Ford Motor Company made big news last year by announcing that it would offer hybrid powertrain on the 2011 Lincoln MKZ as a no-cost option. This means that there will be no expensive premium for customers to pay in order to have a fuel-efficient powertrain, as seen elsewhere. Judging by last month’s MKZ Hybrid sales, there are a significant number of buyers demanding the hybrid technology, and by selling the option without a premium, this could turn out to be a more accurate indicator of the true popularity of hybrid-electric vehicles.
In March, Lincoln sold 3,138 MKZ models of which 615 — approximately 20 percent of the total units — were hybrids. This proportion of hybrids to non-hybrid models is up from 15 percent back in January when the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid went on sale. March’s sales total marked a 28 percent spike over last year, and the 6,487 MKZ total sales so far this year puts it up almost 17 percent over the first quarter of 2010.
Price could be a main factor in the popularity of the MKZ Hybrid with this model having the same MSRP as the standard MKZ at $34,605, but fuel economy is also contributing to the hybrid’s success. With EPA fuel economy estimates of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, Ford says that the MKZ Hybrid can lay claim to being the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan on the market.
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