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The Mercury Sable was originally a Mid-size Car , and is now a Full-size Car created by the Ford Motor Company and sold under the semi-luxury Mercury brand. It is the mechanical twin of the Ford Taurus . The Sable was a milestone design for both Mercury and the entire American automotive industry, as well as a very influential vehicle in the marketplace, with Mercury selling nearly 2 million examples during its 20 years of production.1The Sable's design was so futuristic, that it was called by the press "The car that came from the moon".2 An important feature of the Sable's design was its front "lightbar", a low-wattage lamp between the front headlamps. This later became mainstream for Mercury's line-up, and was copied by many automakers in the early nineties. Pontiac Grand Prix at Consumer Guide Mitsubishi Eclipse at Consumer Guide Subaru SVX at Consumer Guide The Sable was refreshed in 1992 and received its first complete redesign in 1996. The 1996 model remained the basis for the vehicle up through the 2005 model year. A major sheet metal and interior redesign occurred in 2000, softening some of the controversial design vestiges of the 1996 model which the Taurus also endured. Minor styling change in 2004 further refined the car. The Sable station wagon ended production in 2004 and sedan production ended on April 29 , 2005 .3 The Ford Taurus remained in production through the 2007 model year, primarily for service as a fleet vehicle. Taurus production ended on October 27 , 2006 .4 At the Chicago Auto Show on February 7 , 2007 , Ford CEO Alan Mulally unveiled a refreshed version of the Mercury Montego sedan and announced that the new name of the car would be "Sable," due to customer recognition and dealer demand. FIRST GENERATION (1986–1991)
The Sable was a very important sedan for both Mercury and the American auto industry. Ford had lagged behind General Motors in introducing mid-size front wheel drive cars to compete against the Citation and best-selling Celebrity, and Chrysler's well-received K cars, and Mercury suffered even worse from this. In 1984, Ford launched the redesigned Mercury Cougar to start a reinvigoration of the Mercury brand with new aerodynamic designs, and started development of the Sable. 5 Because of this design, the Sable was a resounding success and launched Mercury into a new design era, as well as influencing the other American automakers to follow suit and create aero designed cars, thus ending the "boxy" cars of the 1970s and 1980s. The Taurus and Sable siblings used flush aerodynamic composite Headlights . Ford was the first to produce and sell vehicles with such headlights in the U.S., when it introduced the Lincoln Mark VII in 1984. To do so, Ford (among other automakers) had to lobby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to have them approved. The Taurus and Sable were the first domestically-produced, mainstream sedans to use the new lights. They also went beyond the Audi 5000 , with which they were often compared, to adopt a grille-less "bottom breather" nose, first pioneered by the Citroën DS in the 1950s, and also used briefly on the Mustang. The Sable was unveiled along with the Taurus in a resounding fashion. For its aerodynamic shape, the launch was held in MGM Studios Soundstage 85, where '' Gone With The Wind '' was filmed. Ford workers came into the room, which was decorated in space-age decor, holding cups shaped like flying saucers and the Taurus and Sable were sitting behind a curtain, their outlines silhouetting. Then, with the flashing of strobe lights and a drum-roll, the curtain was pulled back and the two cars were revealed to the public. The bodyshell was smooth and aerodynamic. The Sable twin had a wraparound "lightbar" with two headlights and a low-wattage stretch in between. Aircraft-style doors were used to reduce wind noise, and the handles were recessed. The Sable also had large glass areas with slim pillars, and were flush with the body. The rear glass wrapped fully around, and the B-pillars were painted black to give the illusion that the front and rear glass were connected. The interior was available with bucket seats — very rare for most U.S. midsize sedans — and the dashboard wrapped around the driver and fed into the door panels to create more of a "cockpit" feel.6 The Sable was first introduced as a 1986 model in December 1985, to strong sales and fanfare. It came in two models, base GS and high-end LS. Initial Sable sales were strong, and the Sable sold around 300,000 units its first year. For the first year on the market, Sable buyers had the choice of a 90 hp HSC 4-cylinder mated to a three-speed automatic Transaxle or a 140 hp Vulcan V6 with a four-speed automatic, with the latter having much higher sales. 4-cylinder Sable sales were so poor that the engine was dropped in 1987 (it remained an option for the Taurus until 1991). Ford's 3.8 L '' Essex '' V6 was added to the line-up in 1988. Although the power output was rated at the same 140 hp (104 kW) as the 3.0 L engine, this large V6 produced 215 ft·lbf (291 N·m) of Torque , a welcome addition, especially in the heavier wagons. However, the 3.8 suffered from premature head gasket failure, which was primarily a fault with Ford's supplier of gaskets, not with the engine itself. Some also attribute this to reduced under-hood cooling. The Sable had just received small changes over the years, mostly in terms of equipment and cosmetics. In 1991, sales dipped to just over 100,000 units, so a new generation of Sable was launched. Awards The Sable was on Car And Driver magazine's Ten Best List on its release in 1986 and again in 1990 and 1991. Models SECOND GENERATION (1992–1995)
