Mercury will be getting a new small car, the company hinted to dealers, based on the same platform as the 2012 Focus, shown here.
Mercury dealers, long left feeling like part of the automotive lonely-hearts club, apparently got an unexpected valentine from Ford officials, over the weekend. After leaving the brand struggling with an aging line-up, Mercury is apparently set to get a new small car offering based on the same platform as the next-generation Ford Focus.
A preview of the downsized Mercury is likely for upcoming New York Auto Show, senior officials, including Ford’s President of the Americas, Mark Fields, revealed during a meeting with dealers at the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention, in Orlando.
The new Mercury will be a part of the so-called “One Ford” strategy launched by Ford CEO Alan Mulally, shortly after joining the company three years ago. A total of 10 different products are expected to come off the Global C-Car platform, including the replacement for the current Ford Focus, due to debut in the U.S. market as a 2012 model. A new Mercury version would likely come at about the same time, according to sources.
“The trend towards more fuel-efficient vehicles is very important, the trend toward (smaller) cars in general is coming back. We are responding to that,” Fields told reporters after Ford’s annual “make” meeting with dealers at the NADA convention.
Among other products Ford has confirmed for the C-Car platform is a downsized “people mover,” an American version of Europe’s popular C-Max.
Getting just about any product into the showroom would be a welcome relief for Mercury dealers. The brand has been steadily fading to an afterthought, over the last decade; indeed, former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser seemed committed to killing off Mercury entirely, while shifting focus to the more up-market Lincoln brand with which it shares showrooms.
But the company’s current management team has insisted that Mercury isn’t going away. And now, it appears they’re coming up with at least some new product to back up that pledge.
The question is whether still more new models are working their way through the company’s product development system. With the big Grand Marquis set to go away, that would still leave Mercury with just five products to cover the lower and middle market with, a definite handicap compared to key competitors.
Hi Paul,
Been a Mercury fan ever since a friend rolled up in my driveway with a brand new ’69 Cougar. Loved the “Sign of the Cat” commercials. Owned an ’04 Maurader.
While this new car for Mercury is a good sign, it would be much better if it were unique to the brand. Sounds like it’s going to be just a re-badged Focus. Mercury needs a new Cougar or SOMETHING unique. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Hi, Dave,
I certainly understand your concerns but am cautiously optimistic as, these days, there’s a huge amount of platform sharing going on. The Japanese have done it for years and even the German luxury makers are doing more of it.
If you look at Ford’s European line-up, there’s a vast differentiation between models off the same platform, such as Focus and C-Max. The chances of developing unique platforms for Mercury are non-existent. The key will be to make sure that the new Merc is not the re-badged Focus you fear but something truly distinctive. It’s possible and Ford is moving in that direction. We’ll have to hope, wait and see.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Publisher, TheDetroitBureau.com