Ford Contour

Model name origin

The Ford Mondeo name was derived from mundus, a Latin word for world; the nameplate was selected to denote the world car project. In North America, Ford changed the name to Ford Contour to avoid confusion around a world car assembled in North America. Denoting its relative lack of straight lines, the Contour name debuted on a 1991 concept car. The Mercury Mystique took its name on a 1991 minivan concept, sharing a "T-drive" powertrain with the Contour.

Chassis

The Ford Contour uses the front-wheel drive Ford CDW27 platform on a 106.5-inch wheelbase (longer than the 1986 Ford Taurus). The CDW27 is of unibody construction, including a front subframe.

The front suspension was a short-long arm design with MacPherson struts; the rear suspension was a "Quadralink" multilink design. Front disc/rear drum brakes were standard, with four-wheel disc brakes fitted to higher-trim vehicles; anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control were optionally fitted.

Body

Though the two model lines looked similar externally, the Contour wore different body panels from the Mondeo, sharing only the windshield, sideview mirrors, door glass, and door handles. While the Mondeo was offered as a four-door sedan, five-door hatchback, and a 5-door station wagon, the Contour was marketed only as a four-door sedan. Styled with a larger oval grille (framed by the hood), the Contour was fitted with different headlamps and taillamps from the Mondeo, the Contour utilized amber parking lamps and red turn signals. In contrast with the Mondeo, the Contour was fitted with body-color trim moldings and chrome trim moldings on the bumpers (on all trims).

The interior of the Contour differed slightly from its Mondeo counterpart; though the instrument cluster was shared between the two vehicles (though with a speedometer reading MPH), the dashboard was different. Sharing its radio and climate controls with the Taurus, the Contour GL was fitted with a different center console (trading its ashtray for two cupholders ahead of the shifter); the Contour LX and SE shared a nearly identical design as the Mondeo. In a first for the American market, the Contour/Mystique were fitted with a standard cabin air filter.

Trim

The Ford Contour was offered in three trim levels: GL (1995-1997), a higher-content LX, and a sporty SE trim. The 2.0L engine was standard on GL and LX versions, with the 2.5L standard with SE trim. As a running change during 1996, a "Sport" option package was introduced for GL and SE-trim models.

The Mercury Mystique was produced with two trim levels: standard-trim GS and higher-trim LS (with a "Sport" option package available for both versions); from 1997 to 1999, an undesignated base-trim Mystique was offered.

1996

• The backs of the front seats were recessed, improving rear seat leg room.
• Rear seat cushions were lowered to increase headroom.
• Chrome bumper strips were now body color, resulting in bumpers that were monochromatic.
• Seven-spoke alloy wheels become standard for SE model.
• Split rear seats now available on all models.
• The powertrain control module was changed to the newer EEC-V to be OBD-II compliant.
• Manual transmission was reworked for easier shifts.
• New colors.
• A user could now use one key to unlock all the doors.
• A leather finished steering wheel was optional leather on the Mercury Mystique.

1997

• New value-priced base models were introduced in late 1997 for both Contour and Mystique.
• Traction control is dropped as an option.
• Added interior trunk light
• Steering wheels now tilt
• Heated mirrors are dropped as an option.
• "Unleaded fuel only" label was removed from the fuel gauge.
• Various interior plastic pieces and covers on the Contour are no longer spray-painted silver and are left black.
• Remote fuel door release is dropped.
• Mystique – optional CD player and power front seats on GS, standard on LS
• Monochromatic bumper strips were removed altogether.

1998

• New design for front and rear fascias, including a chrome grille surround and larger headlights; Mystique gets side Mercury emblems on the rear quarter windows.
• Mystique's interior also received new fabric choices (leather seating, previously optional, became standard on LS models) and faux wood trim to make it more upscale than the Contour.
• Five-speed manual transmission changed from rod shift to cable shift.
• High-performance Contour SVT version debuts, available only in Silver Frost, Toreador Red, and Black Ebony with Midnight Blue interior.
• Roof line altered and the rear deck shortened for improved rear seat headroom
• Seat recliner is changed from a knob to a lever.
• Seatbelt for rear center seat is improved from two-point to three-point.
• New center consoles; pop-up cup holders are replaced and are now molded into the console.
• Glove box light, underhood light, lighted sun visors, and door handle lights are removed.
• Integrated rear child-safety seats are optional on the Mystique.
• Warning lights on the instrument cluster were relocated to different spots. Moldings stayed the same.
• The red empty marker on the fuel gauge was left white.
• "Second-generation" airbags were made standard.

Mid-1998 (SVT)

In mid-production for the 1998 model (manufactured after February 1998), Ford decided to make several more changes to the SVT Contour. This resulted in a noticeable distinction between early and late 1998 SVT Contours. To differentiate between the two, the late 1998 model is sometimes referred to as the "1998.5", or alternatively the early 1998 model as the "E0" and the late 1998 model as the "E1". The mid-year changes are as listed below.

• Split rear seats are now available only on the SE model.
• In-dash clock is relocated to the stereo head unit display.
• New Cobra-style SVT aluminum alloy wheels
• SVT-specific Goodyear Eagle F1 tires replace Goodyear GS-C tires. The 205/55-16 size is retained.
• Different strut valving and tires raised skid pad numbers from .84 to .90 G.
• The word "normal" was removed from the temperature gauge. "C" for cool and "H" for hot were added.

1999

• All models are equipped with a slightly larger fuel tank at 15.4 gallons.
• A slight change was made in dash design. The plastic piece around front window was eliminated.
• Seats were again altered for additional rear leg room.
• The 2.0 L I4 engine received an additional 5 hp
• Contour SVT engine rating was upped 5 hp to 200 hp due to additional abrasive flow machining of the primary and secondary intake ports.
• SVT is offered in Tropic Green.
• SVT gains tan leather interior for Tropic Green and Toreador Red, and optional on Black Ebony cars.
• SVT gets new BF Goodrich KDW tires. Size changes to 215/50-16.
• Revised transmission synchronizers addressed an issue in the 1998 SVT.
• Mystique's suspension was tuned for a softer ride.

2000

• Displacement on the Duratec V6 engine decreased slightly, but the compression ratio was increased to compensate. This was done to keep the engine used in Mazda vehicles to maintain a lower engine displacement based tax level in Japan.
• Ground effect side skirts on the Contour SE Sport were discontinued
• Rear spoiler option was added for the SVT
• Four-cylinder Contour models continued as fleet vehicles only.
• Mystique GS and LS models returned with emergency in-trunk releases. Mercury pulled the Mystique from its lineup early in the 2000 model year. Production ended for the Mystique on December 23, 1999, but Contour production continued into late fall of 2000 to support rental fleets.
• The last Ford Contour rolled off the assembly line on October 19, 2000.
• Ford narrowed its lineup, with the most similar replacement for the Contour, the Fusion, not debuting until 2006