The Mercury Meta One concept hints at the design of a Mercury crossover vehicle slated for production in 2007. The concept, which will be shown at the Detroit auto show in January, also features safety technology such as lane-departure warning.

The new Mercury production vehicle is being derived from the Ford Freestyle sport wagon that went on sale this fall. It will be built at Ford Motor Co.'s Chicago plant.

DETROIT -- From its diesel-electric hybrid powertrain to its advanced safety features, the Mercury Meta One concept is one of the most technically advanced vehicles Ford Motor Co. has built.

The mid-sized sport wagon offers a glimpse of two upcoming safety systems. And its external styling is a strong preview of the Mercury version of the Freestyle.

Mercury is scheduled to get the sport wagon in 2007.

Low emissions

The diesel engine runs so cleanly that the Meta One qualifies as a partial zero-emissions vehicle, the strictest existing standard. The engine has a high-pressure common-rail fuel injection system, plus catalysts and filters. Its urea injection system helps cleanse the exhaust system of particulate emissions.

The 2.7-liter diesel V6 is a modified version of the engine Ford builds with Peugeot in Europe for the Jaguar S-Type. The engine has two turbochargers and develops 248 hp.

The torque converter has been replaced with an electric motor that also acts as a starter and alternator. It can propel the vehicle by itself at low speeds.


Fuel economy is about 30 percent better than that of the V-6-equipped Freestyle, says Dave Wagner, technology manager for the Meta One.

Safety features

The Meta One has a lane-departure warning system and a braking system that mitigates collisions. Both could be integrated easily into existing electrical and brake systems, Ford officials say.

The lane-departure warning system uses a camera that reads the lines in the road. If the vehicle drifts over the center line or left or right lines, the driver is warned.

The collision-mitigation system automatically applies the brakes when it determines a collision is unavoidable.

Software remains a major challenge to both safety systems. Engineers must determine how to make each effective under a wide variety of driving conditions.

The systems are expected to be approved for production in the next few years.

The wild card in the Meta One's technology mix is its urea-injection system.

Urea, an ammonia-like acid, offers an inexpensive way to make diesels meet emissions standards. But the vehicle will fail to meet emissions standards if the driver lets the urea system run dry, a scenario that worries the EPA.

Mercedes-Benz plans to use urea injection in North American diesels sometime around 2007.

Ford has been working on urea injection for at least five years, Wagner says: "This technology is out in heavy trucks, and it is moving into lightweight vehicles in Europe."