What kind of car is the Mercury Cougar?
The Cougar changed character over its long life. In the middle of its history, it was a two-door personal-luxury coupe, with a comfortable cabin and a distinctive shape. It was part of Mercury’s line of cars, a Ford brand positioned between Ford and Lincoln.
For its final generation, the Cougar became a front-wheel-drive, three-door hatchback coupe. The rear hatch gave it a more practical layout than the traditional coupe that came before.
Mercury Cougar generations
The sixth generation ran from 1984 to 1988. The seventh, from 1989 to 1997, brought a major redesign and continued the two-door coupe format. After a gap, the eighth generation arrived for 1999–2002 as a hatchback coupe.
The Cougar’s role shifted from a personal-luxury coupe to a smaller, front-wheel-drive sporty model. The final generation shared its underlying architecture with the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique, while adopting a distinct hatchback shape.
Engines, fuel use and markets
US EPA figures cover petrol Cougars with engines from 2.0 L to 5.0 L. The best combined EPA rating is 25 MPG, and the lowest listed consumption is 9.4 L/100 km. EPA testing differs from Europe’s WLTP and NEDC procedures and Canada’s 5-cycle method.
Canadian NRCan figures cover petrol models with 2.0 L to 4.6 L engines for 1995–1999. The lowest listed 5-cycle consumption is 9.5 L/100 km.
Questions and answers
What body style was the last Mercury Cougar?
The 1999–2002 Cougar was a front-wheel-drive, three-door hatchback coupe.
What is the Cougar’s best combined EPA fuel economy?
The best combined EPA rating is 25 MPG.
Which engine sizes appear in the US Cougar range?
US EPA figures span engines from 2.0 L to 5.0 L.
