Ford Cougar

The Ford Cougar is a coupé that was produced and sold in the European market between 1998 and 2002, and sold in Canada and the United States from 1999 to 2002 as the Mercury Cougar. The car was originally intended to be the third generation Probe, but after a 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.

Not to be confused with Ford Kuga.
Ford Cougar (Europe)
Overview
ManufacturerFord Europe
Also calledMercury Cougar (United States)
Production1998–2002
1998–2001 (Britain)
AssemblyFlat Rock, Michigan, United States/Köln, Germany
DesignerDarrell Behmer[1]
Body and chassis
ClassSport coupé
Body style2-door coupé
LayoutFront engine, front-wheel-drive
RelatedFord Mondeo
Powertrain
Engine2.0 L Zetec
2.5 L Duratec V6
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 (2015–present)

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-absent 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.

It 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. Unlike its famous forebearer, the Capri, Cougar sales were never brisk, despite good reports of the model as a "driver's car".

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 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 England, Ford unveiled the car in July 1998, at the English 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 hit 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 demise in England, 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 optional 2.5-litre 24-valve Duratec V6, and continued until March 2004.

Technical

Mechanical

The Cougar came equipped with the 2.0-litre 16 valve Zetec, or the 2.5-litre 24 valve Duratec V6 engines with two specification levels, largely equivalent to a Mondeo Ghia (standard) and Ghia X (simply X).[2] Manual and automatic transmissions were available. All variants came with 16-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The 2.0 litre version had 96 kW as standard, while the 2.5 was rated at 125 kW.[3]

Specifications
2.0 16v2.5L 24v2.5L 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 has been described by critics as “(putting) its power down effectively and (tackling) twisty roads with confidence.”[4] The standard wheels had 215 mm wide tyres, which greatly contributed to its cornering abilities.

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.[5]

Available at an extra cost, and not included in the "X-Pack" were heated windscreen, electric tilt, slide sunroof, and metallic paint.[5]

Safety and security

The standard safety kit includes driver, passenger, and side airbags, plus ABS brakes and seat belts that reduce chest injuries. The Cougar is well-protected against theft and break-in, due to an engine immobilizer, remote control central and double locking systems, and an alarm.[6]

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See also

References
  1. Swan, Tony. "1999 Mercury Cougar". Car & Driver. Archived from the original on 2017-09-14. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  2. Channel 4 Car Archived 2008-04-09 at the Wayback Machine - Ford Cougar (1998-2001) Review: On the road
  3. UK Cougar Archived 2008-03-28 at the Wayback Machine - Technical Specifications
  4. Parkers.co.uk Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine - Car reviews; Ford Cougar (98-02): Handling
  5. "About the Ford Cougar". UKCougar.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007.
  6. Channel 4 Car Archived 2008-04-09 at the Wayback Machine - Ford Cougar (1998-2001) Review: Safety and Security
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