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Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique

The Ford Contour, as well as its sister the Mercury Mystique were the North American versions of the mid-size Ford Mondeo sedan produced between 1994 and 2000. The Contour and Mystique replaced the Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz. They were introduced in September 1994 as 1995 models, with production having commenced in Mexico on 15 August. Development of the first generation European Mondeo and its derivatives, the Contour and Mystique, was a major project for the Ford Motor Company. While the Mondeo has been afforded three body styles (four-door sedan, five-door liftback and a station wagon), the North American variants were developed as sedans only. The interior was slightly different, though the Ford Focus would be more successful as "one design for the world". Although the cars ended up slightly larger than the Tempo and Topaz, and the Mondeo was marketed as a large family car in Europe, reviewers would judge the car too small for American tastes compared to Japanese product lines where Toyota's Camry was their next size up from compact cars, and the Taurus/Sable was the direct market segment competitor for the Camry.

Initially, three trim levels were available for the Contour a base GL (available until 1998), a more luxurious LX and a sporty SE trim. A 125 hp (93 kW), 2.0 L Zetec inline four-cylinder engine was standard on the GL and LX models, while a 170 hp 2.5 L Duratec V6 was standard on SE models and optional on the GL and LX models. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard on all models, with a 4-speed automatic as an option. However, in April 1996, Ford produced a "Sport" model in both the 2.0 L four-cylinder and 2.5 L V6. The "Sport" model was an option in both SE and GL series. It was marketed as a car for a serious driver who wants an economical car.

The Mystique was initially available in entry-level GS, LS both available with the "sport" option. A base model was also available from model year 1997 through 1999.

Both the Contour and Mystique were praised for its handling and ride quality, and were even dubbed "A fun four-door sedan that offered European moves at American prices" in an Edmunds review. The Contour and Mystique were on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1995, 1996 and 1997. Although Car and Driver staff wrote an article in 2009 apologizing for the inclusion of the Ford Contour on the "Ten Best" list, it was the only car the staff did not outright recant from the list, but did cite that, in hindsight, the car should have been considered too small for its price range to properly meet criteria, and that this is the likely reason for the car's failure to achieve widespread appeal. The Contour was also named as an Automobile Magazine All Star for 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. For the SVT trim, Edmunds.com named the Contour SVT the most wanted sedan under $25,000 for the year of 1999.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Contour a "Poor" overall rating in the frontal impact crash. The head, neck, and chest were all well protected and the dummy movement was well controlled, however, excessive footwell intrusion contributed to high forces on both legs and a "Marginal" structural rating. The Contour received five stars for both the driver and passenger in the NHTSA test.

Facelift

In 1998, Ford restyled the Contour and Mystique. The restyle was based on the facelifted Mondeo which had been launched in Europe two years earlier. The front clip and doors are shared with the Mondeo, whereas the rear end received restyled quarter panels and lighting. Ford also added an SVT version for the Contour, which utilized a specially tuned and modified version of the 2.5 L V6 that produced 195 hp (145 kW)(1998 MY) / 200 hp (149 kW) (1999/2000 MY) and was only available with a 5-speed manual transmission. Also included with the SVT Contour was new bodywork, seats and trim, white-faced gauges, larger wheels with ultra high performance tires, upgraded brakes and a retuned suspension. The Contour SVT was available primarily by special order by specially designated Ford dealerships.

The SVT Contour was a modified version of the Ford Contour sedan from Ford's in-house Special Vehicle Team. The SVT Contour was produced from 1998MY through 2000MY, with a mid-year revision for 1998.5. All Ford Contours were produced at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant (KCAP) in Claycomo, Missouri, just outside Kansas City, Missouri.

Year	Engine	Power	Torque	Production
1998	2.5 L Duratec 25 SVT V6	195 hp (145 kW)	165 ft·lbf (224 N·m)	4,485
1998.5				2,050
1999		200 hp (149 kW)	169 ft·lbf (229 N·m)	2,760
2000				2,150
Total				11,445

Engines

• 2.0 L Zetec I4 125 hp (97 kW)
• 2.5 L Duratec 25 V6 170 hp (125 kW)
• 2.5 L Duratec 25 V6 195 hp (145 kW) (1998 SVT)
• 2.5 L Duratec 25 V6 200 hp (149 kW) (1999 and 2000 SVT)

Model year changes

1996

• The backs of the front seats were recessed, improving rear seat leg room.
• Rear seat cushions were repositioned to increase room.
• Chrome bumper strips were dropped, 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.

1997

• New value-priced base models 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.

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.
• 5-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 2-point to 3-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 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 were left white.
• Less forceful "second-generation" airbags were made standard.

1998.5

In mid-production for the 1998 model, (manufactured after Feb 98) 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 raising skid pad numbers from .84g to .90g.
• 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.
• Slight change in dash design. 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, Toreador Red and optional on Black Ebony cars.
• SVT gets new BF Goodrich KDW tires. Size changes to 215/50-16.
• Revised transmission synchronizers to address an issue in the 1998 SVT.
• Mystique's suspension tuned for a softer ride.

