Hybrid cars generally cost considerably more than non-hybrid versions of the same car due to the fact the extra cost of the car can cancel out what the owner saves on gas. The hybrid MKZ, running on petrol and electric power, will be a bargain though after factoring in savings at the pump. It gets more than double the mileage of the traditional version in city driving. At a little more than US $35,000, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ will go on sale this fall; a price that will probably surprise many people. The MKZ marks the first time an automaker will sell a full-hybrid car for the same price. The sticker price will be $35,180 a price that is exactly the same as the non-hybrid version of the car.Hybrids also cost car makers more to produce because they require additional batteries, electric motors and other technologies that regular gas-only cars don't have. "It's an unprecedented move and I think it's very smart," said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends for the auto pricing Web site TrueCar.com. In fact, Hybrids usually cost several thousand dollars more than petrol-powered versions of the same car. The Lincoln MKZ is an entry level luxury car that's nearly identical to the popular Ford Fusion, which is also available in a hybrid version.With the non-hybrid and the hybrid being the same car, one could argue that Lincoln is setting up a marketing task for failure. So why would customers even consider buying the non-hybrid MKZ? After accounting for federal and state tax incentives for hybrid cars, consumers actually could end up spending less for the Hybrid MKZ than on the regular version. With cheaper mileage, and being safer for the environment, other automotive companies will have a tough fight that may lead them to lower the cost of their hybrids.
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