The official statement is that both brands are safe but supplier sources have revealed to Edmunds that Mercury has no new models or updates in the pipeline beyond the 2012 model year. The last new product for Mercury will be the Milan midsize sedan (pictured), which is due for a midcycle refresh early next year along with the Ford Fusion on which it’s based. The remainder of the fleet will remain unchanged until the brand’s demise.
Speaking with Automotive News, Ford’s president of the Americas said Mercury is still an important brand on Ford’s portfolio and it will still receive investment.
At the same time, however, Fields said Lincoln will become the dominant portion of the Lincoln-Mercury franchise and Lincoln is where a majority of Ford’s focus and future investment is going to be. The new strategy is already showing promising results. The all-new MKS sedan managed to rack up more than 8,000 preorder sales and a bulk of these are top-spec luxury models.
Reader Comments
Tue Jun 10 2008 10:52 AM
JAPenguin says
It's sad to see Mercury go. I am very much in favor of Ford finding some way to save the brand. Surely there must be some niche (just as Lincoln has luxury) that Mercury could fill for Ford. However, let's face it... As long as Ford continues to simply rebadge its models with the only real change being slightly improved interiors, there is no way for Mercury to succeed.
Tue Jun 10 2008 12:12 PM
Roy says
Time for a Mercury Fiesta, Mercury Ka and a Little Utility Vehicle (LUV) for Ford's new youth brand! C'mon Ford, it's about time you realized that you won't have loyal buyers in the future without luring the college kids now. I (used to) see college kids tearing around in customized Ford F-150s, but I don't see them in the Focus, Fusion or Taurus.
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