ExplorerX

2007 Highlights

• Safety Canopy™ side air curtain standard on all models
• All models equipped with standard auxiliary audio input jack
• Heated windshield available across all models

• Available rear-seat DVD system with new, larger eight-inch screen
• New colors include White Chocolate Clearcoat Tri-Coat (Premier only), Alloy Clearcoat Metallic and Dark Cherry Clearcoat Metallic.

Overview

The 2007 Mercury Mountaineer is a study in refinement. Its passenger compartment features attention to detail, comfort and quiet. The upscale design begins in the front row with an attractive instrument panel and ends in the rear with an innovative available power-folding third-row seat that provides an absolutely flat load floor. Mountaineer’s innovation continues in customer-friendly feature enhancements, such as an available DVD-based navigation system and power-deployable side running boards.

For 2007, Ford’s advanced Safety Canopy side air curtains, with rollover protection, are added to Mountaineer’s long list of standard safety features. Other standard features include AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control (RSC), and adaptive driver and front air bags.

Mountaineer features a simplified series lineup for 2007 and is available in two models – Mountaineer and Mountaineer Premier. Both are available with either 4x2 or all-wheel drive. Mountaineer Premier offers a choice of a V-6 or a V-8, while Mountaineer is only available with the V-6.

Mountaineer is built in Louisville, Ky.

Design and Equipment

Mountaineer sports a refined front-end design that accentuates the signature Mercury waterfall grille and imbues it with an air of sophistication. The front fascia and rectangular fog lamps are a subtle evolution of Mercury’s design direction. Directly below the grille, the center section of the bumper features a satin aluminum finish, a design cue for Mercury.

Side mirrors have been tested in a wind tunnel and provide a significant reduction in wind noise, despite being large for improved rearward visibility. The mirrors feature a chamfered lower inside edge, which serves a functional aero purpose and provides a distinctive shape in line with Mountaineer’s sophisticated design.

In the back, there are clear tail lamp lenses, and the rear bumper fascia is finished with a satin aluminum strip integrating the front and rear design. For those seeking even more distinction, 18-inch machined aluminum wheels are available as an option on Mountaineer and standard on Mountaineer Premier.

Available power-deployable running boards bring this convenient luxury feature to the mid-size sport-utility segment – with a twist: When retracted, the running boards are fully integrated into the rocker panels and hidden out of sight for a clean, uncluttered look.

Of Mountaineer’s eight colors, three are new for 2007. The fresh offerings include Dark Cherry Clearcoat Metallic, Alloy Clearcoat Metallic and White Chocolate Clearcoat Tri-coat, which is reserved for Mountaineer Premier.

Expanded to all models for 2007 is an optional heated windshield that dramatically decreases the time needed to defrost or de-ice the windshield.

The seats are available in three different second-row configurations, the most in the mid-size sport-utility segment. Mountaineer comes standard with a 60/40-split fold-flat second-row bench seat. Mountaineer Premier also has a standard 60/40-split second-row bench; which is upgraded with reclining seat backs to allow access to the third row of seats that are standard on Mountaineer Premier. Available in both arrays are second-row bucket seats with a center console, an industry first in a mid-size sport-utility vehicle.

Fold-flat third-row seats are standard on Mountaineer Premier and optional on Mountaineer. Mountaineer Premier’s third row is available with the optional power-folding seat backs, which fold flat literally at the touch of a button.

Mountaineer comes standard with an auxiliary audio input jack for MP3 players, and is available with SIRIUS satellite radio and an improved rear seat DVD entertainment system, which features a larger eight-inch screen for 2007.

Powertrain and Chassis

Premier models are available with a three-valve 4.6-liter V-8 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This advanced V-8 features variable cam timing and creates a robust 292 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque. A 4.0-liter V-6 with a five-speed automatic comes standard in both Mountaineer and Mountaineer Premier.

A six-speed automatic transmission comes standard with the three-valve 4.6-liter V-8. Using technology more commonly found in luxury sport sedans, this six-speed transmission provides smooth, seamless performance that makes the most of the V-8’s powerband while improving fuel efficiency.

