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June 9, 2021

Mercury MerCruiser: The Leader in Sterndrive Innovation

Better ideas make for better boating

MerCruiser

It’s a case of out of sight, out of mind. Perhaps because a Mercury® MerCruiser® sterndrive engine is usually hidden below an engine hatch, it’s easy to take one for granted. You just turn the key and get moving. But that turnkey reliable performance didn’t happen by accident. Every MerCruiser engine and drive is infused with innovative design and technology that inform the performance, efficiency, convenience and fun of each outing on the water. So go ahead and turn the key, but when you do, remember the great innovations that made it possible. Here are some examples.


Purpose-Built Engines

Automotive technologies such as direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and aluminum engine blocks offer significant advantage for automobiles and trucks. But Mercury believes that when you put these technologies in a boat, you end up adding unnecessary cost and complexity without improving performance or adding customer value.

Rather than rely on the automotive-based engines in use by other marine engine manufacturers, MerCruiser 4.5L V6, 6.2L V8 and 8.2L V8 engines (from 200hp to 430hp) are designed from the oil pan up by Mercury Marine specifically for marine duty. At each horsepower rating, MerCruiser offers extra displacement to make massive torque, which is exactly the kind of power it takes to move a boat smartly on plane.

For quieter boating the engine intake has been tuned in the Mercury NVH Technical Center, the largest and most expansive testing facility in the marine industry devoted to studying noise, vibration and harshness. Special front and rear engine mounts isolate vibration for smooth, quiet performance.

The resulting MerCruiser engines deliver best-in-class reliability, durability and performance.

 

MerCruiser Bravo Four S™ Drive

The latest addition to the complete line of MerCruiser drives, the Bravo Four S forward-facing drive with Smart Tow® controls is the ideal choice for wakesurfing and other tow sports. Its twin props grip the water for enhanced maneuverability at typical low surfing speeds, but the most notable innovation is in the controls.

The Bravo Four S drive pairs with the digital Mercury Smart Tow® system, which coordinates ballast, surf tabs and propulsion settings under a single and intuitive user interface. Smart Tow makes it easy to create perfect, repeatable wakes for wakesurfing, wakeboarding and other tow sports with just a few taps on a VesselView® touchscreen display.

Plus, unlike a traditional inboard tow boat, a boat equipped with Bravo Four S propulsion offers all the advantages of sterndrive power, including trimability and the comfort of boating with a deeper-V hull.

 

Adaptive Speed Control and Active Trim

These two Mercury-exclusive technologies work together to make any boat easier to drive. Adaptive Speed Control automatically holds engine rpm as load or conditions change, such as when making a tight turn or heading up an ocean swell, so you don’t have to frequently adjust throttle position to maintain speed or keep the boat on plane. Active Trim automatically trims the MerCruiser drive for optimal performance and economy. Together, Adaptive Speed Control and Active Trim let you focus on the course ahead, and having fun, while taking much of the work out of handling the boat.


Joystick Piloting for Sterndrives

No boater wants to feel anxious when maneuvering around the dock. In a twin-engine boat equipped with Mercury Joystick Piloting you’ll enjoy a new level of confidence. A joystick on the helm offers intuitive fingertip control around the dock and easy positioning of the boat sideways, at an angle or rotating in place.

Joystick Piloting also incorporates Mercury Skyhook, a digital anchor that locks your boat’s position using a GPS satellite signal and maintains that position and heading regardless of wind or current. It’s ideal for holding your boat over a fishing spot, waiting for a bridge to open or holding position in line at a fuel docking station.


VesselView

An information portal for your boat, VesselView is the premier onboard information management system in the recreational marine industry. VesselView monitors and reports key boat and engine data and supports Active Trim, Smart Tow and many other features. It’s available in dedicated VesselView displays, through compatible multi-function displays using VesselView Link (Lowrance® and Simrad®) or SmartCraft Connect (Simrad, Garmin® and Raymarine®), and through mobile devices equipped with the Mercury Marine app.