2000

• Displacement on the Duratec V6 engine decreased slightly, but the compression ratio is 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.
• 4-cylinder Contour models continue as fleet vehicles only.
• Mystique GS and LS models returned with emergency in-trunk releases. Mercury pulled the Mystique from its lineup early into 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.
• Replaced by larger, redesigned Ford Taurus.

Sales

In Europe, the Mondeo was instantly declared a class leader. It was elected Car of the Year in 1994, ahead of PSA's new Xantia model. The facelifted Mondeo was initially popular, being Britain's third best selling new car in 1996 through to 1998. However, in 1999 it dipped into sixth place and had been outsold by its biggest rival, the Vauxhall Vectra.

However, the Mondeo struggled to compete in North America and Australia. In the United States and Canada, the Contour suffered from market incompatibility with the preceding Ford Tempo, which by the end of its production run was an outdated design from the mid-1980s which sold primarily on its low price to lower-end customers and fleets. In contrast, the Contour was significantly more expensive as Ford hoped to sell it on its redeeming qualities instead; a base model Contour was several hundred dollars more expensive than a loaded Tempo LX, pricing it out of the market for prospective and returning Tempo customers. Customers in the Contour's price range were instead drawn to the Taurus which was larger and offered better value for money; large factory incentives on the outgoing Taurus throughout 1995 in anticipation of a completely redesigned model due to launch later that year helped the Taurus cut into the Contour's initial market.

Anticipating this, Ford moved the Taurus upmarket with the release of the redesigned 1996 model, but poor customer reception to the new model's design and high price forced Ford to heavily discount it and continuously reduce its base price through its life, reviving the in-showroom competition between the two models. Additionally, the Contour was hurt by strong competition in the medium segment by the other American automakers; The similarly-priced Chrysler Cirrus, which was concurrently launched by the Chrysler Corporation for the 1995 model year, matched the Contour in design, performance and driving dynamics, but had more features and a larger interior. The 1996 launch of the lower-priced Chevrolet Malibu by General Motors further cut into Contour sales. The Mondeo faced similar issues in Australia, as it was hampered by stiff competition from Japanese competitors in an already limited medium-sized market while its high price drove prospective customers to the larger and better equipped Ford Falcon. Heavy fleet sales of the Taurus and Falcon, which led to a large volume of low-mileage, low-priced one- and two-year-old examples saturating the used vehicle market was also a factor in making the Mondeo a tough sell to respective American and Australian consumers.

There is however another theory advanced by some motoring journalists: because the Mondeo was developed in Europe with limited input from Ford's North American and Australian operations, executives at both operations were unenthusiastic about the car and had no qualms about letting it fail in the marketplace to allow for the continued success of their locally developed models. Ford withdrew the Mondeo and exited the medium-sized markets in both continents in 2000, not to return until the 2005 launch of the Fusion in North America and the 2007 return of the Mondeo in Australia. The Mondeo would return to North America in 2012 as the redesigned 2013 Fusion as part of the "One Ford" business plan. The redesigned Mondeos, thanks to their larger size, better prices, increased development input from Australian and American customers, and changing market demographics, would prove successful in both continents.

The Mondeo was released in Australia in 1995, but was not a sales success, where, similarly, there was a much larger local model, the Falcon, and was dropped in 2000. Ford Australia withdrew completely from the medium-sized segment of the Australian market, arguing that it was in decline. The estate version, the first medium-sized Ford of its kind to be sold in Australia since the Cortina, was dropped in 1999. It struggled against Japanese mid-size models such as the Honda Accord and Subaru Liberty, as well as the Holden Vectra, also imported from Europe, although unlike the Mondeo, briefly assembled locally. The Mondeo has since returned to Australia in 2007 with an all-new model.

In Australia, the 1995 to 2000 Ford Mondeo was assessed in the Used Car Safety Ratings 2006 as providing "significantly better than average" protection for its occupants in the event of a crash.

The Mondeo launched in New Zealand to replace the Mazda 626-based Telstar following the closure of the Ford New Zealand assembly plant in 1997. Many earlier model Mondeos, imported used from Japan were also sold locally.

In 1997, the Mondeo was introduced into South Africa as a replacement for the Ford Telstar. It was produced locally at their Silverton plant in 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre saloon models. As production was limited to one body style, Estate (2.0-litre) Hatchback (2.5-litre V6) models were imported alongside the saloon models. The Mondeo was one of the first mainstream cars in South Africa to introduce airbags as standard equipment.^{[citation needed]} Saloon sales were never a major success^{[citation needed]} – fairly radical styling being cited as the main problem by a still conservative vehicle market. Styling was partly addressed by an Aspen model, which featured 15" alloy wheels, front fog lamps and full leather trim.

In Taiwan, Ford Lio Ho produced a version of the Mondeo known as the Mondeo M2000, which had a front end similar to the outgoing Mercury Mystique, but with Ford badges. Its rear end was identical to that of the European models. This model was also exported to China.

US sales

Calendar year	Contour	Mystique
1999	134,487	39,531
2000	45,109	16,208