a third-row seat. Our Ecoboost-powered test vehicle came equipped with the $4,000 Spec 201A package, which includes Ford's excellent Travel Link navigation package, chrome 20-inch alloys, a panoramic moonroof and second row captain's chairs that mirror the excellent seats in the front row. The third row looks to be about the same size as its Flex sibling; just big enough for a couple of amiable teenagers.



With all rows upright, there is 17.9 cubic feet of space aft of the third row, but available cubes jumps all the way up to 75.9 when the second and third row seats are stowed. Spec 201A also includes a compressor-powered mini-fridge between the second row seats; a feature that MSRPs for $895 as a stand-alone option. The fridge can hold all of seven cans (or about three water bottles) of cooled refreshment, and it can freeze ice in half the time of your Maytag – a good thing considering it costs as much as the appliance in your kitchen.

Behind the wheel, we were immediately presented with the thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel with a real "hold me" feel. Beyond the tiller are Lincoln's corporate white-on-black gauges, which are simultaneously stylish and easy to read. The supple seating surfaces are matched with equally impressive armrests at the door and the center console. The general largesse of the MKT is also evident in the cockpit, as both leg room and hip clearance is plentiful, even for the widest of Autobloggers.



When it's time to take off, the MKT starts with a touch of a button (doesn't everything), bringing Ford's newest powertrain to life. The twin turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 boasts 355 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 RPM all the way to 5,250 RPM, resulting in healthy, lag-free acceleration in almost any situation. Ford's claim of the EcoBoost V6 delivering the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a six-pot are born out through the numbers, returning an EPA-tested 16 MPG in the city and 22 MPG on the highway.

To properly show off the capabilities of the MKT's twin-boosted powerplant, Lincoln provided a V8-powered Audi Q7 to compare and contrast. The Q7's 4.2-liter powerplant flexes its muscles to the tune of 350 hp and 325 lb-ft of twist, similar numbers to the MKT, yet the four-ringed crossover manages only 13/18 EPA numbers, or four fewer highway mpg than the Lincoln. The MKT is also a bit friendlier to the environment than the Q7, as Lincoln claims 19 percent fewer CO2 emissions. When driving the vehicles back to back, the MKT felt significantly more powerful than the 400 pound-heavier Audi, as the Super CUV went from zero to cruising speed with more authority, while providing more punch when accelerating from steady speeds.



The EcoBoost V6 sounds good, too, with a quiet roar on heavy acceleration, and the MKT doesn't just win in terms of power, either, as the large crossover proved to be more agile in the curves while sporting a more impressive, quieter cabin. The Q7 felt tank-like in comparison to the longer, lighter MKT, though the Audi did supply more steering feedback and confidence-inspiring braking compared to the MKT's somewhat numb wheel and spongy stoppers.

The MKT is a fine entry in the large luxury crossover market.

The Lincoln engineering team tells us that special attention was paid to the MKT's road handling prowess, and the Ecoboost-equipped variant received a stiffer suspension both front and rear. The Ford stat machine says that the MKT registers a roll gradient score of 3.8 and a roll dampening tally of 23.6, better than the Q7 or the Acura MDX. Our experience with the MKT showed that the big crossover did remain flat and composed at speed on twisty roads, and we feel that the MKT's lower, wagonesque stance helped keep its 255/45/R20 Goodyear radials firmly planted to the road.

Despite the MKT's fairly impressive performance chops, this three-row crossover is still at its best when cruising, proving flat out comfy in every environment, with a plush, bump-soaking ride, a pristine THX sound system and terrific ride height and visibility. During our road trip we were able to hold conversations in muted tones thanks to laminated glass and sound deadening insulation. We did detect some minor road noise emanating from the spanking new Goodyear radials, but the back roads we traversed could be at least partly to blame for the intermittent issue.



With the 2010 Lincoln MKT, the Blue Oval appears to have a very competent luxury cruiser that can stand up to the competition in terms of performance, efficiency, technology and luxury amenities. But while we enjoyed our time behind the wheel, we still don't see Lincoln's new crossover as being the answer to Ford's prayers. The MKT may have the size and luxury to replace the Navigator, but despite its assertive love-it-or-hate-it design, it just doesn't have that "King of the Road" swagger that made Lincoln's first SUV a smash hit in the urban jungle. The MKT is most certainly a fine entry in the large luxury crossover market, though, and that might be all that's needed to keep Lincoln buyers in the family when the time comes to trade in their aging Navis.

[Source: Autoblog]

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