2007 Highlights

- Monterey boasts the government's highest safety rating for frontal crashes three years in a row (2004-2006)

- Class-exclusive available heated and cooled front seats and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system

- Standard luxury items include power sliding doors; power adjustable pedals; six-disc, in-dash premium audio system; and forward and reverse sensing

- Six new exterior colors for 2007

Overview

The 2007 Mercury Monterey continues to offer class-leading safety technologies, contemporary styling, family-friendly amenities, exceptional comfort and innovative cargo management solutions in a long-wheelbase luxury minivan.

Monterey offers amenities normally found only on luxury vehicles, such as a standard front- and rear-parking assist feature, and available heated and cooled front seats and a three-zone climate control system.

Monterey comes with a standard 4.2-liter, V-6 engine with more torque than any other vehicle in the minivan segment. It is paired with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission.

Monterey is built in Oakville, Ontario.

Design and Equipment

Monterey comes in the well-equipped Luxury trim, with wood-grain and chrome-finished accents, including a standard wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Leather seating surfaces with Preferred Suede™ inserts and heated and cooled front seats are optional, with the use of superior materials and textures to create an ambiance of high quality.

The interior includes a fold-into-the-floor, third-row seat; one-hand-folding second row; and versatile out-of-sight storage. Added flexibility is delivered via a third-row seat that can be tipped rearward for tailgating and picnics.

Monterey is loaded with innovative features such as forward and reverse sensing, optional power liftgate, premium audio and DVD entertainment choices, tri-zone temperature control, and power-adjustable pedals with memory.

The upscale ambiance is continued on the exterior, where the Monterey features the signature Mercury waterfall grille, body-color moldings and satin-aluminum accents. Upscale 17-inch, nine-spoke, bright machined-aluminum wheels are available.

Monterey offers six new exterior color choices for 2007: Windveil Blue Clearcoat Metallic, Alloy Clearcoat Metallic, Silver Frost Clearcoat Metallic, Dune Pearl Clearcoat Metallic, Pewter Clearcoat Metallic and Light Tundra.

Powertrain and Chassis

Monterey has a standard 4.2-liter, V-6 engine for impressive acceleration, hill climbing and towing. This powertrain features triple hydro-mounts for quietness, and the latest generation of fast transmission hydraulics for quicker and smoother shifting. The powertrain delivers 201 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, and tows up to 3,500 pounds when properly equipped.

Making Monterey's cabin very quiet was a top engineering priority. Special attention was paid to the body and door sealing, sound insulation and powertrain mounting technology. Notable sound insulation treatments include thick front side windows, a noise-absorbing dash panel and a sound-blocking technology called Conformable Constrained Layer Damping.

Safety and Security

Monterey earned the highest mark — five stars — in frontal crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and was awarded a 'Good' rating by the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for frontal offset-crash performance.

In addition to the segment-exclusive, three-row Safety Canopy system, Monterey offers a comprehensive safety package with more than 40 standard and optional safety features, including a front passenger air bag with right front passenger sensing system, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, a reinforced structure designed for offset frontal impacts, AdvanceTrac® stability control system with traction control and panic brake assist, three-point safety belts at all seating positions, plus a tire pressure monitoring system and self-sealing tires.

Major Features and Options

Standard content includes: 4.2-liter, V-6 engine; four-speed automatic transmission; anti-lock brakes; tilt wood and leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and speed controls; dual-zone climate control with rear controls; front console cup holders and storage; folding third-row cloth bench; forward and reverse sensing; power-adjustable pedals; driver and passenger heated, memory mirrors; anti-theft system; front-row, seat-mounted side air bags and Ford's Safety Canopy air curtain system; first-row floor console storage; third-row reading lamps; 16-inch wheels; roof rails; and power sliding doors.

