Ford announced Wednesday that the 2011 Lincoln MKX received final fuel economy certification this week, achieving 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, with a combined fuel economy of 21 mpg.

These results helped the Lincoln MKX top its competitors in the luxury crossover segment, including the Lexus RX350, Cadillac SRX and BMW X5, with not only horsepower but now fuel efficiency as well.

"The new 2011 MKX is the latest vehicle to deliver on Lincoln's commitment of industry-leading performance and fuel efficiency," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president, global product development. "It offers no compromises with best-in-class fuel economy, horsepower and torque."

2011 Lincoln MKX vs. the Competition

*All numbers certified by the EPA. Best-in-class numbers in bold.

The horsepower of the 2011 Lincoln MKX has increased to 305 - a 15 percent increase compared to the outgoing product - while torque has increased 12 percent to 280 lb.-ft.

Lincoln's first-ever hybrid - the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid - was recently named the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America, delivering 41 mpg in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway. This tops the vehicle's nearest competitor - the Lexus HS 250h - by 6 mpg.

The 2010 Lincoln MKT with EcoBoost continues to provide better gas highway fuel economy - 21 mpg - than any other all-wheel-drive vehicle in its class.

For the 2011 MKX, engineers integrated the new 3.7-liter V6 engine, which uses twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) to increase the vehicle's power and fuel economy. The broadened torque curve allows the intake valve to be advanced, delivering about a 10 percent power increase compared to non-Ti-VCT engines. Variable timing control of both the intake and exhaust camshafts helps extract more energy from each drop of fuel, leading to a 4.5 percent improvement in fuel economy.

The engine also employs a control strategy called aggressive deceleration fuel shutoff to save fuel. This strategy shuts off the engine when the driver doesn't need engine torque. It uses the momentum from the torque delivered to the transmission to move the vehicle, rather than more fuel.

The 2011 Lincoln MKX continues to reinforce Ford Motor Company's record largest increase in fuel economy gains over the past five years, according to the EPA.