What's The Best Place For Your Teen To Learn How...

Mercury’s Future Is Smaller Cars And Crossovers

 
8 2,243 views Jan 27, 2010
Follow Viknesh

Grille - 2010 Mercury Milan 4-door Sedan Premier FWD

Grille - 2010 Mercury Milan 4-door Sedan Premier FWD

Enlarge Photo

As we have been reporting for the past couple of years, the future of Mercury is in limbo. An aging fleet, poor sales and lack of image is causing the brand to slowly wither away. However, Ford CEO Alan Mulally seems defiant the brand will survive, but fails to mention how it will manage to do so in any detail.

Ford's juggling of its premium brands, Mercury and Lincoln, has seen the Blue Oval attempting to figure out where to place them in the market. One possibility that has been hinted on several times in the past is to position Lincoln more upmarket, while Mercury focuses on smaller mid-sized cars and crossovers.

This strategy was reiterated by Mulally during his most recent interview with Inside Line.

"The plan right now is (to develop) Ford, Lincoln and Mercury," Mulally said, adding that Mercury will focus on smaller vehicles that occupy the void between Ford and Lincoln brands.

One of the first new Mercury vehicles is expected to be a compact crossover based on the next-generation European Ford Kuga, which will be manufactured in Ford’s Louisville plant in Kentucky. Beyond that, there’s a chance Mercury will get its own version of the new 2011 Ford Focus.

[Inside Line]





Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (8)

  1. fb_1507176410 avatar Marco Svelte Posted: 1/28/2010 12:37am PST

    To Ford: Why?!
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. By king seesar Posted: 1/28/2010 5:56am PST

    I wonder if they could make Mercury the entry level luxury brand & let Lincoln be the upper level luxury brands ... that would @ least differentiate the 3 brands.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. By adamk Posted: 1/28/2010 7:13am PST

    It's no secret that Ford have struggled with Mercury for quite some time. Selling Ford Escapes, Fusions, Explorers and other cars with "waterfall" grilles tacked on and a bit more bling elsewhere, while aiming for women instead of men, does not constitute a brand. Stopping the brand overlap, especially with Lincoln in the same showroom is essential. But what unique products can Mercury have if Ford will sell the new Fiesta and Focus, plus perhaps some of its derivatives, in Ford dealerships? And if Ford cars go from the Fiesta to the Taurus, while Lincoln starts with the midsize MKZ, where is the so-called "void" between the two brands that Mulally references above?
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. By bepsf Posted: 1/28/2010 9:44am PST

    Mercury was always at it's most successful when the cars were designed as Junior Lincolns and the taglines were "Designed in the Lincoln Continental Tradition" and "If Lincoln Continental built a Station Wagon, this would be it" (referring to Colony Park)
    As a Ford with a waterfall grille - Mercury has failed miserably.
    IMO the current lineup of MKZ, MKX and MKS would make superb Mercurys - and Lincoln should move farther upmarket to compete w/ Mercedes and Lexus.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. By NoNameDenton Posted: 1/28/2010 3:11pm PST

    Bring the Ford Ka as a Mercury, keep the coupe Focus in the next version, make it a Mercury.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. By  buy r4 Posted: 1/28/2010 6:50pm PST

    Mercury should be where Lincoln is so that Lincoln can adapt RWD and finally compete with the European's and Cadillac! This seems to be the wrong move, though I'm not Alan, I do know that consumers will come to understand that Mercury is nothing more than a more expensive Ford and Lincoln is not up to snuff to its European rivals.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  7. By  Scherp Posted: 1/28/2010 8:18pm PST

    I think Mulally is waiting to rid themselves of Volvo so that they can esentially slide Mercury right into that slot. Mercury will become the Safety brand as Volvo no doubt will be destroyed by Chinese companies. It will serve as a semi-premium brand to compete with all things Mini, Volkswagen, Buick, and VOLVO! My theory anyways...
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  8. fb_100000275684479 avatar Michael Escobar Posted: 1/29/2010 8:32pm PST

    I fail to see a point in prolonging Mercury's death. The brand seems utterly irrelevant, and has been since the '70s. Kind of like when Chrysler had Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Desoto, and Imperial divisions; too much brand overlap.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Connect with Facebook

Motor Authority. Now with your friends.

Discover stories your friends read.
Share stories more easily.
You control what you share.
Learn more

Research New Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.