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A man test driving an F-150 at a Missouri dealership accidentally put the truck in reverse, hit the gas and destroyed two Milans. Though, as Mike Levine points out, it's one way to "Get rid of excess Mercury inventory." [KMBC] More »
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In case you may have missed it back in 2006, Ford released a trio of entries into the uber-boring mid-size sedan category. The just-right-sized triplets were built with the intention of targeting the best in the appliance segment. Alas, sales fell well short of the leaders of the pack — which is why you may not remember. Fast forward to this past week at the LA Auto Show, where Ford dropped cloth on three redesigns for the 2010 Ford Fusion, 2010 Mercury Milan and the 2010 Lincoln MKZ. While the new look on all three may be a "Bold Move™," all three cars retain the old Mazda 6-derived CD3 platform. So our question is – are the changes more than skin deep? Let's find out. More »
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Ford just revealed the 2010 Ford Fusion and the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and now we can bring you the live reveals on its platform pals the 2010 Mercury Milan and the 2010 Lincoln MKZ. The Fusions two upmarket friends split the hairs of luxury with the Milan going after the Euro-snob luxury buyer who can't afford a Euro-snob nameplate while the Lincoln chases the McCainiacs who want something smaller to replace their 1989 Lincoln Towncars. While both good cars on their own we have to question the wisdom of two cars chasing the luxury market. More »
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The 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid will join the Mariner as the second hybrid offering from Ford's brand for people who love Jill Wagner. The next-generation hybrid system, similar to the one found in the Mariner, will couple Ford's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with an electric motor backed by a new smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery. The new hybrid should be capable of running on pure electric mode at speeds up to 47 MPH, meaning the car can operate in most city and neighborhood conditions without using the gas engine for direct power. This means one full tank of gas could theoretically propel the Milan 700 miles in city driving. There's no official number on the mileage of the Milan Hybrid, but we've been told to expect around five miles per gallon better than the Camry Hybrid's highway performance (34 mpg), which would put it between 38 and 40 mpg, an impressive number for sure. Additionally, the Milan will get Ford's futuristic Smartgauge LCD instrument panel. Full details in the press release below. More »
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The 2010 Mercury Milan isn't as curvy as Jill Wagner, but it does benefit from a more shapely profile than its predecessor. The general buyers who opt for the new Milan over its Ford or Lincoln siblings will probably be more interested in that visual enhancement than the upgraded 2.5-liter four-banger or the revised V6 now putting out 240 HP, up from 221 HP in the previous model. While enthusiasts may look forward to the new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, the average non-enthusiast buyers will likely care more about the availability Ford SYNC, Sirius Travel-link and a back-up camera. Whether enthusiast or not, everyone should be grateful for the 4 to 5 MPG bounce on the four-banger. Unlike the Fusion, there has been no announcement of a "sport" mode for the Milan, indicative of the kind of audience Mercury expects the car should attract. Full details in the press release below the jump. More »
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Our best guesses about what the 2010 Mercury Milan and 2010 Ford Fusion would look like have been all-but-confirmed by a set of spy photos Automobile has just released. The shots show the twin of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid running around without a stitch of camouflage. Though not as dramatic as we'd hoped, it is clearly a step forward from the rather dull vehicle it is replacing. We'll see new Milan, Fusion and MKZ, and their futuristic gauge cluster at the LA Auto Show. In the meantime, enjoy our spy photos and drawings below. More »
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UPDATE: We got a first-hand look at the new SmartGauge — here's our a video of the gauge in use! Ford's making no small secret of their upcoming 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid (not the just-revealed 2010 Ford Fusion), but it may be the stellar high-tech SmartGauge LCD instrument panels feature that makes these cars stand out in the crowd. Billed as a way for drivers to maximize fuel economy, SmartGauge with "EcoGuide" uses an all-digital, LCD screen instrument cluster with lively animations to prompt drivers on good driving habits by displaying a heavily stylized greenery for good behavior. The gauges can be customized to display whatever real time data the driver wishes to see. Shades of the 80's era digital dashes aside, this looks impossibly nifty and we can't wait to take a closer look later today. Hit the jump for the press release and the cool video of the screen changing and updating before your very eyes. More »
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While KGP was out stalking that uncovered 2010 Ford Fusion they happened upon a 2010 Mercury Milan done up sans covering (sadly, no uncovered Jill Wagner was found). Looking past the black peanut tape, this new Milan seems to distinguish itself further from the Fusion, especially around the nose, which gets a more curvaceous treatment not that dissimilar from the Lincoln MKS. More »
