Ford announces Mercury Tracer small car based on the new Focus

Ford executives confirmed today the Mercury will get is own new car on the same platform as the 2011 Focus, which was recently unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

According to the same sources, the new car dubbed Mercury Tracer will hit the dealerships in 2011, same year the new Focus arrives. “Here in the United States, the trend toward fuel-efficient vehicles is very important, and the trend toward small cars is coming back,”
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fatandsassy - 2/15/2010 1:58:45 PM

0 Boost

Why?
Have we not seen how this ends up playing with Pontiac and Saturn

carguy68 - 2/15/2010 3:24:05 PM

+1 Boost

Although I do like what ford has been doing lately, I really think this is a bad idea!

WorldofLuxury - 2/15/2010 3:49:06 PM

+1 Boost

I think the only way for this to work if for the Mercury model to have a radically different exterior and interior design. I'd hate to see Ford models intentionally downgraded to provide space for the Mercury models.

freeagent - 2/15/2010 4:13:07 PM

+4 Boost

Why ford is retaining Mercury is beyond me. It does not fit with Ford's globalized strategy and Mercury's brand is very weak in the US's sole market. Seems to me Ford should have retained Volvo, make that it's premium brand and jettison lincoln and mercury.

Whelan - 2/15/2010 4:28:50 PM

+1 Boost

I would imagine if they wanted to keep it separate they would only offer the turbo version for Mercury base models to keep it in the upper end as they try to push Mercury there. I personally don't see Mercury surviving much longer so this bit of news is a little shocker.

thstone - 2/15/2010 5:18:59 PM

+1 Boost

Cool! Where would we be without a crappy Mercury cousin to make fun of?

t_bone - 2/15/2010 6:23:24 PM

+1 Boost

LOL! I had one of these as a commuter...5 speed manual station wagon, if you can believe it. More of a daily breaker than a daily driver. Finally gave it away after my wife fried the clutch (she was still learning) during an epic traffic jam. In some ways I miss having a car that you truly don't give a crap about.

delan - 2/15/2010 9:53:04 PM

+1 Boost

Why isn't Mercury dead? Quick, someone pass me some arsenic.