Lincoln MKZ Hybrid's MPG Is Official: 41 in the City

Lincoln announced that the fuel efficiency rating for their first ever hybrid, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, is now official: 41 mpg rating in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway. The official EPA rating makes it the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America.

A few years ago, a luxury sedan achieving more than 40 MPG in the city would have been big news. With hybrid technology, it's quickly becoming a regular occurrence.

Ford is positioning the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid to compete against the 2010 Lexus HS 250h. The MKZ beats the HS250h in terms of fuel economy by 6 MPG, and provides more engine power and passenger room. The MKZ’s combined gasoline engine and electric motor provide 191 net horsepower.

“The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid offers everything our customers look for in a midsize luxury sedan, plus unsurpassed fuel economy,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president, Global Product Development, in a press release. The MKZ’s claim for fuel economy leadership in the luxury category may be short-lived, with the premium compact Lexus CT 200h hitting dealerships later this year or in early 2011.

Peugeot-Citroen Dangles Prospect of Small Diesel-Hybrid Minivan

Peugeot 3008 HYbrid 4 small minivan

Last week, we reported that Mitsubishi is taking steps to produce a diesel-electric car—in the form of the Lancer Evo diesel hybrid. Automotive News today reports that Peugeot-Citroen's first diesel-electric hybrid, the Peugeot 3008 HYbrid 4 small minivan, could be exported outside Europe.

The Peugeot 3008 HYbrid 4 goes on sale in Europe in March 2011. The automaker says the 3008 Hybrid 4 will produce just 99 grams per kilometer of CO2 despite offering 200 horsepower. The car's 2.0-liter diesel provides 163 horsepower to the front wheels, and an electric motor supplies 37 hp to the rear wheels. When Peugeot demonstrated the 3008 HYbrid concept at the Paris auto show in 2008, it said the vehicle could get 57 miles per gallon.

Peugeot-Citroen electric vehicles director Ayoul Grouvel told Automotive News Europe that subsidiaries in Australia, Brazil, China, Israel and Turkey are asking for hybrids. The auto markets in China and Brazil are experiencing wild growth, and would be enticing to Peugeot-Citroen.

The company believes that diesel-electric hybrids make sense to expand fuel-efficient offerings in Europe and Asia, but expects U.S. customers to choose gas-powered hybrids. And yet, U.S. hybrid fans have been screaming for a hybrid minivan for years. Could you imagine the reaction from greeny families to a small stylish hybrid minivan, with third-row seating (even if squeezed), running on biodiesel?

By 2020, Peugeot-Citroen predicts that gas-electric and diesel-electric hybrids will account for 10 percent of all new-car sales in Europe.

Mixed Reviews on Honda CR-Z as Hybrid and Sports Car

Can a hybrid be as fun as a sports car? Can a sports car save fuel like a hybrid?

Honda this week gave automotive journalists their first chance behind the wheel of the 2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid. Honda’s goal with the all-new two-seater is to combine the fuel parsimony of a hybrid with the sportiness of the company’s classic CRX coupe—and to offer it as the most affordable hybrid on the market.

The fuel economy rating of the standard six-speed manual is 31/37 mpg, with the optional automatic (CVT) rated at 35/39 mpg.

"The CR-Z is as much about the driving experience as it is about our commitment to fuel efficiency and affordable hybrid technology," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales at American Honda Motor Co. "We lit the fuse on hybrids," Mendel said.

Did they succeed? On affordability, the answer is yes. The MSRP of the CR-Z, which goes on sale on Aug. 24, is not official, but is expected at less than $20,000. That does make it the lowest priced hybrid on the market—and the only one available with a manual transmission.

But on the evaluation of the Honda CR-Z as both a sports car and as a hybrid, the reviews are mixed. And yet, there’s an underlying sentiment that Honda has made a worthwhile contribution to the hybrid field. Here’s a sampling of what auto critics had to say on the twin goals.

• Jalopnik
  

  "The CR-Z is not a fast car; it is not even a quick car…but it's still moderately entertaining. Is this the most entertaining hybrid car money can buy? Yes. Is it what I want and, frankly, what the market needs? Not quite…The takeaway? The car you see here is a decent, though not remarkable, answer to the Where's the fun in green? question."

• Automotive News

  "Well, it won't set your hair on fire, and a small car can feel fast even when it isn't. Is it more fun to drive than a Prius or Insight? Definitely…A day of spirited country-highway driving netted 35 mpg — not much better than the similarly sized Honda Fit, which isn't even a hybrid."

