2008 Mercury Mariner Revealed

Press Release

Engineers made a host of changes to the 2008 Mariner to lower NVH levels inside
the vehicle.

“There is a noticeable improvement in wind and road noise,” says Eric Loeffler, chief engineer of the 2008 Mariner. “We measure noise in sones, but what we’re really trying to go after is the level of speech intelligibility inside the vehicle. We’ve made significant improvements to Mariner that will be very noticeable to customers.”

To achieve lower NVH levels, a new acoustic windshield laminate is sandwiched between two glass panels in the front windshield. In addition to preventing the windshield from breaking apart in a collision, the new laminate material reduces the sound level of wind noise experienced in the vehicle. There’s an acoustic headliner in the vehicle as well, and the interior carpet is thicker than the previous model and does a better job of isolating noise. Overall, carpet volume has increased by 25 percent with a 50 percent increase in thickness over about 50 percent of the area.

There’s a host of other NVH enhancements, too.

• Side glass thickness has increased from 3.8 to 4.7 mm and helps prevent outside noise from entering the passenger cabin.

• On V6-equipped models, engineers moved the alternator from the right to left side of the engine. Because the engine is transversely mounted, the noise is now located farther away from the passenger cabin.

• A new, quieter cooling fan reduces idle noise.

• All-wheel drive models have a new rear differential that is quieter and smoother.

• New windshield molding and low profile wipers help improve airflow around the vehicle and reduce wind noise.

• Redesigned recessed channels on top of Mariner are staggered and shorter to reduce boom as air flows over the top.

• Outside mirrors are larger and careful attention was given to their design to minimize wind noise.

• Additional sound deadening material has been added throughout the vehicle to reduce noise throughout the interior.

Compared with the previous model, the 2008 Mariner is 12 percent quieter on the highway (30.8 sones to 27 sones at 80 mph in the wind tunnel) and 20 percent quieter in high velocity cross winds.

Mariner’s Proven Chassis and Powertrain Reinforce Mariner’s Car-Like Ride

Mariner is tuned for the urban environment to deliver a comfortable and controlled ride. Unibody construction contributes to its light weight, nimble maneuverability, and a low stance makes it easy to get in and out of the vehicle. A responsive architecture – with four-wheel independent suspension – gives Mariner precise steering and handling and the ability of each wheel to react separately to road imperfections.

Mariner comes standard with front-wheel drive. An available Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) system automatically transfers torque from front to rear as required by road conditions without driver intervention. The computer-controlled system operates so seamlessly that its engagement is barely noticeable to most drivers.

The Intelligent 4WD System has a fully computer-controlled clutch that engages the rear wheels as needed. Using sensors at each wheel and the accelerator, the system’s computer can calculate up to 200 times per second exactly how much torque to send to the rear wheels to minimize slip. Intelligent 4WD constantly monitors all four wheels looking for tire slip on wet or snowy pavement and can transfer torque to the rear axle in a moment's notice. The system eliminates a drawback of other four-wheel-drive systems – a binding effect during tight turns and driveline harshness when the system engages. Mariner’s Intelligent 4WD System can sense tight turns and continuously vary the torque to the rear wheels at all speeds, offering the benefits of a "locked" four-wheel-drive system without any of the drawbacks.

The standard engine is a 2.3-liter, 16-valve Duratec 23 four-cylinder that produces 153 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 152 lb.-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. An optional 3.0-liter, 24-valve V6 Duratec 30 engine produces 200 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 193 lb.-ft of torque at 4,850 rpm. Both engines come with a standard four-speed-automatic transaxle.

Mariner Hybrid Proves its Durability and Urban City Prowess

Mariner Hybrid comes with a 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine and a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor. The gasoline engine produces 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 124 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. The electric motor produces 70 kw @ 5,000 rpm and 330V maximum voltage. The net result is 155 horsepower with 0-60 times comparable to a 200 horsepower V6 engine and a boost in city-driving fuel economy of nearly 75 percent. A smooth-shifting, electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is the only available transmission on the hybrid model.

For 2008, Mariner Hybrid engineers made revisions to software in the control system to improve transparency, or the transition between gasoline and electric operation. The transition from all-electric to gasoline power to a combination of the two is now even more seamless and virtually imperceptible to the driver. Also, the four-wheel-disc regenerative brakes have also been retuned to provide better feel. With the 2008 model year, Mariner Hybrid will be available for the first time with a choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Previously, the Mariner Hybrid was offered only as a four-wheel-drive model.

Mariner Hybrid continues to be a “full” hybrid. This means that, unlike other "mild" hybrid vehicles, Mariner Hybrid can run on 100 percent electric power up to about 30 mph, maximizing in-city fuel economy. Mariner Hybrid automatically switches between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power or combined operation of the two to maximize efficiency and performance.

Full hybrids achieve their greatest improvement in fuel economy during stop-and-go driving where the electric motor is most efficient. The Mariner Hybrid provides approximately 75 percent better fuel economy in city driving than the conventional
V6 Mariner.

