Among hundreds of dazzling new cars at the Los Angeles Auto Show, a common theme was the blending of luxury and economy into a single package – so popular it’s now its own segment, cleverly named luxury hybrids. But the idea of a cramming so much luxury into an economical package is not new – and long the battleground of Cadillac and Lincoln’s mid-size cars.
Lincoln’s long and successful history of producing mid-sized luxury grand touring sedans goes back to the 1977 introduction of the Lincoln Versailles. It was Lincoln’s answer to the wildly popular Cadillac Seville and emerging popularity of European imports. Today, just as then, the Lincoln MKZ shares its platform with Ford and Mercury variants. It replaces the Lincoln LS and MKZ-predecessor Zephyr. For this test, we added 400 miles to a factory-new model.
Even though the Lincoln MKZ can trace its DNA all the way back to the Versailles, the similarities end there. The MKZ is its own car – far and away modern in every aspect and innovative in the rest. In the class, it is a pure dose of luxury and comfort. To be sure, I love luxury cars – but genuine, soft luxury is nearly impossible to find today among Japanese and European “feel the road” sedans that seem to come standard with a kidney-belt. This Lincoln MKZ is luxurious but not mushy, either. It’s just right. It’s a fine luxury car.
Lincoln MKZ for 2012 has been thoroughly updated from its 2010 introduction, and the model is available as a standard powered car and also a hybrid. Outside, the styling is crisp and modern. Most remarkable is a grille design as powerful as a locomotive. Inside, the striking interior focuses on high quality materials that’s highlighted by new genuine aluminum-and-wood trim and an all-new instrument panel with a next generation voice-activated navigation system.
The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Lincoln’s first-ever hybrid vehicle is available for the same price as the gasoline version. The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America, delivering an EPA-certified 41-mpg rating in city driving and 36-mpg on the highway.
“Lincoln MKZ Hybrid shows that customers don’t have to sacrifice luxury to own a green vehicle,” said Kate Pearce, Lincoln marketing manager. “You’ll find an unusual amount of standard luxury features that are hard to find on a hybrid.”
The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid’s fuel economy tops its nearest competitor – the 2011 Lexus HS 250h – by 6 mpg. Lincolns challenge to Lexus extends to higher net horsepower, more passenger space, enhanced interior, and more standard luxury and segment-exclusive safety features.
The 2012 Lincoln MKZ gasoline model has the award-winning 3.5-liter Duratec® V6, delivering 263 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 249 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm on regular gasoline. The front-wheel-drive model gets an estimated 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway; the optional all-wheel-drive model gets an estimated 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.
Both the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and front-wheel-drive gasoline model start at $34,645 (MSRP); the all-wheel-drive gasoline model starts at $36,535.
For more information, see your local Lincoln dealer, or visit lincoln.com.
