While there will no doubt be a few Corvette aficionados who wished the Messenger was a concept showing the direction the bowtie group might be taking the next generation Corvette, it's not to be. The new concept is all Mercury, and supposedly speaks volumes about that brand's future DNA.
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| Although styling cues from the Corvette Stingray can be seen, the DNA of the Messenger is all Mercury. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
In case you're wondering why I chose to use the shortened form for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) when describing automotive branding, it wasn't initially my idea. Mercury, like almost every other manufacturer this year, can't stop uttering the catchy term. Personally I'm sick of DNA (not literally) and purposely haven't used it in any reviews up to this date. You've obviously caught me at a weak moment.
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| The Messenger conveys Mercury's heritage with sequential taillights. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
To both show Mercury's commitment to follow this concept's styling trend into future products I'll quote directly from the brand's press material; "The Messenger concept car represents the first expression of Mercury's new design DNA with a clean, technical appearance that begins to establish the look of Mercury products still to come. Mercury will introduce four new products over the next four years including a minivan, a small sport utility and two cars."
Here's Mercury explaining a few styling points, "One aspect of Mercury's future design DNA is embodied by the stacked element theme at the front of the vehicle with distinctive front lights and vertical grill elements. The rear lights convey the DNA message with sequential taillights that repeat the theme."
OK, enough about DNA. At least the genetic term kind of makes sense in that last sentence. The Messenger sports sequential taillights, similar to those that caused many an auto enthusiast's heart to go aflutter in 1967 when seeing the tail end of a Cougar turning a corner - me being one of them.