Options include: DVD rear entertainment system; self-sealing tires; AdvanceTrac; 17-inch wheels; class-exclusive heated and cooled seats; leather seating surfaces; towing package; rear cargo management system and power liftgate.

by Mercury

An automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company, Mercury was founded in 1939 with the purpose to market entry-level-luxury vehicles that were slotted in between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles. All Mercury models are today based on Ford platforms. The Mercury name is derived from 'messenger of the gods' of Roman mythology. In the beginning years, Mercury was known for its performance.

The 1950 full-size near-luxury car Mercury Monterey represented a choice that the Ford Motor Company had to make. At the time General Motors and the Chrysler Corporation were producing a plethora of 'hardtop convertibles' and Ford realized that it couldn't convert its year-old bodies into hardtop models at a reasonable cost. Determined not to stand idly by as GM and Chrysler attempted to dominate the car market with its attractive new pillarless coupes.

Ford decided that the only solution was to customize existing two-door bodies into a new line of specialty models. These included the Ford Crestliner, Lincoln Capri and Lido, and the Mercury Monterey.

All of these vehicles were developed from the same formula with grained top coverings that were harmonized with a very limited number of pain colors. Color-coordinated interiors also matched the external theme, while special trim and badging were used both inside and out.

Responsible for the Mercury Monterey's special touches, William Schmidt took over the design work. A choice of either canvas or vinyl roof coverings were offered on the all-new custom coupe, along with either fabric-and-leather or all-leather seats. A deluxe steering wheel was showcased, and bright trim edged the windows on the inside.

The base price of a 1950 Mercury Monterey was $2,146. Mercury's flagship sedan from 1950 through 1974, the classic 'Monterey' was considered to be '4,000 lbs. of Pure Decadence.' Still coveted even today, the sleek lines of those earlier models make the Monterey a popular collectible classic.

Featuring the same chassis and running gear used on all other Mercurys, the Monterey featured a 118-inch wheelbase that ran between coil-and-wishbone suspension up front and leaf springs under a live axle in the rear. Achieving 110 bhp, the Monterey received its power from an L-head V-8 that displaced 255.4 cubic inches.

In early 1951, Ford decided to replace the Crestliner with the first hardtop, regardless of the cost. In 1952 Mercury and Lincoln came out with all-new bodies that were designed to include hardtops.

The Monterey name continued on, but on a premium series of Mercury's in three body styles. The Monterey later shared the same body style with the slightly more upscale Marquis, the Montclair, and the Park Lane. After the 1968 model year, the Montclair and Park were eliminated from the lineup. The Marquis-Monterey body eventually shared the same body as the Ford Galaxie, the Ford Custom, and the Ford LTD.

From 1961 through 1963, the Mercury Monterey was sold in Canada as the Mercury Meteor. Available in three trim lines, the Meteor was sold as the LeMoyne, the Montcalm, and Rideau. After the United States, Monterey was retired, Canadian Meteors were still marketed from 1964 until 1976. They were re-badged Marquis models following the deletion of the U.S. model Monterey in 1974.

The Monterey nameplate was resurrected in 2004 for a minivan, though it was essentially a re-badged Ford Freestar with more features and newly modified cosmetic features. The Monterey comes with a high level of equipment and several styling cues from Mercury. These minivans were made to fill the gap in Mercury's vehicle lineup following the discontinuation of the Mercury Villager. Offered in only one trim level, for 2006 Mercury Monterey was offered in the fully-loaded Luxury edition.

The Luxury edition was featured in front-wheel drive and is powered by a 4.2-liter V6 engine that was matched with a four-speed automatic transmission and anti-lock braking system. The inside of the Monterey featured amazing standard features such as cloth upholstery, dual-zone air conditioning, first and second-row captain's chairs, power sliding doors, tilting steering wheel, and much more.

The all-new Monterey also came with a great safety warranty. Standard occupant-sensing front passenger airbag, heated power-adjustable side mirrors that featured built-in warning/turn signals, perimeter anti-theft system, and Safety Canopy curtain and side-impact airbags. Optional features were Traction Control and Advancetrac electronic stability control.

by Jessican Donaldson