V-6-powered Mountaineers feature a 5-speed automatic transmission. Both V-6 and V-8 Mountaineers are available with all-wheel drive.

Safety and Security

A significant amount of engineering work went into designing the 2007 Mountaineer’s industry- and segment-first safety systems, including an array of 10 advanced safety features as standard equipment. The system includes driver and front air bags that further adapt to an occupant’s size and the severity of a crash, as well as adaptive technologies for load-limiting seatbelt retractors and the collapsible steering column.

A five-level front passenger occupant classification sensor, enhanced restraint control module and a driver-seat track position sensor help provide the information used to adapt the safety systems. Front side-impact air bags are standard and the Safety Canopy System covering first and second row outboard seats in now standard on all 2007 Mountaineer models

Also standard is Ford’s exclusive AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control (RSC), which is unlike any stability control system made by any other automaker. It uses state-of-the-art gyroscope technology to sense a roll condition and then deploys countermeasures through braking and engine controls to attempt to bring the vehicle back under control. No other automaker uses this gyroscope technology in its system. Instead, they rely on a basic stability control system that helps prevent a slide, infers the possibility of a roll, but cannot actually sense a roll.

Major Features and Options

Mountaineer : 4.0L V-6 with a 5-speed automatic; 17-inch aluminum wheels with P245/65R17 all-season tires; power door locks; message center with four-line display; auto-dimming rear-view mirrors; remote keyless entry; fog lamps; headlamps with auto lamp; dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control; premium AM/FM stereo with single CD player and MP3 capability; auxiliary audio input jack; first-row leather-trimmed sport bucket seats with 10-way power reclining driver seat with power lumbar support; color-keyed and leather-wrapped steering wheel with speed and redundant audio and climate controls; AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control (RSC); Intelligent Safety System™; Safety Canopy™ side curtain airbags for the first- and second-row passengers plus rollover protection sensors and side-impact front air bags.

Mountaineer Premier adds: Reverse Sensing System™; universal garage door opener; satin aluminum round exhaust tip; dual power heated outside mirrors with security and approach lamps; satin aluminum roof side rails; 18-inch satin aluminum chrome clad wheels with P235/65R18 all-season tires; Audiophile stereo system with in-dash, six-disc CD changer with MP3 capability and an eight-inch subwoofer; color-keyed running boards; first-row heated and leather-trimmed sport bucket seats with Preferred Suede inserts; six-way power passenger seat; second-row reclining seatbacks and access to third-row; third-row power fold flat 50/50 split bench seat.

• Options include: power running boards; SIRIUS satellite radio; power adjustable pedals with memory; power moonroof; navigation system; rear-seat DVD entertainment system; quad bucket seating; heated front seats; auxiliary climate control; comfort and convenience package (includes Audiophile 6-disc CD system; color keyed running boards and third-row 50/50 split bench seat); Reverse Sensing System and trailer tow package.

Milestones

"The Mercury brand plays to the sensible individuality of its customers by offering design, features and service that stands out from the crowd." – Darryl Hazel, President, Lincoln Mercury

TAILORED SAFETY: Mountaineer anticipated to be among the best in occupant safety

When a collision is imminent, Mountaineer and its host of safety systems work together to offer a protection plan tailored for its occupants. The Personal Safety System™ goes beyond deploying an airbag to make sure the safety belt holds snugly.

"Mountaineer's safety system tailors its response to a crash to several factors," explains Jeffery Laya, crash safety supervisor for Mountaineer. "The crash sensing computer analyzes critical information in a millisecond.

"Are the driver and front passenger belted, or are they unbuckled? What is the size of the front passenger? What direction is the origin of the impact? Is there an impending rollover as a result of the crash?"

The crash-sensing computer uses this information to determine how the air bag will deploy. The passenger side air bag uses an activated "tether," which consists of a fabric strap that's inside of the air bag. The front passenger sensing system identifies the passenger's size and if the passenger is of small stature, the tether will hold the air bag back from the full distance of deployment. If the passenger is larger, the tether is released, allowing the bag to deploy further. Additionally, a vent door (also known as a can vent) opens to lets gas release incrementally. This type of vent timing allows variability based on occupant size, offering the best restraint solution.

