“The all-new Mercury Mountaineer spells out what a Mercury is and will be in the future. The Mountaineer makes a strong and clear break from its Ford cousin — with individualistic styling accentuated by precise clean lines, machined surfaces and fine attention to detail.” So said Mark Hutchins, Lincoln Mercury President.

For the most part he was right on the money. I had the opportunity drive the 2002 Mountaineer, and it’s first cousin, the 2002 Explorer, at a recent press introduction in Arizona. We took the vehicles over a wide variety of terrain between Phoenix and Sedona and back again. The trip included a brief off-road stint and some snow driving in the mountains outside of Flagstaff, as well as through some urban territory outside of Mesa and Glendale. We also did a head-to-head comparison with several of the Mountaineers’s market competitors on a slalom course that included lane-changing maneuvers and a braking test. The Mountaineer proved itself to be up to the task.

My driving partner, noted New York writer Dan Lyons, and I, took the V6 version of the Explorer up to Sedona. My friend Bruce Caldwell who writes for Muscle Car Review and the Tacoma News Tribune, and is my usual driving partner on local events, drove with me in the V8 Mountaineer coming back. I point this out because knowing your partner’s particular driving style is very helpful in the evaluation process. Driving with Bruce for a number of years, I know his style very well — and he mine. I also have a good feel for Dan’s, having driven with him on several other events.

The Mountaineer is an all-new vehicle. Although it shares a number of design and driving characteristics with the Explorer, such as a 2.5-inch wider stance than prior models, improved ground clearance, and a through-the-frame rear independent suspension. This results in accommodating the third row seat for a seven passenger seating capacity — which is standard on the Mountaineer and optional on the Explorer. It also aids in improved ride and handling while maintaining the same vehicle length and height, although the Mountaineer is differentiated in driving character due to unique shock valving and 16-inch P245/70 all-season road tires.

The Mountaineer also has an all-wheel-drive option not available on the Explorer. Under normal driving conditions, torque is distributed 35 percent to the front and 65 percent to the rear, which minimizes understeer. But when the system senses wheel slip or a loss of traction, it transfers torque through a viscous coupling to the tires that have traction. In extreme conditions, virtually all available torque automatically can be sent to the front or rear wheels. The system has no switches or levers and needs no driver intervention.

Outside of Sedona, in the mountains, we encountered some snow and ice on the road. The Mountaineer’s all-wheel drive system handled what could have been several potentially dangerous situations with no problem.

Under the hood, a new 4.6-liter SOHC V-8 engine joins a somewhat improved 4.0-liter SOHC V-6. After driving both, I’d opt for the V8 in a New York minute — especially in this country. At 240 horses, it’s a gain of 25 ponies over the previous V8. However, in places where the terrain is relatively flat the 210 horse V6 is more than adequate.

Our trek included several hill climbs bothin and out of Sedona. Although the V6 performed admirably, the difference between the two powerplants is noticeable in those situations.

The Mountaineer also offers impressive standard towing capability. The receiver hitch is built into the frame and has a Class II towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. An upgraded towing package, which includes a limited slip rear differential, provides Class III/IV towing capability of up to 7,300 pounds.

On the safety front, the Mountaineer boasts a new industry-first SUV side-curtain air bag system, as well as integrated rollover protection sensors which will be available later in 2001. 4-wheel ABS disc brakes are standard as well.

Interiorwise, standard is a six-way power driver’s seat, air conditioning, power windows and locks, five-speed automatic transmission and fog lamps. Options include heated front seats, leather seating surfaces, memory seats and heated exterior mirrors, as well as power adjustable pedals, standard tilting and telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel and optional Reverse Sensing System.

Instrumentation, which features white analog dials highlighted with brushed aluminum pointers edged in red ala the Audi TT, is easy to read at a glance. Other aluminum accents are carried through to the inside, especially around the instrument panel. Controls for the cruise and sound system are conveniently located within fingertip reach on the steering wheel.

Exterior styling includes larger door openings, full hand-hold exterior door handles and lower step-in height for better ingress and egress than previously. The Mountaineer features highly geometric, machined surfaces and bold-edged curves.

The use of satin-aluminum finishes create a modern, technical theme which continues into Mountaineer’s wide lower-body cladding, standard roof rack and optional running boards which are wider than previous models. The tires are mounted on 16 by 7-inch machined aluminum wheels. Headlight trim, front and rear fascias have all been cleverly integrated to complement each other as well.

Whines: I personally think the V8 should be standard in the Mountaineer and optional on the Explorer. In the mountains, the difference between it and the V6 was markedly notable. But other than that, I couldn’t find anything worth mentioning that annoyed me about this vehicle.

Kudos: The innovative rear liftgate, featuring a new rear liftglass, has been designed to allow a liftover height virtually identical to that of a shopping cart for loading groceries and cargo. The liftglass also opens with a touch of a dedicated button on the key fob, while leaving the passenger doors locked.

Bottom Line: This is a very different vehicle looking to establish its brand as more than the upscale version of the Explorer it’s always been. There are more than enough reasons it could — most notably the all-wheel drive system. It succeeds in giving Mercury dealers a truely competitive SUV. This should be a serious consideration for anyone looking at the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner, Infinity QX4, Jimmy or Mercedes ML320.