The name Milan will most definitely bring to mind brilliant images of Italian fashion and design we all have come to love and appreciate. The new Mercury Milan should be no different. The nicely designed small to mid-size Sedan in its first year of production has elegant lines and stylish contours. Gone are the days of the typical Mercury box that most Americans have forgone buying unless they are retired living out their days in Sun City. The demise of a car company with this demographic is as inevitable as the people buying it. With this in mind all carmakers are continuously trying to reach a younger buyer to ensure market share for years to come. One of the best examples of this recently is Toyota’s youth branded car the Scion. Mercury too is looking to reach the younger buyer in hopes of keeping their brand afloat. Instead of starting a new brand of car they simply started with a new product that is just a little edgier and progressive than the Mercury of yesteryear.

As a first year model and a close sibling of the Ford Fusion, the Milan shares a great many parts with the Fusion. From the Same V6 Duratec engine to about 40% of the sheet metal on the outside the similarities are glaring in almost every aspect of design. As far as performance I have yet to drive the Fusion so it would not be fair to say. The performance of the Milan is definitely noteworthy. The 221 H.P. V6 accelerates nicely with enough gusto to move the sleek machine from 0-60 in just over 7 seconds. The 6-speed auto transmission was smooth and fairly seamless with only a minimal amount of “clunk” when running through the gears. The 6-speed automatic allows for a better range of gearing to ensure peak performance and gas efficiency in most driving conditions. The suspension system was soft and able to soak up bumps very nicely and only allowed minimal lateral sway when going through highway turns at 65. It definitely would not be something I would try to race through hairpins with but it does well for its intended use.

The premier edition is nicely equipped with two-tone leather seating and power adjustable front buckets with lumbar support on the driver side. Storage comes in the form of a dash-top storage bin, overhead sunglass bin, center console with armrest and six cup holders throughout the cabin. Additional storage can be found in the seatbacks and storage compartments in the front doors. The backseats of the Milan are roomy enough to fit three people comfortably and will allow a tall person ample legroom on longer trips as long as the front seats are not placed all the way back. The steering wheel has secondary controls for climate and stereo functions and is adjustable for both tilt and telescoping convenience. Milan is also equipped with a personal safety system. This system uses numerous sensors to enhance security for the front passengers in the case of a front-end collision.

All in all the Milan is a nicely equipped car with beautiful design packaged at a price competitive with many other mid-size sedans. Although the competition is pretty stiff in this class of care you definitely should compare this when shopping for your next vehicle. In my humble opinion, Mercury is heading in the right direction to get the younger buyers into the showroom.