|
Nonetheless,
while
the original Mariner hybrid wasn't a huge seller, hopes
are higher for the 2008 model, which will offer more
features and a lower price, starting $26,430.
In
addition, Ford is planning to offer some great
incentives on the 2008 Mariner hybrid. For example,
$3,155 cash back, or 0 percent financing for 60 months
and $655 back - dependant upon sales market and region.
Mariner
hybrid nuts and bolts
It took Ford five years
and 100 engineers to successfully integrate a hybrid
powertrain into the conventional Escape to produce the
hybrid Escape - the foundation of the Mariner hybrid.
Combining two electric
motors - one to drive the wheels, the other to turn over
the gas engine - with the standard Mariner 2.3-liter four-cylinder gas engine,
the Mariner hybrid should achieve around 33 mpg in the city
and 29 mpg on the highway, yet perform
as well as the 200-hp 6-cylinder version.
In 2005
and 2006 only a few thousand Mariner hybrids were
available. For 2007, early reports indicate the Mariner hybrid is
not selling as quickly as expected and some incentives
are being offered (more).
Still, I
expect interest in the Mariner hybrid to eventually pick up, as tax
credits for Toyota hybrids will expire much sooner than
tax credits for Ford hybrids. Eventually this will push some
Toyota hybrid buyers towards Ford.
How the Mariner hybrid
does it.
The hybrid Mariner's gasoline
engine has been modified to run on the Atkinson cycle,
unlike the standard Mariner, which like all conventional
automobiles, runs on the Otto cycle.
This cycle runs more
efficiently, using less air and fuel, but also reduces
engine horsepower, and that's where the electric motors
kick in.
One motor drives the
wheels on the Mariner hybrid, the other starts the engine
and manages the transmission's ratio.
These electric motors improve fuel economy in city
driving, allowing the vehicle to be powered by electric
power only, and by capturing energy more efficiently.
Yes, you still have to keep gas in the hybrid Mariner.
Similar to other
hybrids, the Mercury Mariner will utilize a variable
transmission system, which Ford calls Electronically
Controlled Continuously Variable Transmission or eCVT.
This allows the distribution of power between the
gasoline engine and the electric motor to be determined
by driving conditions, allowing the gas engine to shut
off when the electric engine can provide enough power to
run the hybrid SUV - significantly increasing
fuel-efficiency.
|
