Blast from the past: 2010 Milan hybrid
By Jerry Robbin
The 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid was one of the final vehicles before Ford pulled the plug on the Mercury brand.
From its elegant interior to its superlative styling, the Milan was an exciting addition to the Mercury lineup for 2010.
The hybrid technology in this Mercury helped to deliver a unique driving experience and a high mpg rating for a mid-size vehicle that helped with fuel prices. I think that Mercury really hit a home run with the Milan Hybrid.
My test drive had a navigation system and Sync. The Milan Hybrid has a unique luminescent instrument cluster, with an up-to-date safety technology built right to enhance the driving experience.
2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid: The Mercury Milan Hybrid brings a new level of technology to the smart, sophisticated Milan family. The class-exclusive SmartGauge with EcoGuide instrument panel helps customers achieve maximum fuel economy.
Driving Experience
For a hybrid, the Milan was quick off the line and I thoroughly enjoyed its driving dynamic. Handling was responsive to every hairpin turn attempted. During stop and go traffic, the transition from gas to electric motor was effortless and hardly noticeable. Acceleration was impressive.
The Milan Hybrid’s instrument panel was a unique LED display, showing lots of useful information, including indicators, which helped achieve optimal fuel efficiency.
My test vehicle also came with a blind spot monitoring system, which worked very well. Warning lights in the side-view mirrors lit up, indicating a car is in your blind spot. The system includes a monitor for backing up, also.
The best part was filling up the tank and finding that for a full week, I averaged 38 mpg combined city and highway driving. You should have seen the smile on my face!
Safety
• 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes.
• Side-impact protection system, including dual stage driver and front passenger air bags, first- and second-row side curtain air bags.
• Passenger-side occupant classification sensor for air bags.
• Driver- and front passenger-side curtain air bags.
• Personal Safety System, including safety belt pretensioners, load-limiting retractor driver seat positioning sensor and crash severity sensor, front Belt Minder.
• Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system for child safety seats.
• Rear door child safety locks.
• Internal emergency trunk re-lease.
Under the Hood
The motor in the 2010 Milan Hybrid is a remarkable piece of engineering that produces 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway.
Propelling the Milan at low speeds is a nickel metal-hydride battery pack, which is recharged through the regenerative braking system.
The hybrid engine is mated to a CVT transmission, providing smooth acceleration, quite capable of handling all speeds and conditions. The engine/motor/transmission combination performed extremely well during my test.
Inside
The Milan I test drove was equipped with Sync and Sirius Travel Link. With Sync you are able to pair your Bluetooth phone to the vehicle to make hands-free calls. The Milan Hybrid also has a USB port. I was able to play any artist I had stored on my IPhone through the Sync System.
The Sirius Travel Link shows traffic congestion in proximity to your location, giving you the opportunity to avoid problem areas. This system also shows weather conditions in areas that you are navigating to.
Another great feature for the Sync technology is the 911 Assist, a feature that automatically dials 911 and sends an automated message if the car detects a crash.
The navigation system has a large display and is easy to operate. The system lets you use voice commands with the Sirius satellite radio, as well, letting you ask for channels by name or number.
The Sony audio system has a great sound, which I thoroughly enjoyed during the course of my test drive.
My Milan Hybrid was equipped with a rear-view camera and a blind-spot warning system. The rear-view camera and sonar warns you prior to you hitting objects. I found the blind spot monitoring system invaluable in driving and backing out of parking spaces in parking lots.
The leather seats were luxurious, comfortable and had the heated function for cold-weather climates.
Outside
My Milan Hybrid was painted in a beautiful color called Atlantis Green Metallic. The exterior styling is more conservative than its counterpart Ford Fusion, but subtle treatments like the larger waterfall grille identify this vehicle as pure Mercury.
Other exterior features included new headlights, new taillight lenses and a cleaner fascia design. For the four-cylinder model, the Milan gets two exhaust outlets mounted on the right side. For the V-6, the Milan presents dual exhaust with chrome-accented exhaust tips.
Summary
The bottom line was that if you were in the market for a hybrid, you should have taken the time to look at the Mercury Milan.
It had style, great mileage and all the high-tech amenities you could want. The Milan Hybrid is comfortable, economical and fun to drive.
The 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid’s base price was $27,500 and maxed out with all options at $33,735.
Specifications
• Length: 189 inches.
• Width: 72.2 inches.
• Height: 56.9 inches.
• Wheelbase: 107.4 inches.
• Curb weight: 3,720 lbs.
• Front headroom: 38.7 inches.
• Rear headroom: 37.8 inches.
• Front shoulder room: 57.4 inches.
• Rear shoulder room: 56.5 inches.
• Front hip room: 54 inches.
• Rear hip room: 53.3 inches.
• Front legroom: 42.3 inches.
• Rear legroom: 36.7 inches.
• Luggage capacity: 11.8 cu.-ft.
• Max cargo capacity: 11.8 cu. ft.
• Standard seating: Five passengers.
• Cup holders: Front and rear.
• Drive system: Standard FWD.
• Base engine size: 2.5L.
• Engine type: I-4.
• Engine output: 156 hp.
• Engine torque: 136 lb.-ft.
• Transmission: Standard two-speed CVT.
• Side airbags: Front.
• Curtain airbags: Front and rear.
• EPA fuel economy: 41 mpg city.
• EPA fuel economy: 36 mpg highway.
• Fuel tank capacity: 17.5 gallons.
• Fuel type: Gasoline hybrid.
• Basic warranty: 3 Years/36,000 miles.