Safety Canopy™ with "Roll-Fold" Technology Offers Enhanced Rollover and Side-Impact Protection

The 2008 Mariner has, as standard safety equipment, a side-impact protection system consisting of several components: Ford’s Safety Canopy™ side air curtains provide head and neck protection for the first- and second-row passengers, and side impact airbags deploy out of the upper portion of the front seats to protect the upper and lower torso of the driver and passenger. Additionally, there are occupant friendly door trims with softened armrests, side impact foam bolsters and intrusion door beams that distribute the loading during an impact to the hinge and B pillars.

Safety Canopy™ side air curtains deploy in certain side-impact collisions, or if an impending rollover is detected, to help protect front- and second-row outboard occupants. The curtains remain inflated for several seconds after deployment to enhance protection during an extended crash event.

The air curtains feature "roll-fold" technology. If occupants are improperly seated and resting their heads against a window, the Safety Canopy™ is designed to slide between the glass and occupants as it inflates.

Mariner is also one of the first 2008 model year vehicles designed to meet the upgraded, phase II Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for front- and side-impact collisions.

The new FMVSS 208 frontal test measures how well vehicle occupants are protected in a 35 mph crash against a rigid barrier; the previous test was conducted at 30 mph. In designing the vehicle to meet the new standards, engineers on the 2008 Mariner program developed an entirely revised restraint system that consists of new airbags, seat belts, steering column and a new steering wheel.

The government’s new FMVSS 214 test for side-impact collisions received even more changes for 2008.

“The revised 214 test represents a giant overhaul of side-impact government crash tests,” says Matthew Makowski, chief safety engineer for the 2008 Mariner. “The previous side-impact test used a side-impact dummy (SID) that was developed in the 1970s. The new 214 test scraps the old dummy and now uses a EuroSID-II RE dummy that measures loads that are better representative of a human body. There are also two dummies, a 50 th percentile dummy that represents half of the population and a 5 th percentile dummy that represents adults of a smaller stature.”

Designed with the new standard in mind, Mariner has new doors and a standard side-impact protection system; on the previous-generation Mariner, the side-impact protection system was available as an option only. Mariner also enters 2008 retaining the previous model’s double four-star front occupant safety rating from NHTSA.

Additional Mariner safety features include front seat load limiting seatbelts with dual-pretensioning that, in the event of a collision, remove the slack out of the safety belt in two places – at the buckle and at the retractor. This cinches the driver and front passenger in their seats and allows the seatbelts to "payout" through the ride-down of the crash event. Additionally, the driver and front passenger front airbags are new (the driver’s bag is one inch larger), and the energy absorbing knee bolster system of the instrument panel has been redesigned to provide better protection for both driver and front passenger.

Mariner also features standard ABS that helps the driver maintain control during an emergency stop on slippery road conditions.

AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® Enhances Mariner’s Resistance to Rolling Over

Every non-hybrid 2008 Mariner comes standard with Advance Trac ® with RSC ®, a Ford Motor Company-exclusive roll stability control and active safety system not offered by any other manufacturer.

This active stability enhancement system offers a significant difference when compared to typical electronic stability control systems. While typical systems are designed to control yaw or spinout only, Ford Motor Company’s AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® goes one important step further: it can enhance the vehicle’s resistance to rolling over.

Most systems use one gyroscopic yaw-rate sensor as they work to control yaw. AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® uses a second gyroscopic roll-rate sensor to determine the vehicle’s body roll angle and roll rate. If this roll-rate sensor detects a significant roll angle, the system applies additional countermeasures – such as applying brakes to one or more wheels or reducing engine power – to enhance vehicle rollover resistance. AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® is an integrated system of four major components that include:

• Anti-lock Brake System (ABS): ABS regulates brake pressure to help prevent wheel lockup when trying to stop the vehicle.

• Traction Control: When the traction control system detects a loss of adhesion between the wheels and the road surface, a computer quickly responds by reducing engine power when necessary and selectively applying brake force to the slipping wheel while transferring power to the opposite wheel.

• Yaw Control: When understeer (which leads to “pushing” wide in a turn) or oversteer (which leads to the rear-end losing grip and coming around, or “fishtailing”) is detected, the system selectively applies individual brakes and modifies engine power to maximize control.

• Vehicle Roll-motion Sensor: The Ford-exclusive gyroscopic roll-rate sensor helps monitor vehicle roll motion approximately 150 times per second. If it detects a significant roll angle, it automatically engages AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® to help keep all four wheels safely on the ground.

AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ®is automatically engaged every time the vehicle is started. A switch lets drivers turn the traction control system and AdvanceTrac ® off when they may want the wheels to spin freely to help the tires “dig” for traction, such as during low-speed off-road driving or when traveling through deep snow or mud.

Ford is the first automaker to develop AdvanceTrac ® with RSC ® technology and has more than 80 patents and patent applications pending worldwide for the system. Ford Motor Company is making the technology available to other companies and automakers through licensing agreements.