Orlando Sentinel's view

Later this spring a sleek and sporty new Cougar aimed at younger buyers will be on the prowl at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships.

But will it be haunted by the ghosts of Mercurys past?

Over the last 30 years, the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Co. has struck out each time it has tried to sell a performance-oriented sporty car to young buyers.

Among the bombs: Three versions of the Capri – German in the ’70s, American in the ’80s and Australian in the ’90s; the LN7, a two-seat sport coupe based on the Ford Escort EXP; and the German-built Merkur XR4Ti and Scorpio of the late ’80s.

Local dealers and Mercury officials will tell you that their bread-and-butter cars are the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan and the Lincoln Town Car, two plush-riding sedans that traditionally sell to older buyers.

But in the last few years, Lincoln-Mercury has been on a winning streak with new products aimed at a younger crowd: The Mercury Villager minivan, introduced in 1993, and the 1997 Mountaineer sport-utility have attracted young families. And this year, the full-size Lincoln Navigator luxury sport-utility has well-heeled younger customers kicking the tires.

Mercury officials think the new Cougar – due at dealers in a few weeks with prices ranging from $16,595 to nearly $20,000 – will continue the streak.

The new Cougar is a feline with an attitude. It’s no longer a flabby tabby:

It sports a bold new design style that Ford calls “new edge.”

It’s nothing like the boxy old Thunderbird-based Cougar coupe that was retired last year. The new Cougar is based on the drivetrain, suspension and floorpan of the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique sedans.

It won’t have competition from a Ford version. Previous Cougars have been lightly disguised versions of Mustangs, LTDs, Fairmonts and Thunderbirds.

The 1999 Cougar is a front-wheel drive, two-door sports coupe with a 2+2 body style (the rear seats fold forward), not unlike the now-discontinued Ford Probe or the hot-selling Mitsubishi Eclipse.

At a recent Lincoln-Mercury dealer meeting in Orlando, Cougar Brand Manager Michael Jennings took a few moments to talk about the car. Mercury also provided a pre-production Cougar to test-drive for an afternoon.

The first thing one notices about the new Cougar is the unique styling, which features sharp creases, gentle curves and a sloping, wedge-shape profile. There hasn’t been anything quite like it. And there isn’t a boring line on the entire car.

Jennings defines “new-edge” styling as a “contrast between smooth flowing lines and very sharp angles. It creates a kind of tension,” he said.

The Cougar has a rounded roof, but angular haunches. Sharp creases can be seen on the sides and bumpers. The headlights and taillights bulge out from the body work.

The car is bigger and wider than most of the coupes in its class, and it looks classier. The Cougar logo is on the front and rear, while the name is spelled out in silver letters across the trunk lid. Alloy mag wheels are standard on all models.

The base Cougar is outfitted with Ford’s peppy 125-horsepower Zetec inline four-cylinder engine. It’s a 2.0-liter unit with overhead cams and 16 valves. There’s a 2.5-liter overhead cam 24-valve V-6 on the options list that cranks out 170 horsepower. Buyers can choose a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission with either engine.

Our gold test car came with a V-6 and 5-speed. It didn’t feel anything like a typical Ford or Mercury product. Instead, the smooth, quiet and powerful engine, sleek design and road-hugging performance gave the new Cougar a European or Asian feel.

On a 120-mile trip to Daytona Beach, the car was comfortable, economical and fun to drive. It turned plenty of heads along the way, something no Cougar has done since the original model in 1967, which sported such innovations as hidden headlights and sequent al taillights.

Ford and Mercury engineers were able to fine-tune the Cougar’s handling because the chassis is 20 percent stiffer than that of the Contour and Mystique on which it is based. The four-wheel independent suspension system soaks up the bumps, and the power rack-and-pinion steering system is tight and responsive.

“Our challenge here was to combine the athletic stance and agility of a sports car with the expressive elegance of a Mercury,” said Jacques Nasser, Ford’s executive vice president of automotive operations. “We also wanted the practicality of four seats in a sleek two-door.” Nasser spoke at the Cougar’s unveiling in January at the Detroit auto show.

At Daytona Beach Lincoln-Mercury, salesmen and dealership personnel saw the Cougar for the first time. After a quick test drive, New Car Manager Larry Helsel said he thinks the new Cougar has the potential to be a big hit.

But Helsel is concerned about the baggage of the failed cars that came before and Mercury’s commitment to cranking up the marketing machine.

“Mercury is going to have to get the word out,” he said. “It will help that it is an exclusive[ no similar Ford car), and we are very excited about the opportunity to sell the car.

Helsel said his dealership is one of the few that hasn’t had great success with the Mountaineer, Villager and Navigator because of the area’s high number of older buyers. But he said the new Cougar can compete with the best sport coupes on the market.

“We are going to display the car in malls and create awareness wherever we can,” he said.

Jennings said that, in addition to a high octane ad campaign that will stress “fun, flair and flexibility,” Mercury will go after younger buyers in new ways. For instance the Cougar has its own dedicated site on the Internet (http://www.1999cougar.com) instead of being buried with the rest of Ford’s products.

The ads will show the Cougar’s spacious cargo area, rear seats and interior – and also will stress value. The car comes nearly fully equipped, with options restricted to high-dollar items such as electric sunroof and CD changer. Most everything else is standard.

“People are using vehicles for so many different purposes,” Jennings said. “They really need vehicles that are adaptable and accommodating to their lifestyles. Typically when you get a sports coupe that looks good and drives good, there are some compromises, whether its practicality, fuel economy or the ability to stow things. This vehicle has an amazing amount of versatility.”