Lincoln's first hybrid is also the first midsize, front-wheel-drive hybrid sedan from a luxury automaker. The MKZ Hybrid's drivetrain technology should look familiar, as the car is related to the Ford Fusion Hybrid, but a number of luxury touches are added. It gets an EPA-estimated 41/36 mpg city/highway.

Like the Fusion Hybrid, the MKZ Hybrid doesn't do much to advertise itself as a hybrid. Hybrid badges appear on the front doors and trunk lid, but without them, this sedan could easily be mistaken for a regular MKZ, with its large twin-port grille and wide LED taillights.

The MKZ Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor that make a combined 191 hp. As with the Fusion Hybrid, Ford says the MKZ Hybrid can travel up to 47 mph on electric power alone.

Perhaps more significant than the maximum electric-only cruising speed is the MKZ Hybrid's SmartGauge with EcoGuide technology, which can help the driver drive more efficiently. Whereas the instrument panel on the Fusion Hybrid uses green vines that "grow" larger the more efficiently you drive, the MKZ Hybrid adds to that with white flowers that "blossom" with long-term efficient driving.

Standard luxury features include Bridge of Weir leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, a memory feature for the driver's seat and real wood trim.