Press Release
Exterior / Interior
Smart, stylish and expressive, the Mercury Mariner Hybrid's distinctive design clearly offers something different for the hybrid buyer. Unlike other hybrid vehicles where form follows function, Mariner Hybrid shares the contemporary proportions and clean, sophisticated styling of the conventional Mariner."Mariner Hybrid fits perfectly with Mercury's design philosophy," says Richard Gresens, Mariner chief designer. "It's a stylish, elegant design with clean simple lines. It's an urban sport-utility, comfortable going to a club downtown, yet still possessing all of the capability and versatility of a sport-utility. At the same time, it's environmentally friendly."
Distinguished Traits: Hybrid features a discreet vent in driver's side C-pillar, Hybrid badging and unique wheels
Mariner Hybrid was crafted for those who appreciate excellent design, craftsmanship and the environmental benefits of a hybrid, without sacrificing the attributes of an SUV. Visually, Mariner Hybrid is identified by unique, 16-inch, five-spoke aluminum wheels wrapped with 235/70R-16 all-season tires. Unique badging on both front doors and the tailgate also distinguish Mariner Hybrid. Finally, a discreet air vent in the driver's side rear-quarter window helps cool the rear-mounted nickel-metal hydride battery pack, an integral component of the hybrid powertrain.The front end is instantly recognizable as Mercury, with the vertical, satin-aluminum-finished waterfall grille framing the floating Mercury emblem. The fascia features a stacked-element theme with complex refractor headlamps over inset foglamps. A high-impact-plastic (HIP) aluminum-look bumper insert and U-shaped air intake below the bumper enhance the tailored appearance and further connect Mariner Hybrid to the rest of the Mercury range.
"The Mariner Hybrid continues Mercury's vertical design vocabulary, particularly in the front with the waterfall grille and stacked elements," says Gresens. "This vertical theme, combined with the more defined, architectural shapes, lends Mariner Hybrid a very contemporary, cosmopolitan appearance."
Upscale Details: Body-color trim, 16-inch aluminum wheels, optional reverse sensing system
Befitting an upscale sport-utility, Mariner Hybrid features color-keyed front and rear bumpers, door handles, and body-side cladding. The body cladding is smoothly integrated with the broadly flared wheel arches, creating a clean, tailored profile, as well as helping defend the body sides against chips and dings. Turn-signal repeater lamps, another Mercury design cue, are mounted behind the front wheel openings.The taillamps are enclosed by horizontal satin-aluminum-accent grilles, a strong visual cue shared with other Mercury vehicles, including Mountaineer sport-utility and Monterey minivan. The optional reverse sensing system, part of the Mariner Hybrid Premium Package, also is neatly integrated into the rear bumper.
As a new entry to the hybrid segment, the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid is designed to attract young, diverse buyers to Mercury's lineup who aren't willing to sacrifice style.
The 2006 Mariner Hybrid arrives as the sophisticated choice for the sport-utility buyer who is conscious both of style and the environment. Mariner Hybrid offers significantly decreased emissions and fuel consumption with all the upscale features, passenger comfort and cargo utility that have made the conventional Mariner SUV so successful.
Satin-Aluminum: Interior accents repeat those of the exterior
Mariner Hybrid continues Mercury's dedication to distinctive design and interior craftsmanship. Contrasting and complementary interior trim contributes to the ambiance, with accents of satin-aluminum and chrome finishes, and a unique center finish panel of rich Sappele wood. A floor-mounted shifter with a chrome surround and satin-aluminum-finished shift knob imparts a sophisticated feel."The satin-aluminum finish on the interior echo those of the exterior, for a cohesive design inside and out," says Richard Gresens, Mariner Hybrid chief designer. For visual interest, the patterns are reversed: on the exterior, the satin-aluminum accents serve as the center pieces of the design; on the interior, the satin-aluminum runs up the sides of the wood-trimmed center stack. This creates a vertical theme, another visual tie to the exterior."
The interior is defined by two-toned seats and interior trim panels for the front and rear doors with large, bright-ringed speaker grilles and chrome-finished door handles.
Two-Tone Interior: Inspired by contemporary furniture
Premium herringbone cloth with thick French seams is the standard seating material, and the driver's seat offers six-way power adjustment. The optional leather seating surfaces feature a two-tone treatment, with Pebble leather surrounding the light parchment perforated leather inserts.According to Gresens, "The two-tone seats are another vertical design element that contributes to the spacious feeling of the interior. Plus, the perforated leather inserts offer a nice touch that enhances the upscale, refined interior of the Mariner Hybrid. Like contemporary furniture, the seats are both comfortable and attractive."
