its release in 1986 and again in 1990 and 1991. As Ford did not market the Mercury brand in Mexico, Ford of Mexico marketed the model line as the Ford Taurus. In South Korea, the Mercury Sable was marketed by Kia alongside the Kia Potentia (Mazda Luce/929). Chassis specification The first-generation Sable used the front-wheel drive Ford DN5 platform, sharing its wheelbase with the Ford Taurus. As with its Marquis predecessor, the Sable used unibody construction. The Sable is equipped with four-wheel independent suspension. The front axle is fitted with MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar; the rear axle on sedans is a coil-spring 4-link layout (also with MacPherson struts), while the rear suspension on station wagons was a coil-spring double-wishbone design (short/long arm), along with a stabilizer bar. As with the Marquis, the Sable was equipped with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes; station wagons were fitted with larger rear brakes. Powertrain For 1986, the Sable was offered was with two engines: a 90hp HSC I4 (mated to a three-speed automatic) and a 140hp Vulcan V6 (paired to a four-speed automatic). Following poor sales of the 4 cylinder engine in the Sable, the engine was dropped from the line (though remaining standard on the Taurus through 1991), along with the 3-speed automatic. For 1988, a 3.8L Essex V6 was introduced as an optional engine. Though rated with the same 140hp output as the 3.0L Vulcan V6, the 3.8L V6 was rated with nearly 35% more torque output (popular in the heavier station wagons). In contrast to the Taurus, the first-generation Sable (nor any of its successors) was not offered with a manual transmission. Body design The first-generation Sable was offered in two body styles: a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon. While its 1983-1986 Marquis predecessor shared nearly its entire body with its Ford LTD counterpart, the Sable sedan shared only its doors and roof stamping with the Taurus. In what would become a tradition for four model generations, the station wagon body for both model lines was derived from the Sable; the Taurus wagon was styled with its own front fascia. To differentiate its 6-window roofline from the Taurus, the Sable sedan borrowed design elements from the Ford Scorpio liftback sedan, using blacked-out B, C, and D-pillars for a "floating roof" effect. In place of the body-color grille insert used by Ford, the Sable was fitted