Mercury Marine expands V6 FourStroke and SeaPro outboard families
by Mercury Marine 16 Feb 2018 13:43 UTC
New Mercury 200hp V6 Lifestyle © Mercury Marine
Mercury Marine is excited to introduce its all new V6 FourStroke outboard family and the expansion of its SeaPro commercial line. Just unveiled at the 2018 Miami International Boat Show, the new engines include 175hp, 200hp and 225hp FourStroke outboards and a V6 200hp SeaPro commercial outboard.
Precision engineered from skeg to cowl, all four outboards are built on Mercury's new 3.4 litre V6 platform, which is designed to be powerful, light, compact and fuel-efficient. It employs a large displacement, naturally aspirated powerhead and proven mid section and drive-system designs.
"This new platform will position Mercury to advance product leadership in the 175-225hp outboard category, and deliver across the board on consumer needs," said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine President.
"These new outboards address applications across recreational and commercial applications, strengthen our core product lineup by building off the success of our recent programs and delivering on the requirements of our global customers."
Additionally, the 3.4L V6 outboards are exceptionally versatile, offering the option of mechanical or digital controls, hydraulic or power steering, and black or white cowls on FourStroke-branded products, as well as a variety of accent panel colours. This versatility makes the new V6 an ideal engine for repower applications.
"These outboards set a new benchmark in the marine industry," John said. "They are the quietest, lightest, smoothest, quickest and most fuel-efficient engines we have produced in this range."
The new FourStroke engine not only provides large displacement at 200hp, but is also exceptionally light weight at 215kgs – the lightest weight in its class by more than 4.5kgs.
Lean and mean, the 3.4L V6 FourStroke platform boasts Mercury's best acceleration and 20% percent more torque than the closest four-cylinder competitor at cruise. Fuel efficiency is also unmatched – calibrated to maximise fuel economy at cruise, the new platform yields an advantage of up to 15% compared to the closest four-cylinder competitor.
Other innovations that further differentiate the 3.4L V6 are:
- A top cowl service door which provides easy oil check and fill (if needed), making routine maintenance easier than ever before;
- Idle charge battery-management capability that protects against battery-drain while operating multiple electronic devices, and best-in-class net charging output of 20 Amp at 650 RPM;
- Adaptive Speed Control that maintains RPM regardless of load or condition changes, improving the driving experience;
"Based on what I'm hearing from our customers, we feel like we hit a homerun with the new V6 FourStroke outboard lineup," said Randy Caruana, Mercury Marine vice president North and Central America, and Asia Pacific.
"What a great addition to the portfolio. These engines are light and quiet --- to have a V6 that's lighter than a four-cylinder is just incredible."
New V6 FourStrokes (175-200-225hp)
Mercury's 3.4L, 200hp FourStroke is the company's largest displacement in the 200hp class. At 215kgs, the engine is also the lightest in its class, and is 16kgs lighter than current product in this range. With its performance-inspired dual overhead quad cam and four-valve design, the engine will reach higher speeds, faster. In addition, this outboard is the only one of its kind that maintains rpm regardless of load or condition changes and provides a "sportier" feel for drivers.
Superior Fuel Economy
At cruise and at WOT, the new four-stroke outboards take advantage of Mercury's proprietary "Advanced Range Optimisation" (ARO) calibration to generate greater fuel efficiency than the engine it is replacing and the closest four-cylinder competitor.
Additional Colour Options
In addition to Mercury's legendary black engines, this new lineup is also available in white for the 200hp and 225hp outboards. For the first time, Mercury will also offer four accent panel colours plus ready-for-paint panels, which allow for personalisation.
Noise, Vibration and Harshness
The new 3.4L V6 boasts excellent NVH quality, and represents an advancement from current products. Key NVH-enhancing features include:
- The V6 design is naturally balanced.
- Multi-chamber air-intake quiets induction noise.
- Fuel injector covers reduce high-frequency noise.
- Specific cowl features prevent noise from reaching the operator.
New V6 SeaPro (200hp)
The Mercury SeaPro 200hp 3.4L V6 FourStroke outboard sports the company's largest displacement in its class. It's also the lightest engine in its class and is approximately 11kgs lighter than the engine it is replacing. Like all Mercury SeaPro outboard engines, the 3.4L V6 FourStroke is built for durability and reliability and is calibrated for commercial usage.
The new 200hp V6 SeaPro outboard features "Advanced Range Optimisation/ARO" calibration, which was developed by Mercury engineers to optimise cruise fuel economy. The ECU will adjust fueling automatically when conditions are right. It does this so seamlessly that the operator won't feel or hear it. ARO allows for optimal fuel efficiency, giving consumers the confidence to stay out on the water longer.