The Mercury Mariner is a compact crossover SUV that was introduced in 2005. It is a sibling of the Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape, although it is more upmarket than the other two. Mechanically, it is identical to the Ford Escape (with the exception of not having a manual transmission). It also includes stylistic differences, such as a two-tone interior, European-style turn signal repeaters, monotone cladding, and the signature Mercury "waterfall" front grille. The Mariner is Mercury's first car-based SUV, and is slotted below the Mountaineer in the lineup. It was also the first Mercury with a four-cylinder since the Mercury Cougar was dropped in 2002. When Ford eliminated the Mercury brand, the Mariner ended production in October 2010.
Like the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Mariner Hybrid is a "full" hybrid electric system, meaning the system can switch automatically between pure electric power, pure gasoline engine power, or a combination of electric battery and gasoline engine operating together, for maximum performance and efficiency at all speeds and loads. When braking or decelerating, the Mariner's hybrid system uses regenerative braking, where the electric drive motor becomes a generator, converting the vehicle's momentum back to electricity for storage in the batteries. With 155 hp (116 kW), the Mariner Hybrid has nearly the same acceleration performance as the conventional 200 hp (150 kW) V6 Mariner. Again, just like the Escape Hybrid, it gets a respectable average of 34 miles per US gallon (6.9 L/100 km; 41 mpg-imp) and is sometimes said to be the most fuel efficient sport utility vehicle on the road.
On September 7, 2006 Ford delivered a special "Presidential Edition" Mercury Mariner Hybrid to former President Bill Clinton. Its custom features include:
For the 2008 model year the Mariner was significantly updated with a new look although it remained on the Ford CD2 platform used by the previous generation.
Mariner and its Ford Escape sibling were the first vehicles to feature Ford's pull-drift steering compensation, an enhancement made possible by applying software control to the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.
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