The new 2008 Mercury Sable offers customers a sophisticated new look inside and out, a significantly quieter cabin, a more luxurious ride and a more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine. “Mercury products are aimed at winning over new customers who value distinct touches, and this new Sable is sure to impress,” says Cisco Codina, Ford’s group vice president of North America Marketing, Sales and Service.
“The Sable rejoins a fresh Mercury lineup as the brand is attracting new customers with the redesigned Mariner compact SUV and popular Milan mid-size sedan. Sable will extend the momentum even further.”
Sable is available in base and Premier trim levels, and is built at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.
Sophisticated style brings the exterior to life
Sable’s modern, distinctive look builds on the clean, modern design themes featured on the Mercury Milan and Mariner.
Sable’s clean, integrated front-end design centers on Mercury’s signature satin aluminum waterfall grille, flanked by exquisitely detailed jeweled projector beam headlamps that sweep up over the front fenders. Additional visual highlights at the front of the vehicle include new chrome surrounds for the fog lamps and bright, satin aluminum caps on the side mirrors.
Sable’s distinctive LED taillamps feature a predominantly white lens with red accent stripes. The new rear fascia has a cutout for the chrome tips on the dual exhaust system, a visual cue that suggests more power under the hood. A chrome strip on the bottom edge of the decklid provides a finishing touch.
Cool and expressive accents sharpen the interior
A core attribute of Mercury design is a modern, airy interior, complementing the clean exterior. With Sable, this design direction comes to life in two-tone interior trim with unique accents. Customers who prefer a more technical appearance, for example, can opt for Cyber Carbon, a deep, high-gloss accent that resembles carbon fiber. Alternatively, two modern wood grain accents – Guitar Maple or San Macassar – are available.
Standard cloth seats sport an updated and modern graphic design while the Premier Series offers supple two-tone leather seats detailed with contrast stitching and featuring a new, more modern, perforated pattern. The rectangular shapes of the perforations are placed farther apart for a more progressive, contemporary look. The same pattern is repeated on the door panels.
Customers attracted to clean, contemporary Mercury design also are sophisticated in their technology needs. The 2008 Sable offers the right connection for driver and passenger alike.
In addition to a standard auxiliary audio input jack, available convenience and connectivity features include:
- Voice-activated navigation system that incorporates text-to-speech technology that reads and communicates directions and street names in English, Spanish and French.
- An available rear-seat DVD entertainment system.
- Factory-installed SIRIUS® Satellite Radio.
- Mercury Sync, a voice-activated hands-free in-car communications and entertainment system which fully integrates mobile phones and media players into the vehicle via Bluetooth technology and USB connection.
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A comfortable, quiet driving experience
A completely revised sound package gives the new Sable interior quietness that rivals many luxury cars. Technologies like expandable foam pellets in the A-Pillars and improved sound-deadening material in the doors, headliner and pillars help reduce interior noise levels.
Sable’s quiet and confident ride is delivered in part by a revised MacPherson-strut front suspension with 10 percent more travel, new dampers and spring rates, and a retuned independent coil-over rear suspension. A new power steering system uses an intelligent electric pump to provide extra steering assist for such tasks as parking, and dials down the assist when it’s not needed, such as when cruising on the freeway.
Sable features an award-winning 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a sharp, 6-speed transmission. The Duratec 35 engine produces 263 horsepower – an increase of nearly 30 percent over the outgoing Duratec 30 – and 245 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is improved nearly 10 percent as well, thanks in part to Sable’s 6-speed automatic transmission.
The available all-wheel-drive system – similar to the system used on the new Mercury Mariner – features an electronically controlled center coupling that can distribute exact amounts of torque from front to rear, up to 100 percent to either axle.
A clever, safe choice
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has awarded Sable its “Top Safety Pick” designation for large family cars. Sable also has earned the maximum five-star rating in all crash test categories from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control system is available on all Sable models. Additional standard safety features include:
- Dual-stage driver and passenger front air bags, seat-deployed side air bags for driver and front passenger.
- Ford’s Safety Canopy™ side curtain air bags for both rows of seats.
- A new steering wheel design recesses the air bag 15 millimeters farther away from the driver, for an added measure of safety.
Key Features and Options:
Standard features include: 4-wheel anti-lock-brakes; 3.5-liter V-6 engine; Fog lamps; Keyless entry keypad; Folding exterior power side mirrors; Power windows; Power locks; Power mirrors; Remote keyless entry; Two 12V power points; Air conditioning; Audio input jack; AM/FM stereo, single CD; One touch up/down driver window; Floor mats; Heated backlight; Power steering; Leather wrapped shift knob; LATCH; Personal Safety System®; SecuriLock® passive anti-theft system.
Available options include: Mercury Sync voice-activated communications and entertainment system (late availability); All-wheel drive; AdvanceTrac® traction control; AM/FM stereo, in-dash six-disc CD/MP3 audiophile sound system; Leather trimmed seats; Heated seats; 18-inch chrome clad wheels; Cargo management system; Power moonroof; Voice-activated navigation system; Power adjustable pedals with memory; Rear seat entertainment system; Reverse Sensing System; Power Code remote start; Triptunes™.
Milestones
| 1985 | Introduced as a 1986 model, the Sable was a ground-breaking new sedan |
| 2003 | Recognized by Polk for leading Model Loyalty in the Midsize Car Segment |
| 2004 | Earns an IIHS “Top Safety Pick” rating |
| 2004 | Mercury introduces its innovative new sedan as a 2005 model, named Mercury Montego, during Ford Motor Company’s “Year of the Car” |
| 2005 | Earns “Good” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for offset frontal-crash performance, and five-star ratings for front- and side- impact performance in government testing |
| 2007 | All-new Mercury Sable introduced as 2008 model, evolved from former Mercury Montego design |
| 2007 | The 2008 Sable is rated safest full-size car in America, based on NHTSA five-star frontal and side crash test ratings and IIHS “Top Safety Pick” |