• Cars.com

  "In the absence of substantially greater acceleration, the CR-Z's low-mileage rationalization simply falls apart…[Yet] I exceeded the automatic's highway rating with 39.4 mpg, according to the trip computer."

• CNet

  "Honda may have come up with the first fun hybrid car…The handling, while good, proved just a little loose. Honda seems to have tuned some softness into the suspension to make the CR-Z a comfortable everyday driver. As such, suspension travel allowed a little bit of lean in the corners. The CR-Z still can claim sports car handling, but there are more tightly screwed down cars available."

• Car and Driver

  "Somewhat shockingly, however, this hybrid is entertaining, even as it tries to marry the disparate concepts of sport and efficiency… Particularly with the three-mode adjustable drive system in Sport, it’s a relatively fun little car...[Yet] if fuel-efficiency is the goal, better mileage (and practicality) can be found in the Toyota Prius and the Insight, which are EPA-rated for 50 and 41 mpg combined."

Another First for Mitsubishi? A Diesel-Hybrid Lancer Evo

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

It’s just a rumor, but the potential move by Mitsubishi to give its Lancer Evolution a diesel-hybrid powertrain is interesting for several reasons.

First of all, Mitsubishi is not afraid to be first on an innovative green technology. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was the first all-electric car to hit the mainstream market. That was in Japan last year, but it’s heading to North America next year. Given its smart-like size and regular-sized price tag, the i-MiEV is very likely to be a niche car for urban dwellers. That’s okay. It’s one more solid option for EV buyers. The micro-car is cute and fun and might even develop a cult-like following. Even if it doesn’t sell in big numbers, the i-MiEV could catapult the Mitsubishi brand in front of U.S. consumers.

The existing Lancer Evolution is also an iconic niche car with a fanatical following. The “Evo,” which has been around for nearly two decades, transforms a compact economy car into high-performance ride—by adding a powerful turbocharged engine, an all-wheel-drive system and numerous tweaks to improve handling and braking. Mitsubishi engineers need to modify that formula again—in a greener direction—if the Evo is going to pass tougher CO2 regulations hitting Europe and the U.S. Combining clean diesel technology and a hybrid gas-electric drivetrain in the next generation Evo could cut CO2 emissions to less than 200g/km, while delivering 0 – 60 performance under five seconds.

Symbolic Value

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Sure, this is one more example of a hybrid that puts performance first and fuel efficiency second. The current 291-horsepower U.S. version of the Evo only manages a combined 20-mpg average. We’re guessing that the double-whammy of diesel and hybrid could boost the mileage beyond 30 MPG. But if the engineers can slightly downsize the engine, and make up the performance with a boost of diesel torque and battery power, then the model could approach a doubling of fuel economy over the conventional version.

The biggest obstacle keeping diesel-hybrids from production has been cost. Diesels are more expensive. Hybrids are more expensive. Add them together to add a whole lot more cost. The base level for the existing Lancer Evolution is about $34,000, so a diesel-electric could easily reach $40,000 or higher—with fairly modest clean vehicle tax incentives.

Just like the electric i-MiEV, a diesel-electric Lancer Evolution would be a first. No other carmaker has had the guts to combine the efficiencies of a diesel and a hybrid. And like the i-MiEV, it would be a small niche vehicle that garners a level of media attention disproportionate to the number of sales.

Bottom line: It makes Mitsubishi look like an innovative company, doing its best to bring exciting high-tech green options to the marketplace. Ideally, other car makers will follow with more affordable and much more efficient diesel-hybrid offerings, like the 70-mpg Volkswagen Golf diesel-hybrid we were talking about two years ago.

Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Mitsubishi has the diesel engines, as well as the electric-drive engineering prowess, to make the diesel-electric Lancer Evo a compelling car. Put it next to the electric i-MiEV in a dealership, and suddenly there are two reasons for green-leaning high-tech consumers to pay a visit a Mitsubishi showroom—which they haven’t considered for years, if ever.

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VW Goes Hybrid with Gas-Electric Jetta in 2012

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

In one more sign that the automotive world is shifting to electric-drive technology, Volkswagen today reconfirmed its commitment to producing a hybrid version of its popular Jetta. A gas-electric Jetta, to debut in 2012, would put another affordable mainstream hybrid option into showrooms.