 

Boat Smarter with the Mercury Marine App

The latest MerCruiser engines seamlessly integrate with the new Mercury Marine app, making it easy to track engine hours, stay on top of maintenance and other critical data. And when you select a Preferred Dealer within the app, you can share this data with your dealer, who can review system alerts and help you keep your engine in tip-top condition.

To tap into all of the app’s features, either install a SmartCraft Connect or SmartCraft Connect Mobile module. Both will allow you to connect digitally with the app, but SmartCraft Connect will also give you the ability to integrate with compatible Simrad, Garmin and Raymarine displays.

To download the app, click here.

Download from the App Store® for iOS.

Download from GooglePlay® for Android.

 

Repowering Your Boat with MerCruiser

One of the great things about MerCruiser engines is that they’re not just for new boat builds. Many boaters assume that repowering their current sterndrive boat with a new engine isn't possible because their engine seems so integrated with their boat. But actually, Mercury Authorized Dealers perform sterndrive repowers regularly and are well-versed in the process. And because MerCruiser offers such a wide selection of engines, drives and transoms, it’s possible to swap out the propulsion system on a huge selection of sterndrive boats.

Repowering also gives you the opportunity to upgrade to the latest innovations, from the newest props to Digital Throttle & Shift controls and SmartCraft features that allow you to effortlessly control your boat on open water or in crowded marinas, digitally lock in trolling speeds, choose pre-set tow sport launch profiles, automatically trim, and more.

Learn more about repower or get a quote today.

 

Ease of Maintenance

Mercury has long been a leader at building reliable, easy-to-maintain engines. Whether you do your own maintenance or take it to a service pro, it's simple to keep a MerCruiser engine running at its peak for longer. When you do open the hatch, you’ll find that Mercury has placed color-coded service points on the front of the engine, so they are easy to find. To make maintenance even easier, there’s a scannable QR code on the engine for links to DIY service videos you can watch on a mobile device.

Because Mercury never settles for the industry standard, the company engineered MerCruiser drives to have a service interval three times longer than other sterndrives – up to 300 hours or three years. Less maintenance saves you time and money.


Corrosion Prevention

Mercury has always been on the forefront of corrosion prevention and backs every MerCruiser product with a three-year corrosion warranty. That level of confidence is possible because of innovations such as Mercury’s patented low-copper aluminum alloys, which better withstand corrosion in freshwater and saltwater. MercFusion, a proprietary multi-level paint process, produces an exceptionally hard, thick and tough surface finish that shields exterior components. It’s all proven by torturous testing in the lab and in the brutal sun and saltwater at the Mercury test base in Florida.

The Mercury Precision MerCathode® system, which comes standard on Bravo® drives and is available for Alpha® drives, is an industry-first that provides automatic protection against galvanic corrosion caused by stray current in marinas and by submerged stainless steel propellers and hardware.

For the ultimate in protection against the harsh saltwater environment, Mercury created SeaCore™, a protective anti-corrosion system for MerCruiser. With SeaCore, all components exposed to saltwater are hard-coat anodized, creating a shield against abrasion and corrosion. In addition, the engine’s closed cooling system seals out saltwater from the engine block using five-year, long-life coolant for additional durability. SeaCore is so effective that MerCruiser products equipped with this system are backed with a four-year corrosion warranty.  


Now Get Double the Warranty

Leading-edge MerCruiser propulsion systems are engineered to deliver years of dependable performance. Every MerCruiser engine and drive is infused with innovative design and technology that informs the performance, efficiency, convenience and fun of each outing on the water. We’ve always stood behind our products, and now all MerCruiser engines come with two years of standard factory-backed warranty coverage. That’s twice the peace of mind as before. Terms and conditions apply. For more information, click here.

MeCruiser sterndrives have led the industry since the first model debuted in 1961. Today, innovations in digital controls, connectivity, autonomous features and corrosion prevention combined with a tradition of reliability, performance and economy are reflected in every new MerCruiser engine and drive. To learn more about MerCruiser products, click here.

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