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Ford Mercury Mariner Hybrid to be ordered onlineThe order bank is set to open for America's newest hybrid, the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid, which goes on sale Monday and will be ordered almost exclusively online.Although some orders will still be taken directly at certified dealerships, the majority of the 2,000 initial production Mercury Mariner Hybrid models will be ordered online in a first-come/first-served real-time basis. And in a first for Ford Motor Company, those orders will determine which dealers receive the vehicles. "We are taking a very non-traditional approach to marketing the Mercury Mariner Hybrid because our target customers are far from traditional," said John Fitzpatrick, general marketing manager for Lincoln Mercury. "The Mariner Hybrid's target customers are looking for advanced technology that is capable of bettering both their lives and the environment. Moreover, they are tech-savvy. Our research indicates that more than 80 percent of Mercury shoppers begin online." Initial advertising for the Mercury Mariner Hybrid also will be handled almost exclusively online, with web banner links placed on Internet search engines Yahoo and Google. In addition, references to the Mariner Hybrid will be strategically placed on the Web sites of key environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and National Geographic. Pricing for the 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid will start at a manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,840. "We want the entire process to be consumer driven," said Linda Perry-Lube, Lincoln Mercury e-Business manager. "Typically, a Personal Sales Consultant only steps in if a customer so chooses while they are requesting a quote or building a vehicle online. Since there is such a limited supply of Mariner Hybrids available at launch and there are often many questions associated with the technology, we thought that this is the perfect opportunity to link every customer with a Personal Sales Consultant to ensure that this is a unique and satisfying experience." Sharing the same advanced technology that earned the Escape Hybrid the 2005 North American Truck of the Year Award, the Mariner Hybrid will utilize a 2.3-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine and two AC electric motors that provide both motor and generator functions. It also will utilize 250 D-size nickel-metal hydride batteries in a compact, rear-mounted package. Configured as a full hybrid, the powertrain is able to propel the Mariner to 25 miles per hour solely with clean electric power. Overall fuel economy ratings for the Mariner Hybrid are 33 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 29 mpg on the highway in the four-wheel drive configuration. At Varsity Lincoln Mercury in Novi, Mich., customers have already inquired about the upcoming launch. "We have already seen a significant interest," said Dean Silver, general sales manager at Varsity Lincoln Mercury. "I believe the price of oil is here to stay. That, combined with environmental concerns among customers and the general marketing and media hype around hybrids, this is a very important vehicle to us." The Mariner Hybrid will be built starting in October at the Kansas City Assembly Plant (KCAP) in Claycomo, Mo., alongside the Ford Escape Hybrid. The Mariner Hybrid is one of four additional new hybrid vehicles that Ford Motor Company will introduce over the next three years, including the Mazda Tribute Hybrid, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Mercury Milan Hybrid. Launched last year, the base Mariner compact sport utility vehicle has helped spur a 12 percent sales increase for the Mercury brand (thru May) overall. "Forty-seven percent of the customers that are driving away in a Mariner have never owned a Lincoln Mercury product before," said Gabby Senatore, Mariner marketing manager. "We've never had a product in the showroom that's been able to do that. We've pulled in younger customers, on average about 14 years younger than our traditional Mercury buyer of the past, and our take rate on females is at about 48 percent." + Post comment/question/reply
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