With the Mariner—essentially a fancy Ford Escape—Mercury hopes to attract "a different kind of customer," i.e. young and/or female, when it goes on sale in fall 2004 as a 2005 model. Mercury sees the Mariner filling the unique "upscale small SUV" niche (it obviously forgot about the Freelander from parent Ford's English division, Land Rover) and will thus equip it with more distinct styling and luxury amenities such as wood grain and satin aluminum and chrome accents. Riding on a four-wheel independent suspension, the Mariner will be offered with either a 2.3-liter four-cylinder or a 3.0-liter Duratec V-6, both mated to a four-speed automatic. The Mariner will be produced at Ford's Avon Lake assembly plant in Ohio.