Introduced in 2004, Mercury Marine’s Digital Throttle And Shift system—dubbed DTS—has been upgraded with new features for 2021. The new system will “replace all DTS-compatible Mercury stern-drive, inboard, diesel and outboard engines,” according to a press release from the Fond du Lac, Wis., company. That includes Mercury’s new Verado 600 V-12 outboard unveiled earlier this week, as well as the entire Verado engine family.

Mercury Marine has enhanced its Digital Throttle and Shift system for its outboard, stern-drive and diesel engine products.

“When we were creating the Next Gen Digital Throttle and Shift system, we aimed to improve the boating experience with an intuitive design and simpler access to the features boaters use most often,” said Tyler Mehrl, category manager for steering and controls at Mercury, in the release.

New features include Active Trim activation and adjustment buttons integrated on the Next Gen DTS control base, which eliminates the need for an additional control panel on the dash. (Active Trim automatically and continuously adjusts engine trim based on changes in GPS speed to improve performance, fuel economy and ease of operation, according to the release.) Additional enhancements include a green neutral indicator light on the throttle handles that confirm gear position, a convenient throttle only feature for starting and warming the engines, and a large start/stop button and an oversized trim switch.

The new DTS controls have the same sleek, chrome-on black-aesthetics styling consistent with the current “Mercury DNA” overseen by Todd Dannenberg, Mercury director of industrial design.

“The ergonomics provide a very natural connection that invites the boater to push the throttle and feel the engine’s power. Plus, there are intuitive new features that improve the user experience, which we derived through intensive usability testing,” Dannenberg said in the release.

Added Mehrl, “We incorporated an incredible range of features designed to improve the experience of operating single- and multi-engine boats. The intuitive design means there’s very little learning curve to be able to enjoy a huge performance advantage.”

Related stories
Mercury Goes Boldly With 600-HP V-12 Verado Outboard
Mercury Marine Offering Rebate Program On Outboards Up To 400 HP