The Mercury Cougar was a major step forward featuring the Mercury’s “New Edge” design. Aesthetically, the new Cougar featured sharp styling cues and a round contour. At the front, the Cougar featured a pair of cat-eye headlamps, projector headlamps, a small grille and a lower air intake. At the rear, blistered taillights added lots of style to the sporty coupe. The first front-wheel-drive Cougar had a stylish and practical interior, with cloth covered seats that offered great comfort and good lateral support, even if they were a bit firm. The driver’s seat featured an adaptable lumbar support. The dashboard and the center console were simple, with a clean design that added to the cosy atmosphere inside the Cougar. A fine sounding stereo was fitted with the new Cougar and it featured a detachable front panel that made it less interesting for the thieves. A first in their range, the Mercury Cougar had improved safety with side impact airbags. The cabin was roomy, but mostly for the front occupants. In the back, the headroom was better than expected, but legroom was limited. As far as the cargo area goes, the Cougar featured a very usable trunk and its capacity could easily be increased by folding the rear seats. Customers could choose between between two engine options, a powerful 2.5-liter V6 that cranked out 170 hp and reached 100 km/h in around 6.8, and a less punchy unit, a 2.0-liter ZETEC unit with 125 hp as standard.