Ford Motor Co. plans to halt production of the Mercury Sable sedan and Ford Taurus X crossover next year, according to company documents reviewed by The Detroit News.

Both vehicles are built at the company's Chicago Assembly Plant, which recently began production of the Lincoln MKS sedan. The factory also produces the Ford Taurus sedan on the same platform. That vehicle will remain in production.

Sales of the Taurus X -- the vehicle formerly known as the Freestyle -- are down more than 25 percent this year. Sales of the Sable, formerly known as the Montego, are down more than 8 percent from last year's already low tally. The vehicles have not been big successes for Ford and both are in conflict with the company's plans for their respective brands.

The full-sized Sable sedan does not fit with Ford's new vision for Mercury, which involves narrowing the marque's focus to smaller cars and crossovers to complement the bigger vehicles offered by Lincoln.

The full-size Taurus X crossover is an aging design that makes little sense in the Blue Oval lineup now that Ford has launched the all-new Flex crossover.

Ford would neither confirm nor deny the moves.

"We don't comment on speculation on about future product plans," spokeswoman Jennifer Flake said.

But analysts said the decisions are not surprising.

"The Taurus X doesn't really have much of a place anymore," said Erich Merkle of Crowe Chizek and Co.

"The Sable is a good enough car, but it doesn't really matter because they don't sell enough of them to make a difference."

Ford sold 2,276 Sables last month, down from 2,589 in July 2007. It sold 2,034 Taurus Xs in July, down from 2,705 the year before.

CEO Alan Mulally ordered the names of both vehicles changed to more familiar monikers last year.

At the time, he said Ford had erred in abandoning for no good reason brand names that still resonated with consumers.

Sales of both vehicles also have been hurt by rising gasoline prices.

via detnews