1996 Mercury Cougars
 |
The
1996 Cougar XR7 |
For the 1996 model year,
the Cougar once again was on a new 2-year cycle. The Ford Thunderbird was
also freshened, and the two cars once again shared some common exterior
parts. A new front end, very similar to the Mustang, was sculpted, with
a new grille. The hood and headlights were also new, and they were identical
to the T-Bird's. The headlights became clear with the "jewel-look" multi-faceted
reflectors. A new rear bumper had a slightly different look as well. The
side moldings were gone, replaced with a thick lower body cladding. Also,
some bright trim was added to break up the body lines a bit. The doorhandles
were given a body-color surround. New wheels (finally!) were added to the
line-up, and all were 15". An all-new Sport appearance package was available,
with geometric spoke wheels (IDENTICAL to the ones used on the 1992 25th
Anniversary Cougar) and non-functional luggage rack; also, the cat's head
logo was embroidered on the seats. Later in the 1996 model year, the luggage
rack was deleted for a new factory rear spoiler with built-in LED third
brake light. The "V8" badge was now gone. New colors rounded out the list
of exterior changes. The standard 3.8 V6 got a horsepower boost, now up
to 145. All other mechanicals remained essentially unchanged. Interior
changes saw a two-tone scheme of the wraparound dash. New seat fabrics
and patterns were added as well.
| The optional
4.6 SOHC V8 remained at 205 hp.
It did, however, receive a new upper intake manifold that helped bring peak maximum horsepower at a lower RPM and increase peak torque a bit. This was almost the identical intake used on the 1996 Mustang GT. |
 |
  |
Front
and
rear styling treatments for the 1996 Cougar XR7. |
Interesting to note: for only the third time in its entire history, the Cougar logo was changed in 1996, albeit slightly. The old logo was now "filled in", giving a thicker appearance. The new logo appeared in the grille and on the C-pillars, but NOT on the steering wheel center (the traditional cat's head still resided there). While not particularly exciting, the new symbol did update the traditional logo with a more contemporary flair. |
The grille logo was outset by a ring containing the MERCURY letters and 11 equally-spaced dots. This was partially a tribute to car emblems of the 50's and 60's. However, it may have been slightly incongruous with the rest of the car's rather contemporary styling. |
ENGINES
Base - 3.8 (232 cid) V6;
145 hp @ 4000 rpm; 215 lb-ft torque @ 2750 rpm
Optional - 4.6 (281 cid)
SOHC V8; 205 hp @ 4250 rpm; 280 lb-ft torque @ 3000 rpm
TRANSMISSIONS
XR7 - 4R70W 4-speed with
overdrive
BRAKES
XR7 - Front 10.8 inch disc,
rear 9.8 inch drum (10.0 inch disc brakes available with ABS)
GENERAL
Wheelbase - 113"
Overall Length - 199.9
Overall Width - 72.7
Overall Height - 52.5
Cargo Capacity - 15.1 cubic
feet
Fuel Capacity - 18.0 gallons
CURB WEIGHT
XR7 (w/V6) - 3558 lb.
XR7 (w/V8) - 3725 lb.
TOTAL SALES
N/A