Affordability is the key word, as hybrids push further into mainstream vehicle lineups. The new (gas-powered) 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, which made its global debut in New York today, is priced at $16,000, about $1,700 less than the current version. “With the new Jetta, we’ve kept everything people liked, but also made the car more accessible to the entry-level buyer in the compact segment,” said Toscan Bennett, a VW product strategist. “We want people who had considered Jettas too expensive to put us on their shopping lists.”

Later this year, Volkswagen will introduce the Touareg Hybrid SUV, its first hybrid, but it will hardly be affordable. Based on pricing announced in Europe, the Touareg Hybrid could exceed $90,000 in the U.S. Moreover, it will join a crowded field of expensive luxury hybrid SUVs already on the market—and not selling particularly well.

On the other hand, a Jetta Hybrid probably will probably be priced in the low $20,000s, while offering fuel economy numbers in the mid-40 mpg range. It will represent the first time an automaker stacks up a hybrid and clean diesel option in a cost-competitive model.

City versus Highway

2011 Volkswagen Jetta

The Jetta TDI clean diesel, rated at 30 in the city and 41 on the highway, carries a base MSRP of $22,000. It’s way too early for fuel efficiency ratings for the Jetta Hybrid, but it’s reasonable to assume that the city and highway numbers will be reversed—with city driving in the 40s and highway mileage in the low to mid-30 neighborhood. Consumers are likely to make the hybrid versus diesel decision based on their driving cycle. Do you mostly drive on the highway? Go diesel. Mostly city driving? Take the hybrid. (Of course, we'll have to wait and see how a VW hybrid will drive.)

More importantly to the green car movement, Volkswagen is demonstrating the “no silver bullet” philosophy, in which efficient gas-powered cars, clean diesel, hybrids and electric cars mutually coexist. Cutting oil dependence and reducing emissions is not an either-or decision. It's all of the above.

In terms of electrification, Volkswagen is saying that electric-drive cars will come in a range—from conventionally hybrid through pure electric. (Ford is taking the same electrification approach.) With a lower price tag and no range concerns, hybrids will become the most affordable and accessible in the spectrum—while Volkswagen electric cars will take the critical step towards petroleum-free driving.

“VW as a brand takes the electrification of the automobile very seriously, and we have a longtime strategy for growing that business,” Mr. Bennett said. “The Jetta hybrid is our first entry in that strategy.”

Honda's Heifer Hybrid

We knew Honda was capable of a lot, but we'd have never guessed that they'd start producing livestock. The bodacious bovine pictured above (no, the one on the left...sheesh) is a UK-market Civic Hybrid named Clover. It'll be on display at this weekend's Fruitstock festival in London, an event staged by beverage maker innocent to raise money for WellChild, a British charity.

Clover and another Civic Hybrid will be on hand to teach attendees about hybrid cars. According to Honda research, 75% of people don't know how they work, and 50% aren't familiar with them at all, hence the need to set up a hybrid educational display. After Fruitstock, innocent will take custody of Clover for one year, during which the company will use her to promote cleaner cars.

In addition to this weekend's hybrid awareness campaign, Honda UK also announced that it's introducing a program to offset carbon emissions produced by Civic Hybrid buyers who are waiting for their new cars to be delivered. To accomplish this, Honda is working through The CarbonNeutral Company and investing in wind power and forestry projects.

Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport

Yee-Ha! in a 2011 Ford Edge Sport – Click above for high-res image gallery

Manufacturers used to roll out all-new cars every five-to-eight years. Somewhere around the halfway point – usually year three – much hoopla would be made about new front and rear fascias, the addition of some standard features and some new option packages. (*Yawn*). These changes were designed to give shoppers a reason to look at a car that was getting long-in-the-tooth.

Ford Motor Company sung by this songbook for decades, but it's not any longer. As we've seen with the Escape, Fusion and Mustang, the Ford brand is rolling out significant product changes any time they darn well please. For example, the 2010 Fusion could have been a standard refresh, but instead included three all-new powertrains, a significantly upgraded interior, and the expected front and rear fascias.

Introduced as a 2007 model at the close of 2006, the Edge was Ford's second attempt at a more car-like crossover. (Anybody remember the Freestyle/Taurus X ... uhh, not so much.) Heading into its fifth year of production, the Edge needed some serious attention. It just got it: We reported so on the eve of February's Chicago Auto Show.

Following the new model's public debut, Ford offered Autoblog an exclusive opportunity to ride in a 2011 Edge Sport with some development engineers so we could have an early, behind-the-scenes look at their handiwork. The new Edge doesn't go on sale until later this Summer, but you can read all about our experience at the Dearborn Development Center right now