Mercury offering fashion inspired VOGA trim

Mercury may be on its last legs but that doesn’t mean Ford has given up on its pseudo luxury brand. Officials today announced the launch of a new line of trim for Mercury called the ‘VOGA’ series, reaffirming CEO Alan Mulally’s desire to see the brand remain in the Ford fold. The hope for the fashion inspired trim is that it brings new customers who would never go near a Ford dealership. “It’s for people who really do care about style,” explained Ford designer Peter Horbury.

The first model to get the new VOGA trim will be the Mariner SUV, scheduled to hit showrooms early next year. Additions to the car will include unique colors, embroidered leather and several other styling cues designed to differentiate the trim, reports The Detroit News. The odd name VOGA is actually the Italian word for Vogue and not surprisingly Ford is predicting the typical buyers will be women.

Experts still doubt if Mercury has a secure future. It has for years relied on selling rebadged versions of regular Ford models and has seen a steady decline in its sales over the past decade. The only update on the horizon is a restyling of the Mariner but no confirmation for the car has been made.