Mercury Cougar/Messenger on new Stang Platform?

[Jaxxnate25]

Not sure if this is in the right spot...

But has anyone heard any new information on the Mercury Messenger concept that was first shown in Chicago in 2003? Rumor was that it would be badged as a cougar. It was built on the new mustang platform, but I haven't heard any news or info in a long time?

I was hoping someone had the scoop on it...

Thanks,

Nathan

 

[Toney C]

Yeah I would love to hear something about it too. Maybe when It's time to buy a new car it will be out I'm buying the middle of next year.

 

[351CJ]

Almost 2 years ago Ford told Lincoln-Mercury dealers that there would be a new Cougar based off the 2005 Mustang.

During the '05 Mustang rollout in January Ford said that there were up to 7 cars based off the D2C ('05 Mustang) platform.

That info, sounds great, but 9 months have passed, Ford has said nothing about a new Mercury variant and is now talking about 3 or 4 Mustang variants not 7. Ford also has a habit of cancelling projects.

So all this says is as of today, your guess is as good as mine.

 

[Toney C]

Almost 2 years ago Ford told Lincoln-Mercury dealers that there would be a new Cougar based off the 2005 Mustang.

During the '05 Mustang rollout in January Ford said that there were up to 7 cars based off the D2C ('05 Mustang) platform.

That info, sounds great, but 9 months have passed, Ford has said nothing about a new Mercury variant and is now talking about 3 or 4 Mustang variants not 7. Ford also has a habit of cancelling projects.

So all this says is as of today, your guess is as good as mine.

That's just heart breaking, Isn't there anyone who works at Ford than can get some kind of info, rumor or anything about a new cougar?

 

[351CJ]

One thing that you have to keep in mind is that the 2 door coupe market has been shrinking for years and has left many casulties on the side of the road. The Toyota Celica is the latest.

The Mustang is an anomoly. It sells 4 to 5 times as many units as its closest competitor. Ford could be worried that if they bring out other similar models, like a Mercury version, it would negatively affect Mustang sales.

But who knows, maybe we will get a Mercury version. IMHO there is market room for a "Cougar" that would be a more luxrious version of the Mustang, just like the original Cougar way back in 1967.

 

[PerformanceRed]

I don't know about you bozos, but I would buy a Cougar if Ford built it retro to look like the 67-70 models.

 

[Enzora]

One thing that you have to keep in mind is that the 2 door coupe market has been shrinking for years and has left many casulties on the side of the road. The Toyota Celica is the latest.

Nah, Celica doesn't just got replaced by the Scion tC, so no market shrinkage there.

 

[Toney C]

Well I sure as h** would buy a cougar if they produce one. I bet it would look as good as the new Mustang does.

 

[jasonlee0704]

Ford needs to seriously rethink its strategy for its Mercury division, instead of producing yet another "me too!" version of a Ford vehicle.

Ford may think Mercury is targeted toward a more upscale middle-class clientele, but in reality, Mercury is just targeted at old people. When people think Luxury, they think, Lincoln. Not Mercury. In marketing terms, if a consumer is aspiring, they're not going to settle for a middle-of-the-road Mercury.

A Mercury is what Grandma drives to church every Sunday. A Lincoln is what the rich kids emulating their favorite sports/music celebrity buys with their trust fund.

GM just got rid of Oldsmobile. DaimlerChrysler just got rid of Plymouth. Guess which Ford brand is their counterpart?

Ford needs to refocus Mercury onto another market segment, or drop it altogether as dead weight. Maybe concentrate on fleet vehicles, or turn Mercury into a youth-oriented brand like Scion. Turning it into a performance-oriented brand like Mitsubishi is turning into wouldn't be a bad idea either.