Increased Sales Prompt Ford to Double MKZ Hybrid Production to 40% of Total for 2014

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

When the Lincoln MKZ was introduced, Ford Motor Co. took the unusual step of pricing the MKZ Hybrid the same as the non-hybrid version of the car, $35,925. Assuming that would mean a good take rate for the Hybrid, Ford production planners for the 2013 model year set the mix at 20% for the gas-electric MKZ. The take rate turned out to be so good that for 2014, 40% of MKZs made will be hybrids. That’s what Raj Nair, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, said at the automaker’s Dearborn campus on Tuesday. Hybrid sales in the U.S. market overall are up 18.3% for the first six months of this year, compared to 2012, and Ford has been benefiting from that surge. Ford’s share of the hybrid and EV market is now close to 16%, a huge improvement of 12% over last year. The C-Max, Fusion and MKZ hybrids have given the company a strong presence in the hybrid market. Ford attributes part of it’s overall U.S. market share increase of almost 1% over 2012 to electrified vehicle growth. For the first six months of 2013, Lincoln sold 3,090 MKZ Hybrid models, an average of 515 cars a month, but now that production delays that hampered the revised MKZ’s launch have apparently been overcome, for the 2nd quarter sales exceeded 715 units each month, closely matching the current build rate at Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico assembly plant.

Source: The Detroit News

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  • Redliner Redliner on Jul 18, 2013

    This should shock absolutely no one. If you want a plush daily driver that gets a real world 40MPG you have exactly three choices. Toyota Avalon, Lexus ES300h (really those should count as one model) and Lincoln MKZ. Out of those options, the Lincoln is the best value, and it has higher EPA MPG ratings, for whatever that's worth.

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    • DeadWeight DeadWeight on Jul 19, 2013

      @DeadWeight Ao, it's been a loooong week and hot as hell. But yeah, I meant to write "fair." Tres, I hope I'm being fair to Lincoln, and that's why I wanted to express my genuine opinion that the current Lexus ES is dramatically (IMO) less plush than the prior generation. It's too bad that the truly plush vehicle that's even remotely affordable is so rare today (though I suppose the Chrysler 300 is doing a decent job of holding up the fort). Not everyone (and maybe hardly anyone) lives in areas where the roads are all smooth as glass, resembling asphalt ribbons of winding spaghetti, nor does everyone want to feel most imperfections that now exist in our rutted, pockmarked, deteriorating roadways as they do their daily commute.

  • El scotto El scotto on Jul 18, 2013

    My mind is still boggling that a Lincoln Hybrid sells that well. Who'd have thunk it? Disclosure: I have a weak spot for FOMOCO. Even had a Pinto with a racing stripe; a 4cyl Starsky and Hutch-mobile. Oh wait! 80% of my commute is on a arrow straight traffic light clogged highway. Now a Lincoln makes perfect sense.

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    • Bd2 Bd2 on Jul 21, 2013

      Actually, hybrids sell pretty well when it comes to mid/large FWD sedans. The Camry, Fusion, Sonata, Optima, ES, Avalon, MKZ, etc. - the hybrid variants all sell pretty well. However, when it comes to hybrid variants of RWD sedans, the story is much different (for example, Lexus only sells about 40 GS hybrids a month and even less of the LS hybrid).

  • Thornmark Thornmark on Jul 19, 2013

    Latest issue CR states that the MKZ hybrid is the worst hybrid in terms of meeting advertised EPA ratings in its standardized testing.

  • Tjominy Tjominy on Jul 19, 2013

    Increasing hybrid mix to 40% from 20% (as sunridge place calc'd above) sounds a lot like MKZ is dropping the V6 or will be repositioning the hybrid as the entry model. Combined with Raj Nair's comments last month that the industry could be 2/3 4cyl in a few years, I see a lot of credence that the V6 is on borrowed time.

    • Bball40dtw Bball40dtw on Jul 19, 2013

      The 3.7L is on borrowed time anyway. Ford is talking about a non-turbocharged 3.5L V6, as well as larger turbo-4s, and smaller turbo-6s.

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