The Sable received its first significant cosmetic update in 1992, which modernized the interior and the front and rear fascias. The operation cost Ford $650 million at the time. With the older model facing slumping sales, this new model brought sales back up again, with 410,000 examples sold during 1992, a number unheard of even today.7 While the design was basically the same, every body panel except for the roof was changed.8 The interior was also redesigned, and included an optional side airbag, a first in its class. The Taurus, sister car of the Sable, was the best-selling car in the United States for every year of this cosmetic update. In 1993, unpopular optional features such as the "InstaClear" heated windshield were eliminated. For both 3.0 L and 3.8 L V6 engines, the drive belt system became a single-belt setup for 1993 (previously, the Alternator had used a separate belt). A passenger-side airbag became standard for 1993, and a redesigned drivers side airbag and steering wheel came in 1994. The wagon version was available with mostly the same options as the sedan versions. Wagons had a maximum of 81.1 cubic feet of cargo area with the 60/40 split rear seat folded down.9 They featured a 2-way liftgate (raise the entire liftgate or just the window), a roof rack with crossbar and tie-downs, an optional rear-facing third seat, a lockable under-floor compartment, and an optional fold-out picnic table. With both rear split seats in the upright position, standard cargo capacity was 45.7 cubic feet. Wagons that were equipped with the front bench seat and rear folding seat could seat eight people. The last year of this updated Sable generation was 1995. For the 1995 model year, the rare LTS trim level was added. It featured leather bucket seats, Taurus LX-style alloy wheels, special cladding, and many leather wrapped interior trim parts. The LTS trim had either the standard 3.0 L Vulcan V6 or the optional 3.8 L Essex V6. Models THIRD GENERATION (1996–1999)
The 1996 model year saw the first complete redesign for the Sable. Ford hoped the radical redesign would lead to the same success it had had with the 1986 Sable. The controversial oval theme was not well received by the press and the public, and is ultimately blamed as the reason for a substantial dip in sales.10 For this generation, the Sable tried to move slightly upmarket, and as a result, prices rose considerably, also driving away potential buyers. The 1996 Sable was the first sable to share sheetmetal with the Taurus. Differences from the Taurus included different front and rear fascias, and the elimination of the rear quarter window. Although the Sable used a less oval based styling, sales still fell. The 1996 model could be equipped with the powerful 200 hp (149 kW) 3.0 L DOHC '' Duratec 30 '' V6 as an option.11 Trim lines stayed the same, with GS as the entry level model and LS as the most luxurious model. The LTS was eliminated. Although all 1998 models had the option of the DOHC Duratec engine, it was only available on the LS for 1999. That same year front bucket seats became optional on the GS. Mercury claimed that the 1999 Duratec had less power than the 2000 Duratec in hopes to increase sales of the 2000 Sable.12 In an effort to reverse the declining sales of the Sable, Mercury did major cost cutting for the 1997 model.13 They carried this further for 1998, by giving it a front end facelift, and cutting the price up to $2,000 in 1999. Mercury also continued to cut costs, eliminating some options for 1999. Models FOURTH GENERATION (2000–2005)
The Sable received another redesign in 2000, which minimized some of the oval design elements from the 1996 model, replacing them with more conventional styling. The redesign also featured a taller roof over the rear-passenger space, to increase passenger headroom that had been sacrificed by the tapered 1996 design. The taller and roomier trunk also served to make the vehicle more functional. The interior was completely changed for a much more conservative design. Certain elements of the interior were retained from the 1996 model, such as the integrated control console, which combined the sound system and climate controls into one panel. The Suspension was also softened to appeal to a broader, non-sporting audience. To reduce the price and increase profitability, many features such as four-wheel Disc Brake s were eliminated.14 The 2002 Sable included extra equipment on every trim level, including a CD player and power driver's seat on the GS, and a power Moonroof or leather interior on the LS. Side airbags and Traction Control were added as options on all models. For 2004, the Sable received minor cosmetic changes to the front and rear fascias, most noticeably the grille was made fully chrome. Inside were a new instrument cluster and steering wheel. Due to the Mercury brand's discontinuation in Canada, the fourth generation Sable was never available in the Canadian market. Thus it was unique to the US and Mexico . The 2005 Mercury Montego and 2006 Milan were launched as replacements for the Sable. Shortly after the Montego's introduction the Sable was discontinued, along with the Taurus wagon; the Taurus sedan continued to be produced, but primarily for the fleet market. The last Sable left the Atlanta plant on April 29, 2005. Models FIFTH GENERATION (2008-)
Ford CEO Alan Mulally said that Ford's scheme to make all its cars names start with the letter F was a bad move, as it made Ford's new cars easily forgettable.15 Mulally wants to revive some known and respected Ford nameplates for its new model line, the Sable being one of them. The new 2008 Sable went on sale in late-July of 2007, though remaining 2007 Montegos are continued being sold as of August 2007. Mulally believes that with this new name, more customers will recognize the car, thus raising sales. |
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