| Ford Cougar (Europe) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford Europe |
| Also called | Mercury Cougar (United States) |
| Production | 1998–2002 1998–2001 (Britain) |
| Model years | 1999-2002 |
| Assembly | Flat Rock, Michigan,United States Köln,Germany |
| Designer | Darrell Behmer[1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Large family car (D) |
| Body style | 3-doorliftbackcoupé |
| Layout | Front engine,front-wheel-drive |
| Related | Ford Mondeo Mercury Cougar |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 5-speedmanual 4-speedautomatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,704 mm (106.5 in) |
| Length | 4,699 mm (185.0 in) |
| Width | 1,769 mm (69.6 in) |
| Height | 1,308 mm (51.5 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Probe |
| Successor | Ford Mustang (fourth generation) |
TheFord Cougar is aD-segmentcoupé 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 theMercury Cougar.
The car was originally intended to be the third generationProbe, but after rationalization of the three coupés available in theUnited States, the Probe name was dropped in favor of the Cougar. It is an example of a sportscoupé/liftback.
The Cougar wasFord's second attempt to reintroduce a sports coupé in Europe, in the same vein as the successful, but long discontinuedCapri – the first attempt having been theMazda MX-6 based Probe. Just as the Capri had been based on theCortina, the Cougar was based on thelarge family car available at the time, theMondeo.
The car went on sale inEurope in December 1998 to mixed reviews, partly due to the then-new and controversialNew 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 theUnited States. Cars destined to be sold in Europe and the United Kingdom were finished in Ford'sKöln 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 toRHD); 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 byDennis Hopper due to his appearance in the filmEasy 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 the2.5 L 24-valve Duratec V6, and sales continued until March 2004.
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-inchalloy 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]
| 2.0 L 16v | 2.5 L 24v | 2.5 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 widetyres, which contributed to its cornering abilities. Long trips byCar and Driver resulted in numerous "uncomplimentary observations concerning the driver's seat."[1]
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, slidesunroof, andmetallic paint.[6]
The standard safety kit includes driver, passenger, and side airbags, plusanti-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]
Media related toFord Cougar at Wikimedia Commons| Subsidiaries and brands |
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