New Mercury Verado 350 expands line with novel performance features

MIAMI — The newest iteration of the Mercury Verado is a novel evolution of the line that offers some new features and integrates seamlessly with the Verado family.

Unveiled to the public in Miami, the Verado 350 four-stroke engine is designed for performance across all applications, but with a special eye toward a few key segments of the industry.

“We’re proud to introduce the next evolution of this market-leading outboard series, the innovative and powerful Verado 350,” said John Pfeifer, president of Mercury Marine. “Whether it’s installed in single or multiple-engine configurations, Verado 350 delivers everything performance-minded boaters and anglers demand.”

The narrow mounting footprint allows for easy multi-engine setups.
The narrow mounting footprint allows for easy multi-engine setups.

The narrow chassis of 26 inches and light weight (668 pounds) make the Verado 350 well suited for multiple engine applications. Boat owners can squeeze more power out of their setup without adding much more weight. Noting that the 23 to 40 foot saltwater segment has grown some 80 percent since 2011, Mercury says the engine offers distinct advantages for center consoles, offshore fishermen, luxury cruisers and large bay boats.

To achieve that increased power, the new Verado adds two major new developments for the consumer line.

The new top cowl protects the air intake (inset) and keeps the powerhead dry.
The new top cowl protects the air intake (inset) and keeps the powerhead dry.

Firstly, the cold air intake system is designed to deliver cool air from outside the cowl and deliver it directly to the supercharger. According to Mercury designers, the new cold-air intake delivers air directly to the supercharger in a straighter airflow with less air turbulence than previous models.

Secondly, the new water-cooling system borrowed and tweaked from the Verado racing line keeps the supercharger cooler while taking some of the load off the air intake system. The dual cooling setup promises greater durability and less maintenance for the life of the engine.

Those new systems build upon the inline six-cylinder Verado 300 outboard engine, giving the 350 better performance, the option to use 89 octane fuel and a 10 percent increase fuel economy over competing engines at cruising speed, according to Mercury.

Also new to the consumer line are guide plates optimized to handle the 350 horsepower in harsh ocean environments.

Despite all the new technology, building upon the Verado platform is the engine’s greatest strength. The combined 50 million hours of real world experience on the Verado 300 isn’t a bad place to start. Integrating with the various Verado peripherals like joystick controls, Skyhook and VesselView another key benefit.

The new engine also comes standard with Mercury’s exclusive lifetime maintenance-free valve train along with a three-year corrosion warranty.

Under the hood of the new Verado 350.
Under the hood of the new Verado 350.

Quick Facts


Full Throttle RPM: 5800 – 6400
Configuration: Inline 6-Cylinder
Gear Ratio: 5.44” 1.75
Dry Weight: 668 lbs.
Displacement: 2.6L
Steering: Electro Hydraulic Power Steering
Shaft Length: 20” / 25” / 30

Read up on all the new Mercury engines here.

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