Mercury has rolled out a new 3.4L V6 Mercury FourStroke outboard engine line including 175 horsepower, 200 horsepower, and 225 horsepower versions, to complement its line of Verado outboard engines. While the supercharged Verado line has grown ever larger, with models now hitting the 350 horsepower mark and even 400 horses in a Mercury Racing version, the FourStroke line has moved in to cover lower power ranges including 75 to 150 horses. “Pro” FourStroke models in the 200 to 300 horsepower range are, like the Verado, supercharged. But this new platform features a naturally-aspirated powerhead.

outboard engines from mercury marine
A new line of Mercury FourStroke outboards is hitting the water for the 2018 model year.

The 200 horsepower dual overhead cam four-valve design weighs in at 475 pounds, and Mercury claims best-in-class acceleration, 20-percent more torque, and five to 15-percent fuel economy advantages at cruise over the nearest competitors. While we haven’t yet had the opportunity to put these claims to the test on the water, if true they certainly are eye-opening. To date in all the testing we’ve done the fuel economy winner in the class had been the Evinrude E-Tec G2 line, which tends to turn in efficiency figures 10 to 15 percent better than competing four-strokes, so we’ll be looking forward to running some on-the-water comparisons and will report back once we’ve been able to gather figures for the different outboards on equal platforms.

These new Mercs also offer a wide range of options, including mechanical or digital controls, hydraulic or power steering, and multiple colors and accent panels. They feature a port on top for easy oil checks without having to remove a heavy cowl, which is an excellent idea and should encourage regular checks by users. An idle charge battery management system keeps you from sucking out all the juice out of the batteries while idling with major electronics up and running (net charging output is 20 amps at 650 rpm), and “Advanced Speed Control” maintains RPM through varying loads and conditions. Price: starting at $17,425. Go to mercurymarine.com for more info.