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The cat is back. Only it’s a kitten.

The Mercury Cougar has shrunk.

Had been a midsize coupe with room for two adults in back. Now it’s a compact coupe with room for two kids in back. Mercury obviously is going after a younger audience. Isn’t it?

Cougar also had been a rear-wheel-drive luxury coupe that offered a 3.8-liter V-6 for cruising, a 4.6-liter V-8 for those with a more aggressive bent.

Now it’s a front-wheel-drive sports coupe with a 4-cylinder for the mileage-minded or V-6 for those who live in the passing lane–whenever those matrons and patrons in Volvo wagons move out of the way.

For the ’99 model year, which starts at Mercury showrooms May 7, Cougar has undergone a dramatic transformation.

An old name has been put on an existing platform to create a new car. Cougar, which dates to 1967 and its birth off the Mustang platform, now shares a platform with Mercury Mystique and Ford Contour.

A two-door Mystique? Bite your tongue.

The new Cougar is offered with a 2-liter, 125-horsepower, 16-valve 4-cylinder or a 2.5-liter, 170-h.p., 24-valve V-6, the same engines offered in Mystique and Contour.

We tested Cougar with both engines at a media preview here. The V-6 version gets a suspension upgrade tuned for better handling and complemented by wider-profile 16-inch radial tires (15-inch only on 4-cylinder models) to provide more sure-footed handling when stepping lane to lane or around that curve on the country road.

To best understand the new Cougar, you should know Mercury officials consider the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Dodge Avenger and Saturn SC1/SC2 its primary rivals.

The new Cougar isn’t a Camaro, Firebird or Mustang. It doesn’t breathe fire, and it doesn’t smoke its treads unless you travel off the normal winding terrain and pause, as we did, at the Road Atlanta race course. It was here that Mercury set up a slalom in the parking lot where the media could spend a little time riding the sidewalls.

After the slalom, it was on to the track for higher speeds on bigger curves and where riding the sidewalls satisfies the Walter Mitty in all–except the folks from the Skip Barber School of Performance Driving, who were hired to ensure we kept the cars tire side down and who have little tolerance for wannabe fools.

We escaped with one warning: “That pedal is called the brake and is best applied before the turn at speed rather than half way through it.”

The new Cougar is far more fun than its predecessor, thanks in large part to the far less conservative suspension and tires. Speed-sensitive power steering contributes to the feel of driver control. Speed sensitive means more assist at low speed, such as maneuvering the parking space, less assist at high speed, such as trying to maneuver Turn 3 at Road Atlanta.

Cougar’s system still feels a bit heavy, though that is preferable to too loose and having to spin the wheel 360 degrees to make a left or right turn. How firm is the steering? You won’t drive with fingertips only on the leather-wrapped wheel unless those fingers are the size of railroad ties.

Mercury also boasts Cougar has more design flair, with the focus on “new-edge” styling, which features rounded panels with sharp creases. Design looks different based on vehicle color and the amount of light it reflects. Red and especially silver show off the creases better than black or beige.

Mercury also says Cougar is more functional as a hatchback with a rear deck-lid that opens and rear seat backs that fold flat for an ample number of parcels.

We would agree with fun, flair and function, but those are the same claims being made by Volkswagen and its Beetle. And, truth be told, Beetle stops traffic.

Mercury said that youth looking to make a styling statement will flock to Cougar. Considering the Beetle costs roughly the same–or less–andm akes a much more dramatic styling statement, we can’t help but feel Mercury has its work cut out for it, especially after VW adds a 1.8-liter, 150-h.p. 4-cylinder to the Beetle.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if some considered us and the Beetle at the same time,” said Lincoln Mercury general marketing manager Jim Rogers. He can only hope.

Consider that the Beetle, with 4-cylinder and 5-speed manual, starts at $15,200; Cougar, with four and 5-speed, at $16,195, and with V-6 and manual at $18,095.

