The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is also endowed

Prior to the MKT announcement and release, if one were to ask How did Lincoln do in 2009? the answer would probably have been anything but flattering. The simple fact is that archrival Cadillac has been making major inroads at Lincoln's expense. With the economy in bad shape, the two luxury brands from Detroit are engaged in their fiercest battle in generations.

Ford is positioning the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid against the Lexus HS 250h, the compact hybrid model introduced by Toyota for the 2010 model year. That car, a five passenger sedan, is based on a stretched and widened Toyota Prius platform and is priced from the mid-30s. Significantly, the Lincoln model gets 6 mpg better fuel economy than the Lexus hybrid, an additional edge Ford wants to promote.