Flow Chart: Optional display tracks energy flow
Mariner Hybrid is available with an advanced audio, navigation and hybrid drivetrain status display, available as a stand-alone option or as part of the Premium Package. The available Hybrid Energy Audio & Navigation System features a four-inch screen with an intriguing graphic display of energy flow during idle state, electric drive, gas-engine drive, hybrid drive and regenerative braking. It also serves as an audio system interface and a GPS navigation system display.The Premium Package also includes leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, a reverse sensing system and the Safety Package that includes the Safety Canopyâ„¢ side curtain air bag system with rollover sensor and chest-protecting side impact air bags.
A four-speaker AM/FM audio system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer is standard; the acclaimed seven-speaker MACH audio system is optional. Other options include a roof rack and a power moonroof with sunshade.
Unhindered Versatility: 65.5 cubic feet of cargo
"A critical engineering goal for Mariner Hybrid was to impose no interior sacrifices," says Tom Watson, Mariner Hybrid powertrain manager.In fact, the only change in the interior utility or comfort from the conventional Mariner is a negligible change in cargo volume. The battery pack that acts as the electric fuel tank is stored under the rear cargo area and features a temperature-control duct integrated into the driver's side C-pillar. As a result, Mariner Hybrid can accommodate five people and 27 cubic feet of cargo, or 65.5 cubic feet of cargo with the 60/40 rear seat folded flat. The conventional Mariner offers slightly more volume: 29.3 cubic feet with the rear seat in position, or 66.3 cubic feet with the rear seat folded and seat cushion removed.
Mariner Hybrid also features a multifunctional message center. This two-line, 24-character LCD provides such trip statistics as average fuel economy, distance to empty, and estimated remaining oil life. A battery indicator dial notes whether the hybrid powertrain's nickel-metal hydride battery pack is charging during regenerative braking or cruising, or discharging during electric motor assistance.
Chassis
No amount of futuristic powertrain technology can compensate for a lackluster chassis or driving dynamics. Fortunately, Mariner Hybrid shares the solid unibody construction, fully independent suspension, and lively dynamics of the conventional Mariner.
Agile in City and Country: Independent front and rear suspension
Unibody construction provides the structural integrity to tow up to 1,000 pounds and the durability to support off-pavement driving in a space- and weight-efficient manner. Mariner Hybrid's fully independent suspension offers a smooth ride, vital control of body motions, and ample ground clearance.A strut-type front suspension combines a large-diameter shock absorber with a concentric coil spring; L-shaped arms connect the lower end of the strut to the unibody and a stabilizer bar is tuned to resist body roll.
Mariner Hybrid also features an independent rear suspension with a trailing arm and two lateral links to locate each wheel and an integrated coil-shock unit for springing and damping.
Mariner's fully independent suspension offers exceptional vehicle dynamics, more responsive handling, and a better ride over broken pavement than solid-axle sport-utility vehicles typically deliver.
Electric Steering: Consistent feel and effort, engine running or not
Rack-and-pinion steering provides a tight 37.7-foot turning circle for close maneuvers and easy parking. Steering feel is consistent and predictable because the power assist is provided by an electric motor instead of the traditional engine-driven hydraulic pump. As a result, steering effort and response remains constant, even when the gasoline engine shuts down to conserve fuel.
Regenerative Braking: Converting momentum into electricity
Mariner Hybrid also features two brake systems that work cooperatively to slow the vehicle and collect energy that's normally wasted. The conventional half of the equation is made up of four 11.9-inch-diameter disc brakes – vented front rotors, and solid rear rotors – gripped by single-piston calipers. An anti-lock braking system is standard.Like all friction brakes, Mariner Hybrid's conventional brakes convert excess momentum to wasted heat, dissipated through the rotors. However, the hybrid half of the system captures that momentum energy, which is converted to electricity for reuse.
This process is called regenerative braking. When the driver signals an intention to slow by lifting pressure from the accelerator pedal, or gently applying the brake pedal, a control module commands the electric traction motor to act as a generator. That provides a negative torque through the driveline to deliberately slow the vehicle and a positive flow of electrical current from the generator. The resulting voltage is used to recharge the nickel-metal hydride battery pack.
Regenerative braking works smoothly and decisively, and is undetectable to the operator. If additional stopping force is needed, the driver indicates that desire by pressing the brake pedal in the normal manner. The disc brakes and the regenerative channel then work in parallel to slow the Mariner Hybrid in a smooth, confident manner.
