After a one-year hiatus, Mercury returned to the minivan field with the 2004 Monterey, basically an upscale version of that year's newly named Ford Freestar. Both shared a basic design evolved from the 1999-2003 Ford Windstar minivan. Monterey differed from Freestar only in styling details, equipment and pricing. Mercury offered three trim levels instead of Ford's five: base Convenience, midline Luxury, and top-shelf Premier. Monterey also omitted the Freestar's base 3.9-liter V6, leaving a 201-hp 4.2-liter V6 as the only engine. A 4-speed automatic was the only transmission. All-wheel drive was not offered, but Ford's Advance Trac antiskid/traction control system was standard on Premier and optional for Luxury. All Montereys came with antilock brakes, tire-pressure monitor, and front/rear obstacle detection. Like Freestars, Montereys used a single body that was close in overall size to some rival minivans' extended-length models. The standard and only seating package was a three-row seven-passenger setup with flip-and-fold 2nd-row buckets and a 3rd-row bench that folded into the floor, a first for a Mercury minivan. That seat could also be flipped backward for seating beneath an open liftgate when the vehicle was parked. Power-sliding rear side doors were standard except on Convenience, which offered manual doors only. Front side airbags and head-protecting curtain side airbags were optional for Convenience, standard on other Montereys. The curtains covered outboard occupants in all three rows. All Montereys included a dual-zone climate system with rear controls, plus a power driver's seat. The Luxury model added power-adjustable pedals, power front-passenger seat, leather upholstery, front-seat heating, a memory system for driver's seat/pedals/mirror, and a dual-zone automatic climate system. Heated/cooled front seats were standard for Premier. A power liftgate was added during the model year as standard for Premier and available for Luxury. Rear DVD entertainment was a late-season option except for Convenience.