Mercury, a division of Ford, is a company that prides itself on unique styling and special features which separate it from other domestic auto makers. Mercury (named after the Roman mythological god) first started production in 1939. During the 90's when SUVs and vans were at the peak of their popularity, Mercury capitalised on this by introducing its now famous Villager minivan and Mountaineer SUV brand. In the current model line up of SUVs we have the Mercury Mariner, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Mercury Mountaineer. In recent years Mercury models have relied heavily on existing Ford technology and are doing their best to enhance the existing Ford technology and present the vehicles as unique. The Mercury SUV range is a solid, if not outstanding, competitor in the sports utility vehicle marketplace with the Mariner continuing to be one of just a handful of small SUV's offered as a hybrid.