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The Italian automaker Fiat's just as confused as we are as to why shares in the company surged skyward as high as 10% today. In fact, that was so high, it actually triggered the automatic suspension of trading in the maker of the cinquecento (and we've heard they even make other cars, too!) on the Milan stock exchange. We're assuming the speculation flooding the trading pits this morning that the company might be preparing to announce the sale of its truck unit Iveco may have had something to do with it. In fact, it caused the automaker to issue a strongly worded release this afternoon shooting down those rumors: More »
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So we were actually getting a warm and fuzzy feeling in our gut over the straight talk coming live and correct from the folks at FoMoCo. When the automaker released July sales numbers today, they threw down a graphic we thought represented an honest look at what the numbers said..."car sales down, truck sales down." Apparently someone in Dearborn felt they were keeping things a little too real, 'cause they've gone and removed that graphic and replaced it with one more indicative of PR flak-speak. The new one, as you can see above...tries to put the warm and fuzzy feeling back on the numbers by claiming as the big news the increase in Fusion, Milan and Zephyr sales, but after seeing the last graphic...it just makes us feel kinda used and violated. More »
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Why you should buy this car: The Mercury Milan is a decent value and a stylish alternative to blandmobiles like the Camry and Impala. Plus, it's almost fun to drive. And you can feel all warm and fuzzy about buying American, even if it's made in Mexico. More »
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Exterior Design: *** More »
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We've been here before, only last time it was called the Ford Fusion. Or was it the Lincoln Zephyr MKZ? No matter, this time we're looking at the Mercury Milan. It's Mercury's attempt to stay relevant by attracting new buyers to the brand — buyers who are young and hip with contemporary tastes, yet still manage to neglect all considerations for style when purchasing a car. All kidding aside, the clean lines and even proportion of the Milan make it a good looking car, but only a good looking ordinary car. More »
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Ford says the Milan is now Mercury's top-selling car among Latino customers, and as such, the company charged designer and resident latin lover, Camilo Pardo, with creating a special-edition Milan directed at a Hispanic audience. Pardo's creation — a pointedly decked out model — was revealed during Miami Fashion Week, with help from caliente actress Roselyn Sanchez, who's picture most assuredly would adorn a mami-dollar bill if such currency existed. The car, which will be auctioned for charity on eBay, is painted in "stainless" blue metallic with black/vanilla bean custom leather-trimmed seating and door inserts, 3D Carbon exterior ground effects, H.R.E. competition 943 20" under Pirelli tires, and stainless steel roof appearance cap — and includes Milan Premier interior package which comes with power moonroof and in-dash 6-CD sound system with MP3. Moreover, to complete the obscure punk-rock reference, Camilo Pardo was never called an asshole. More »
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Italophiles, start your Andrea Bocelli CDs (on second thought, fire up some of this action). Car Design News offers coverage of a show in Milan that's featuring classic Italian concept cars of the past 40 years, including the Bertone Rainbow (above). Sponsored by Alcantara, a maker of automobile interior materials, the show is running at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, in conjunction with what may be the world's most prestigious furniture fair (you could basically tell us anything in this regard); a convergence, of sorts, of Alacantra's core businesses. With a couple of exceptions, the show includes one concept car each from design houses Bertone, Ital Design and Pininfarina created during each decade from the 1960s to now. Yes, please. More »
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The Welsh designer who came up with the clear, globby-looking Ty Nant plastic water bottle has penned a squarish, transparent vehicle that's powered by that globby-looking hot star thing. We're not exactly sure what we're looking at, but whatever it is will be unveiled at the Salone Del Mobile Milano, an Italian design expo in Milan next week. The designer, Ross Lovegrove, is working on the prototype with corporate sponsors Sharp Solar Europe, Swarovski Optical Laboratories, General Motors, and Turin-based auto protoytyping firm Coggiola. Could we be looking at the 2075 Chevy Impala? More »
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Today's Rental-car Reacharound comes from longtime commenter Nick Weaver, who recently took out a Mercury Milan during a recent business trip to Los Angeles. Send your rental-car stories (keep 'em to around 500 words) to tips@jalopnik.com. More »
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What a difference a brand makes. Where Ford is pushing its Fusion sedan as a street machine, Mercury is casting its Milan in the title role from "Here's Boomer" (1980s TV reference alert). The company is spreading kindness in the name of Milan in several cities with random acts of delight, like a free coffee or a manicure en gratis. The acts will take place between now and mid-November, during which marketing assistants will descend on Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, Austin and San Diego for two-day "invasions" (their quotes) that will include free beverages at morning drive, appetizers in the evening and salon services on Saturday. Oh, we get in now. Fusions are for boys and Milans are for girls. We totally did not see that coming. More »
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