2008 Mercury Mariner SUV
Monday, July 16th, 2007
Mercury wanted to make sure that everyone stood up and took notice to their 2008 Mariner SUV. Which is why they will show it off in October at the Miami auto show. Well it may not be the vehicle that everyone will be talking about for days, but it still makes you want to check it out and look at all the interior and exterior changes that were made to it.
Wearing all-new sheetmetal, the Mariner now features a much more prominent waterfall grill that apes the single-frame grille treatment found on VW and Audi products. It also has more faceted head- and taillamps with “eyebrow” designs running around the lenses, as well as new wheels, more prominently flared fenders and a higher beltline.
The cladding of the former model has been removed, thankfully, for a cleaner look, though brightwork was added in equal measure. “The 2008 Mariner is the first product to truly deliver 100 percent of the design DNA for Mercury as a brand,” says Kim Irwin, Mercury brand manager.
Inside, changes include a new mix of materials with “satin pewter” trim, chrome, and tone-on-tone plastics. The instrument cluster and center stack designs are all new. Suede inserts are available for the upholstery, and a nav system will be available. The cargo area now features a separate “wet” area under the floor, while the center console storage area has three levels, the lower being large enough to hold something as large os a laptop.
Perhaps most welcome, however, is the new “ice blue” interior lighting and IP illumination, which replaces that nauseating Ford green. In all, the new interior décor and features put the Mariner in a whole separate league compared with the current model.
The carryover powertrains bring it right back. The standard engine remains a 2.3-liter, 16-valve four-cylinder that produces 153 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 152 lb-ft of torque at 4250 rpm. An optional 3.0-liter, 24-valve V-6 produces 200 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 193 lb-ft of torque at 4850 rpm. Both engines come with a standard four-speed-automatic transaxle.
The Mariner Hybrid comes with the 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine detuned to 133 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 124 lb-ft of torque at 4250 rpm paired with a 94-hp electric motor. A Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), licensed from Toyota, is the only available transmission on the hybrid model. The on-road-biased optional all-wheel drive system is also carryover.
Some mechanical changes were made, however: speed-sensitive electric power steering is new, as is low-dust brake lining and additional sound-deadening material. Unfortunately, save the hybrid, the Mariner remains one of the few vehicles on the market to retain a disc/drum setup (the hybrid gets four-wheel discs).
Tags: 2008 mercury, 2008 mariner, mercury mariner, mariner, miami auto show, auto show
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