For the driver, a safety belt retractor allows two levels of load resistance. For drivers of smaller stature, lower resistance limits are set on the belt; the larger the driver the higher allowable load level occurs. The advantage of this is better safety belt protection for all sizes.

Mountaineer features advanced air bags with tethers and vent doors to help tailor air bag deployment to the size and position of the driver and front-passenger.

"Even how the air bags are folded during installation is carefully thought out," Jeffrey says. "They feature a unique folding pattern that greatly affects how they deploy. This allows them to be most effective for those who buckle up, and while no one should ride unbelted, there is a level of protection for those who don't."

NAVIGATION SYSTEM: Lincoln-Mercury's DVD-based system available on Mountaineer for the first time

For the first time ever, customers can order an optional navigation system on their new Mountaineer. The 2006 model features Lincoln Mercury's new DVD-based navigation system. With the system, maps are stored on a single disk.

The touch-screen display is larger (6.5 inches), sharper and nearly twice as bright as many competitive in-car displays, with less glare. It warms up faster in cold conditions, and it won't produce the ghost images of other LCD-based displays when the thermometer drops. Information doesn't disappear under the scrutiny of sunshine, and that eliminates the problem most often cited by navigation-system users.

The DVD drive and the fast processor work together to compute complex routes in seconds and in nine different ways, from the shortest route or the shortest drive time. Its text-to-speech technology means customers get turn-by-turn travel directions by friendly actors – of their choice – in North American English, French Canadian and North American Spanish.

The new navigation system minimizes driver distraction by using intuitive cues based on familiar icons and simplified directions.

TRANSFORMATION: New showroom for new Mercury customers

"We have announced an ambitious goal of increasing Lincoln Mercury sales from 300,000 to 500,000 annually by the end of the decade," says Darryl Hazel, president, Lincoln Mercury. "For Mercury, we are attracting new customers with a focused brand identity and design theme, an unprecedented breadth of products, and placing a new focus on retail sales and marketing initiatives."

As sales climb, Mercury is continuing to draw business away from its competition. The new Mariner compact SUV is generating 45 percent of its business from "conquest" customers new to the Ford and Lincoln Mercury family. The new Montego sedan is off to a good start. It's in short supply without offering rebates and it's being cross-shopped by customers typically considering import sedans and crossovers.

The changing face of Mercury is drawing new, increasingly younger customers. Customers for the 2006 Mountaineer, for example, are expected to be concentrated between the ages of 30 and 40.

Moreover, they dismiss the "old school" idea that a mid-size SUV is primarily an off-road vehicle. After all, less than one in every 50 SUV owners actually do take their sport-utility off road on a regular basis. Mountaineer buyers have no desire to posture as outdoorsmen. In fact, it is fairly likely they are not men at all. Fully 60 percent of customers for the 2006 Mountaineer are expected to be women.

Mountaineer offers both sophisticated style and the capabilities of a full-fledged SUV.

They will also be, more often than not, professionals with an income of $75,000 and above.

This buyer values the capabilities of an SUV, but perhaps appreciates even more the luxury and performance of premium sedans. What is important to them is what a vehicle can actually accomplish, not what a vehicle appears to be capable of.

"Our showroom today is designed for the Mercury customer who, first and foremost, wants something that stands apart from the crowd," says Hazel. "They don't want to drive something they will also see in the neighbor's driveway, but they also don't want a car that's brash or showy. In addition, they want upscale and premium features, but without the luxury price tag."

DEFINING MERCURY DESIGN

Mercury's current design-led identity was first established with the 2002 Mountaineer.

"The 2002 Mountaineer began a design renaissance at Mercury and helped define the new premise of Mercury," says Hazel "Today, Mercury caters to a customer seeking a solid value, but who doesn't want to be lost in the mainstream. Our buyers want to stand apart and be recognized and appreciated as individuals."

That brand identity is communicated by a number of design details first seen on the Mountaineer that have now become Mercury hallmarks, including the sophisticated and modern theme; the waterfall grille and horizontal accents over the taillamps; the attention to detail and investment in craftsmanship throughout the interior; and the use of subdued satin-aluminum interior and exterior trim to create a cohesive design.