Ford ’s Mercury division has been clinging to life for the last several years, but Ford CEO Alan Mulally says the ‘tweener brand is safe – for now. Mulally most recently showed his support for the Mercury brand at the Washington D.C. Auto Show.
Although Mulally didn’t commit to full-on support for the Mercury division, he did indicate the brand was part of Ford’s future plans. “The plan right now is (to develop) Ford, Lincoln and Mercury,” Mulally told Edmunds.
It remains to be seen how exactly Ford plans to develop the Mercury brand, but it will likely focus on premium small cars not offered by the up-scale Lincoln brand. Ford American President Mark Fields recently revealed a Mercury badged version of the all new Ford Focus is on tap for the 2012 model year, with similar models likely to follow.
The Ford Escape is expected to be replaced with Ford’s Euro-market Kuga in the coming years, with Mercury’s version of the Escape – the Mariner – expected to receive the same Kuga roots. The Mercury-based Kuga model would naturally fill the void below the Lincoln MKX .
The Milan sedan will carry on for the foreseeable future but Mercury’s most venerable vehicle – the Grand Marquis – will likely ride off into the sunset by the end of 2011.
