SUV Mercury Mountaineer ("mountaineer") is an analogue of Ford Explorer. The debut of the model took place in 1997, when Explorer himself subjected upgrades. The car has a steel body with an integrated frame and is built on the Ford U platform.
It differs from the Ford company SUV only in front chrome lining and body colors. Basic options as the main driving force offered a 4.0-liter V6 engine with a capacity of 213 hp. and a 5.0-liter V8 rated at 218 horsepower.
The model was equipped with both 4-speed and 5-speed automatic transmissions. Three chassis options were provided: 4x4, 4x4 with a disconnectable front axle and no center differential, and (on request) with a permanently on all wheel drive (AWD) with a V8 engine. In 2001, sales started the second generation Mountaineer. With the release of the updated version, the sales of this SUV increased by 78%. It has traditionally been largely repeated Ford Explorer, but the company Mercury had already decided to separate these two models as far as possible. Externally, the Mountaineer is different from the Explorer exterior in the avant-garde techno style.
The interior space is more spacious than its predecessor, the interior was still made in the style of sports techno. The instrument panel is made by seamless technology, conveniently assembled and now trimmed with dark gray plastic. In the Premier version of the console, the upper part of the door panels and the steering wheel spokes are trimmed instead of wood with polished aluminum, used to decorate the light scales of the instruments.
The basic version of the Convenience is equipped with a leather-trimmed steering wheel, adjustable tilt and length steering wheel, a third seat, full electric accessories with heated front seats, and since 2004 also a radio with a CD player and pedals adjustable in height. Versions Premier and Luxury in the 2004 model year received an automatic folding system of the third row of seats (they are removed under the floor). Their basic equipment also includes a tire pressure monitoring system and a 6-disc changer with “charging” the discs through one hole.
By order, they installed upper inflatable curtains, separate climate control, automatic climate control with zonal air distribution, parking sensors, Sirius satellite digital radio systems and a DVD gaming system. The back of the middle row can be folded into three sections with a width of 40:20:40, and the average is specially designed for the child seat. For the convenience of users, the bottom edge of the liftgate of the rear door is aligned with the height of a standard supermarket trolley. automatic climate control with zonal air distribution, parking sensors, satellite digital radio system Sirius and game DVD-system.
The back of the middle row can be folded into three sections with a width of 40:20:40, and the average is specially designed for the child seat. For the convenience of users, the bottom edge of the liftgate of the rear door is aligned with the height of a standard supermarket trolley. automatic climate control with zonal air distribution, parking sensors, satellite digital radio system Sirius and game DVD-system. The back of the middle row can be folded into three sections with a width of 40:20:40, and the average is specially designed for the child seat.
For the convenience of users, the bottom edge of the liftgate of the rear door is aligned with the height of a standard supermarket trolley. Mountaineer has a AWD AdvanceTrac permanent all-wheel drive system that distributes torque in a ratio of 35:65 between the front and rear wheels in normal driving conditions, and in the case of a slip, sends it to the point where the best contact is maintained. Thus, the increased maneuverability and ability to move in difficult road and weather conditions is provided.
The AdvanceTrac course stabilization system with wheel control sensors, combined with ABS and allowing you to control each drive wheel separately, is now offered for the basic rear-wheel drive version 2WD. This has dramatically improved the performance and handling of an SUV. The rest of the design of the Mountaineer body integrated with the spar frame, with the rear axles “threaded” through the frame with the rear axle axles and the boot floor lowered by 175 mm, is identical to Explorer.
Ford’s independent rear suspension, dubbed the IRS, contributes to creating a more dynamic Mountaineer image. At the same time, it is possible to move off-road thanks to not only all-wheel drive, high ground clearance (220 mm) and powerful suspension, but also engines - a modernized 4-liter SOHC V6 with 210 hp capacity. and a new 4.6-liter all-aluminum V8 that develops 240 hp. and has an increased resource. The gearbox is only a 5-speed automatic with overdrive. The 2006 model year upgraded Mountaineer SUVs were first introduced at the February 2005 Chicago Auto Show, and sales started in September 2005.
Externally, the third generation can be easily distinguished by a new bumper with a chrome strip and rectangular fog lights. The car received a completely new two-color interior (in the same style as Explorer 2006). The number of seats is from five to seven. There was a new steering wheel, instrument cluster and center console, trimmed with aluminum panels.
The standard equipment included a new passive safety system PSS and integrated into the power structure of the body, roof bars, an independent suspension, frame design and steering were modernized, which made it possible to improve controllability. By order of the third-generation Mountaineer, Safety Canopy (side airbag system), automatic climate control with zonal air distribution, parking sensors, Sirius satellite radio and a rear-seat gaming DVD system are installed, and AdvanceTrak active safety systems (traction control with road surface) and Roll Stability Control (course stability) are standard equipment.
The basic engine remained the same - it is a 4.0 liter V6 12V (213 hp, 339 Nm), equipped with a 5-step “automatic”, but the V8 is new, with three valves per cylinder and a VCT system (4.6 l, 292 hp, 407 Nm), together with the new 6-speed “automatic”. Standard equipment includes air conditioning, 17-inch chrome-plated alloy wheels, full power, premium audio, brakes with ABS, ESP, Traction Control and more. The Mercury Mountaineer 2006 received a very high rating in the last series of crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The safety of both the driver and the passengers in a side and frontal collision test was rated to a maximum of five stars. This means that with a real strike, the risk of passengers getting injured is minimal. Versions of the V6 are assembled in Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky, USA), and the V8 in St.
