It's been a while since something jumped out at me while on the open road. I wouldn't have noticed this guy amongst the SUV-packed freeway until he made a couple of quick lane changes. Then I noticed he was driving a Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
Although I find it a total contradiction to the idea behind driving a hybrid, I found his increase in speed not too shabby.
Initially, the Mariner Hybrid was planned as a 2007 model but was pulled a year early due to customer demand in 2006. The powertrain features a gasoline engine and an electric motor to achieve nearly 50 percent higher driving efficiency and lower emissions with no loss of functionality or performance. The 2.3-liter DOHC Duratec four-cylinder engine had an estimated 33 miles per gallon (mpg) city, 29 mpg highway in 2006
As per Ford Motor Co:
Mariner Hybrid earned the Green Car Journal Green Car of the Year award for 2006, the journal's first such award.
For the 2007 model year, two new exterior colors are available - Tungsten Grey Clearcoat Metallic and Light Sage Clearcoat Metallic - along with two feature packages that
For 2008, Mariner Hybrid achieves up to 34 mpg in city driving - an improvement of nearly 14 percent compared to the 2007 model. The exterior features a new look includes significant design changes to the front/rear fascias, liftgate, headlamps and taillamps, a raised beltline, new hood, and B-pillar blackout molding. There's also a unique satin signature waterfall grille.
Mariner Hybrid comes with a 2.3-liter DOHC 16-valve Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine and a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor. The gasoline engine produces 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 124 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm. The electric motor produces 70 kw at 5,000 rpm and 330V maximum voltage. The net result is 155 horsepower with 0-60 times comparable to a 200 horsepower V-6 engine and a boost in city driving fuel economy of nearly 75 percent. A smooth-shifting, electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is the only available transmission on the hybrid model.
Mariner Hybrid is tuned for the urban environment to deliver a comfortable and controlled ride. Unibody construction contributes to its lightweight, nimble maneuverability, and a low stance makes it easy to get in and out of the vehicle. Responsive architecture - with four-wheel independent suspension ? delivers precise steering and handling and allows each wheel to react separately to road imperfections.
With the 2008 model year, Mariner Hybrid will be available for the first time with a choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. The available Intelligent Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) system automatically transfers torque from front to rear as required by road conditions without driver intervention. The computer-controlled system operates so seamlessly that its engagement is barely noticeable to most drivers.
Via: Ford Motor Co.