PREVIEW: 1999 MERCURY COUGAR
02/02/1998
Greg A. Godsell
Through its three decades of production, the Mercury Cougar has been many things. Originally a Mustang knockoff, Cougar has progressed through many wildly variant stages such as the Lincoln-esque cruisers of the 70's, the Granada mid-sized sedan clones of the early 80's and the notch-backed Thunderbird siblings of recent years.
Ford's Lincoln and Mercury divisions are interested in becoming more youth oriented. The new Cougar underscores that point with a personal sports coupe that finds individuality in unique styling. Buyers are expected to be young, active individuals in the 25-40 age group that can identify with the personality of the Cougar. The European designed, American-made coupe is Ford's first North American application of its so-called 'New-Edge' styling. Readers familiar with the Fiesta based Ford Puma will see more than a passing resemblance to that Europe-only coupe.
Cougar breaks little new ground technically, as it draws heavily on the capable Mondeo (Contour/Mystique) platform. Mercury claims that nearly 70% of the basic parts from the Mondeo have been reused in the Cougar. This means that Cougar is a front-wheel drive vehicle with 4-wheel independent suspension and two basic engine choices: the 2.0-liter Zetec inline 4-cylinder (125hp @ 5500 rpm) and the 2.5-liter 24-valve Duratec V-6 (170hp @ 6250 rpm). A 5-speed manual transmission is standard and an optional 4-speed automatic will be offered.
The power will meet the road with P205/60 tires on 15" aluminum wheels for the base model and P215/50 tires on 16" wheels for the uplevel model. Brakes are front disc and rear drums on 4-cylinder models. Duratec models receive discs in the back and upgraded front discs. The included 4-channel ABS features electronic brake distribution for extra braking stability.
While the Cougar is technically quite capable, buyers are going to seek out the Cougar because of its standout styling. Late last year Mercury showed the MC2 concept as an indication of its radical new stylistic direction. Surprisingly, the production version carries through on the promise of the concept.
Look closely at the profile of the Cougar, and you'll see a mixture of lines chock full of details that hold your interest, without looking overdone. The waistline extends from below the headlights and follows a contour to the top of the rear deck. The roofline continues its downward arc through to the rear bumper molding. Usually unremarkable, the rocker panels feature an upward arc that follows through on the seams of the front and rear bumper moldings. Even the glaring eye headlights and the triangular taillights feature spherical projections that are clearly visible from a side view.
Once inside the Cougar, you will find the unique styling treatment equally as impressive as the exterior. The dashboard features wide sweeping arcs and a prevalent circular theme. Ventilation openings are all round openings that can be freely rotated for positioning. The instrumentation continues the circular theme with overlapping gauges. The portions of the dash containing controls for radio, lights, and ventilation are distinguished from the rest of the dash through the use of contrasting materials.
It is here inside the Cougar that we find our biggest complaint. The quality of interior materials selected for the Cougar is sub-standard. The fit and finish is fine, the materials just feel cheap. Unlike many competitors in its class, there is an excess of hard shiny plastic that detracts from the overall appearance of the interior. We expect more from a car that makes as strong of a statement as the Cougar does.
The new Cougar parallels Ford's Probe. The Probe had embodied Ford's interpretation of the modern sports coupe for years. With the demise of the Probe and timing of this redesign, the Cougar is now the full-fledged successor to the Probe, thus adding another new incarnation for this venerable marque.