Official press release:

MYSTIQUE BLENDS STATION WAGON WITH MPV

Designers of the Lincoln-Mercury Mystique set out to create a four-door MPV concept vehicle with appeal to the upscale buyer who does not want to sacrifice a luxury image yet needs a versatile vehicle to suit an active lifestyle.

"We believe the Mystique would be equally suitable for traveling with the entire family, getting to golf courses or ski slopes, or those special evenings at an elegant restaurant or country club," said Jack Telnack, vice president - Design, Ford Motor Company.

A unified, single design-form flows from front to rear on the Mystique. Extensive use of glass gives the vehicle an open, spacious feeling while maintaining a solid feeling of structural integrity.

The spacious interior compartment of the Mystique is achieved, in part, through the use of a T-Drive powertrain configuration. The unique T-Drive layout packages eight cylinders in a compact overall size, enabling the designer to reduce the size of the engine compartment. , Up to six inches additional interior space is created using this experimental powertrain versus a vehicle of the same overall length. The Mystique can be either front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

An additional benefit of the T-Drive powertrain configuration is a low level floor which provides easy access to seating, of particular convenience to women and mature passengers. Seats in the first two rows swivel outward for easy entry and egress.

The six bucket seats are pedestal mounted for improved leg room. The seats in the second and third rows slide forward on power floor-mounted tracks to make cargo and passenger space adjustable. Movement of the seats can be controlled by switches mounted on the floor and inside the rear liftgate.

The Mystique is designed around an extruded aluminum modular space frame with a unique joint system. This space frame is lighter, stronger and is, pound for pound, four times more efficient than steel in crash management. The space frame offers a 200-pound weight reduction, which will improve fuel economy.

In addition, the aluminum space frame contains fewer parts, simplifying the assembly process and saving tooling costs while offering greater design and manufacturing flexibility.

Passengers individually can select programs to view on a television/VCR entertainment system mounted in the seat backs. Cupholders, trays and storage compartments also are available for passengers in the second and third rows. The roof console incorporates air conditioning and heat registers, lighting and storage compartments for glasses, video tapes and compact discs. Umbrella storage is built in behind the front doors.

Special attention has been paid to the ergonomics of the Mystique instrument panel. The driver has an unobstructed view and easy access to all fingertip controls, which include a telephone key pad. The instrument cluster has high-contrast back lighting and virtual image displays for warning light read outs.

This virtual image technology simulates three-dimensional graphics.

Passengers can manually control sun shading because the sunvisors and all-glass roof contain a liquid crystal film. In addition, the front windshield and rear backlight contain liquid crystal sections which allow the graduated control of sun shading.

New, high intensity discharge headlamps are integrated into the full width lighted front fascia of the Mystique. Space-efficient fiber optic taillamps recessed within the wrap around lighting band demonstrate the uniformity of the fiber optic technology.

A ducted cooling system, which reduces the engine temperature by directing hot radiator air away from the engine compartment, has been incorporated into the Mystique. This system helps increase the reliability of the engine components and electronics.

overall length:    187.0    inches
overall width:    74.0    inches
overall height:    66.7    inches
wheelbase:    123.0    inches

Designers of the Lincoln-Mercury Mystique set out to create a four-door MPV concept vehicle with appeal to the upscale buyer who does not want to sacrifice a luxury image yet needs a versatile vehicle to suit an active lifestyle.

"We believe the Mystique would be equally suitable for traveling with the entire family, getting to golf courses or ski slopes, or those special evenings at an elegant restaurant or country club," said Jack Telnack, vice president - Design, Ford Motor Company.

A unified, single design-form flows from front to rear on the Mystique.    Extensive use of glass gives the vehicle an open, spacious feeling while maintaining a solid feeling of structural integrity.

The spacious interior compartment of the Mystique is achieved, in part, through the use of a T-Drive powertrain configuration. The unique T-Drive layout packages eight cylinders in a compact overall size, enabling the designer to reduce the size of the engine compartment. Up to six inches additional interior space is created using this experimental powertrain versus a vehicle of the same overall length. The Mystique can be either front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

source: Ford Motor Company. Please mention www.allcarindex.com when using this text.

Mercury's show vehicle for 1991 was the Mystique minivan that merged the practicality of a station wagon with a multipurpose luxury vehicle. The sleek-looking Mercury featured “T-drive,” whereby the transversely mounted engine mated with the transmission in a way to send power to any or all wheels. Interior featured six-bucket seats and individually controlled TVs and VCRs mounted in the front seat backs. The Mystique concept bore no resemblance to the sedan of that name that would debut for 1995.

source: www.chicagoautoshow.com