Mercury Verado 400 powers up at Miami

It’s the first new Verado engine launched in four years, and displaces the Mercury Verado 350 at the top of the consumer-class tree. It also matches the power output of the Mercury racing 400R, which will continue to be sold alongside the Verado 400 for the time being.

Mercury says it has upped the Verado range’s performance in response to customer demands.

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“The acceptance of the 350 hp Verado has been incredible and through extensive conversations with our customers around the world, we have learned that there is an appetite in the marketplace for a Verado-branded 400hp four-stroke outboard engine,” Mercury president John Pfeifer said in a release distributed after the engine’s launch at the 2019 Miami International Boat Show in the US.

 “As boats continue to increase in size, so has the need for more power. This gives us an opportunity to provide an even higher horsepower Verado, providing the durability and reliability that the Verado brand is known for around the world.”

The new engine is built on the L6SC supercharged in-line six-cylinder platform, ands weighs 303kg – the same as the 350hp version. That benchmark also makes it the lightest 400hp engine in the 400hp-plus segment by more than 130kg, Mercury said.

The engine will hit Australian shores in about May, priced from $42,218 for the engine only with a base propellor. Just like the rest of the Verado range, it will carry a six-year warranty.

Mercury said the Verado 400 outboard engine would exclusively use the 5.44-inch 1.75 heavy-duty gearcase, and will be fully compatible with Mercury’s joystick-based control system. Colour options include Phantom Black and our personal favourite, Cold Fusion.

“The introduction of the 400hp Verado is another step in the evolution of the proven L6SC platform that has been successful in the market and we expect to be successful for years to come,” Pfeifer said.

“Through extensive consumer research, we have determined that there is a market for both variations of the 400 [the Mercury Verado 400 and the Mercury Racing 400R], giving consumers the opportunity to have two extremely reliable outboards to choose from based on their preference.”