Ford Cougar

The Ford Cougar is a D-segment coupé that was produced and sold in the European market between 1998 and 2002, and sold in Canada and the United States from 1999 until 2002 as the Mercury Cougar.

Not to be confused with Ford Kuga.
Ford Cougar (Europe)
Overview
ManufacturerFord Europe
Also calledMercury Cougar (United States)
Production1998–2002
1998–2001 (Britain)
Model years1999-2002
AssemblyFlat Rock, Michigan, United States
Köln, Germany
DesignerDarrell Behmer[1]
Body and chassis
ClassLarge family car (D)
Body style2-door coupé
LayoutFront engine, front-wheel-drive
RelatedFord Mondeo
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission5-speed manual
4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,704 mm (106.5 in)
Length4,699 mm (185.0 in)
Width1,769 mm (69.6 in)
Height1,308 mm (51.5 in)
Chronology
PredecessorFord Probe
SuccessorFord Mustang (fourth generation)

The car was originally intended to be the third generation Probe, but after rationalization of the three coupés available in the United States, the Probe name was dropped in favor of the Cougar. It is an example of a sports coupé/liftback.

History
Ford Cougar - rear view

The Cougar was Ford's second attempt to reintroduce a sports coupé in Europe, in the same vein as the successful, but long discontinued Capri – the first attempt having been the Mazda MX-6 based Probe. Just as the Capri had been based on the Cortina, the Cougar was based on the large family car available at the time, the Mondeo.

The car went on sale in Europe in December 1998 to mixed reviews, partly due to the then-new and controversial New Edge styling, a crisp style which was subsequently applied to most of the Ford range. Cougar sales levels did not achieve those of predecessor Capri models.

Like its (indirect) predecessor, the Ford Probe, the 1998 Cougar was sold and built in the United States. Cars destined to be sold in Europe and the United Kingdom were finished in Ford's Köln plant in Germany, where the cars had European specification lighting installed, Ford badges applied (and in the case of the United Kingdom and Australian cars, converted to RHD); in the United States, it had different branding, in this case being branded as the Mercury Cougar, while in Europe and Australia, it was known as the Ford Cougar.

In Britain, Ford unveiled the car in July 1998, at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone. The television advertisements featured the silver model driven by Dennis Hopper due to his appearance in the film Easy Rider. At the same time, Steppenwolf's song from 1968, "Born To Be Wild" played, as this was featured in the film and the same scene the advertisement recreated.

The Cougar was retired from the European market in August 2002, after its withdrawal from Britain, in February 2001. After the first two years of production, only 12,000 units reportedly had been sold in the United Kingdom. Released in Australia in October 1999, the Cougar only came with the 2.5 L 24-valve Duratec V6, and sales continued until March 2004.

Technical

Mechanical

Cougar was built on the Ford Mondeo sedan platform providing it with a good ride and compared to other coupes along with "reasonably generous" interior room.[2]

The Cougar came equipped with the 2.0 L 16-valve Zetec, or the 2.5 L 24-valve Duratec V6 engines with two specification levels, largely equivalent to a Mondeo Ghia (standard) and Ghia X (simply X).[3] Manual and automatic transmissions were available. All variants came with 16-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The standard 2.0 L version was rated at 96 kW (131 hp) while the 2.5 L was rated at 125 kW (170 hp).[4]

Specifications
2.0 L 16v2.5 L 24v2.5 L 24v (automatic)
Engine Zetec, EDBA Duratec
Cylinders/Valves R4/16 V6/24
Displacement 1988 cc 2544 cc (2495 cc from June 2000)
Max. power 96 kW (129 hp) @ 5600 rpm 125 kW (168 hp) @ 6250 rpm
Max torque 178 N⋅m (131 lbf⋅ft) @ 4000 rpm 220 N⋅m (162 lbf⋅ft) @ 4250 rpm
Drive Front wheel drive
0–100 km/h

(0-62 mph)

 10.3 s 8.6 s 10.4 s
Top speed 209 km/h (130 mph) 225 km/h (140 mph) 206 km/h (128 mph)
Weight EU norm 1,315 kg (2,899 lb) 1,390 kg (3,064 lb) 1,410 kg (3,109 lb)
CO2 Emissions 202 g/km 228 g/km 240 g/km
Years 1998–2002 1998–2002 1998–2002

Handling

The car's handling has been described by as “puts its power down effectively and tackles twisty roads with confidence."[5] The standard wheels had 215 mm wide tyres, which contributed to its cornering abilities. Long trips by Car and Driver resulted in numerous "uncomplimentary observations concerning the driver's seat."[1]

Extras

An "X-Pack" was available on the larger engine; this included leather upholstered and heated front seats, with six-way electric adjustment for the driver's seat, and a Ford RDS6000 six-speaker radio with six-CD autochanger.[6]

Available at an extra cost, and not included in the "X-Pack" were heated windscreen, electric tilt, slide sunroof, and metallic paint.[6]

Safety and security

The standard safety kit includes driver, passenger, and side airbags, plus anti-lock brakes and seat belts that reduce chest injuries. The Cougar included an engine immobilizer, remote control central and double locking systems, and an alarm.[3]

See also

References
  1. Swan, Tony. "1999 Mercury Cougar". Car & Driver. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. "Used Ford Cougar Coupe (1998 - 2002) Review". parkers.co.uk. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  3. "Ford Cougar (1998-2001) Review". channel4.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  4. "Ford Cougar - Technical Specifications". ukcougar.com. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  5. "Car reviews; Ford Cougar (98-02)". parkers.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  6. "About the Ford Cougar". ukcougar.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007.
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