2006 Green Car of the Year

01/08/2006

The 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid - Lincoln-Mercury division's first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle - has been named Green Car Journal's 2006 Green Car of the Year. The award was presented to Mariner Hybrid marketing manager Eric Peterson at a press conference on January 5 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

"The hybrid Mariner is the right idea at the right time," says Roland Hwang, vehicles policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "To regain its competitive edge, Detroit must come to grips with how high pump prices have put consumers in an entirely new mindset. This vehicle proves that a determined Detroit can win this race."

The Mariner Hybrid was tapped in a majority vote by a high-profile jury of auto and environmental leaders, coming out on top in a stellar field of nominees that also included the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus RX 400h, and Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The five finalists were selected by Green Car Journal after evaluating a field of dozens of 2006 model year vehicles offering varying levels of improved environmental performance. Gasoline-electric hybrids, near-zero emission gasoline models, advanced diesels, and an array of vehicles capable of operating on alternative fuels were among those considered. While all current models are eligible for consideration, "newness" is a factor, with vehicles in the early phase of their production cycle given particular weight in identifying finalists.

Votes for Green Car of the Year were cast by jurors including auto icons Carroll Shelby and Mario Andretti; Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists; and Paul MacCready, president of the efficiency-focused firm AeroVironment. Four Green Car Journal jurors rounded out the 11 member Green Car of the Year jury.

"Environmentally clean cars have reached a milestone this year as experts - from race car driver Mario Andretti to Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope - recognize the Green Car of the Year with an award," says Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming Program. "We have the technology to make cars that are green, clean, and affordable. These are what automakers should be producing, not the inefficient vehicles being sold today."

The 2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid offers an EPA estimated 33 mpg fuel economy in the city and 29 mpg on the highway, exceptional numbers for a full function, four-wheel drive SUV. It achieves AT-PZEV (Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) levels in California and other states that have adopted California's stringent emissions standards, and SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle) levels in others. Importantly, its efficient Duratec 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motor feature a combined 155 peak horsepower, more than enough power for all driving situations. To many, this gasoline-electric powerplant provides a feel similar to that of a V-6 powered Mariner.

"This award is more than an honor to an individual model and maker of automobiles," summarizes Jean-Michel Cousteau. "This is a challenge and an incentive for all of those in the automotive industry to strive to design and manufacture vehicles that are more efficient and tread more lightly on our planet."

Jason Mark, vehicles director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, agrees: "The Green Car of the Year award recognizes that the future of the auto industry is tied to delivering fuel-saving, clean products. Ultimately, this is the only contest that matters."

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