Rogers says Cougar is aimed at the 25- to 39-year-old crowd, including those sporting nose rings and tattoos, folks who ordinarily don’t walk into Lincoln Mercury showrooms. One of Cougar’s advertising venues will be Rolling Stone magazine.

Some nice touches that youth– even those without nose rings or tattoos–would appreciate are large roof drip rails to keep water from running into the passenger cabin when you crack the windows in or after a rain; an arrow in the dash gauge pointing to the side with the fuel filler door; spacious cargo hold with an opening for your hand when lifting the hatch lid and a grab handle to pull it closed; and a thick steering wheel for the feel of control.

A couple of complaints about the car, however, such as a rearview mirror that’s too low in the center of the windshield. It obscures vehicles to the right on the merger ramp, at the intersection or in the slow lane waiting for you to finish passing. That mirror has to be moved higher.

And the outside mirrors are teardrop-shaped with the glass falling off to a sharp point. Cute, but it cuts off side and rear vision.

And Cougar has the typical coupe drawback–getting in the back seat is a chore. The passenger side seat slips forward when the back is lowered to allow entry in back, but the driver’s side does not. In back, the seat bottom has a deep “butt bowl” to force you down in an attempt to improve headroom. Doesn’t stop the head from tickling the roof for most average size adults.

The door armrests bulge into the cabin. Though not bothering hip room, there’s no way to slip your arm or hand along the seat side. So the power seat controls are along the bottom of the front of the seat cushion. Awkward.

There’s one pop-out cupholder in the center console and a one between the two seats in back. If you travel with a companion, bring a straw.

Depending on your height, you may find the steering wheel obscures the instrument panel just about where you would hope to see the numbers on the speedometer. Luckily, the wheel tilts.

The speedometer goes up to 150 m.p.h. because Mercury claims top speed with V-6 and 5-speed is 137 m.p.h. Hmm. So why are anti-lock brakes, traction control and side air bags extra-cost options?

Finally, be prepared to dig deep into pocket or purse for a sensibly equipped Cougar. Dual front air bags are standard, but dual side air bags housed in the seats to deploy as protection for head and chest in a side impact run $375.

The car comes with four-wheel disc brakes, but ABS costs another $500. When you opt for ABS, you can add traction control, which deploys ABS at low speeds to ensure the wheels continue to grip the pavement and shuts off fuel to the engine at high speeds to bring you back under control. But traction control is a $235 option only in the V-6 model.

Sunroofs, like sound systems, are musts for youth and run $615 in this car. To doll up the AM-FM stereo/cassette, you can choose a single, in-dash CD player for $140 (but, you lose the cassette) or a six-disc changer in the trunk for $350 (and keep the cassette). With either, you have to add the premium sound system with more powerful amplifiers for $130.

Automatic transmission runs $815, and to get rear window washer/wiper on this hatchback, you need to buy the $615 convenience group with 4-cylinder models or the $720 convenience group with V-6 models, in which remote keyless entry is included.

>> 1999 Mercury Cougar V-6
Wheelbase: 106.5 inches Length: 185 inches Engine: 2.5-liter, 170-h.p., 24-valve V-6 Transmission: 4-speed automatic Fuel economy: 20 m.p.g. city/29 m.p.g. highway Base price: $18,095 Price as tested: $21,325. Includes $815 for automatic transmission; $235 for six-way power driver’s seat; $720 for convenience group with remote keyless entry, illuminated entry, rear window washer/wiper and premium sound system with more powerful speakers; $375 for side air bags; $500 for ABS; $235 for traction control; and $350 for trunk-mounted CD changer. Add $400 for freight. Delete $235 as credit for removing deck-lid spoiler. Pluses: ABS, traction control and dual front and side air bags available. Peppy V-6. Firm, stable steering. Attractive design. Very good mileage. Minuses: ABS, traction control, side bags all optional to keep base price down. Inside rearview mirror obstructs front and side vision. Sideview mirrors too small. Rear-seat not very comfy, cozy or spacious. >>