UPDATED: Mercury unveils new FourStroke outboards

Mercury Marine has staged the Australian launch of its new 75, 80, 90, 100 and 115hp FourStroke outboards, which the company says offer the ultimate combination of power and thrust, fuel economy, reliability and smooth, quiet operation – all in a lightweight, compact package. 

The American parent company made the announcement June 19, subsequent to the American press event in Wisconsin with international journalists, but prior to the Australian release that we attended from June 23-24 on the Gold Coast.

We were told Australia would see a "different line-up" for the local market and as you can see above there are a few intermediate horsepower sizes to rival competitor's offerings, plus there is a left-hand drive 90hp variant for twin-outboard installations. 

Mercury Marine in Australia also said it wanted to run the new four-stroke engines on some local craft that better suit our way of boating. As we update this, we are poised to test the FourStroke outboard engines on a range of boats on the Coomera River. Local retail prices of the engines will be approximately the same as those they replace, Mercury adds.

Mercury says there's 23 per cent more torque than its previous FourStroke models in this popular mid-size outboard class, 14 per cent better fuel economy at cruise speeds (high 3000rpm to mid-4000pm range), and greatly improved acceleration and lift using the optional upgraded Command Thrust (replacing BigFoot) gearcase.

An all-new hydrodynamically-designed standard gearcase decreases drag by 15 per cent to improve efficiency and performance, thus consuming less fuel and increasing operating range, adds Mercury. The standard gearcase significantly improves performance on alloy or fibreglass bass (and barra') boats, punts, and smaller (less than 18 feet) deep-vee cuddy cabins and runabouts.

The new Mercury FourStroke engines are built with the same architecture as the popular Mercury 150 FourStroke to ensure they start and run consistently and last longer no matter what conditions they face, says Mercury.

Mercury says it’s the first true oversized gearcase in the industry for outboards in this horsepower range. Heavy and wet-running boats benefit from the gearcase’s ability to quickly lift a hull out of the water, resulting in greater acceleration and superior ability to hold a boat on the plane at slower speeds.

There’s also a 115hp Command Thrust model with left-hand rotation for improved handling and docking in dual-engine installations, perfect for offshore fishing enthusiasts. Along with a larger, heavy-duty gearcase, Command Thrust also includes the larger-diameter class of V6 propellers such as Mercury’s popular Enertia series.

Even the trim pump is designed to run significantly quieter, and a new clutch system reduces shock while shifting into gear. All of these features deliver a smoother, quieter, more pleasant boating experience.

There is a maintenance label under the cowl that provides all the information necessary to perform 100-hour and 300-hour checks, along with a handy QR code that links the user via smartphone to a dedicated Mercury mobile site that provides a series of “how to” maintenance videos, troubleshooting tips, a dealer locator and a hotline to Mercury Marine.

Manufactured in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, the new 2014 Mercury FourStrokes from 75-115hp are available immediately from dealers following the official Australian launch on the Gold Coast from June 23-24, 2014.

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