Ford Contour: short lived and celebrated

by GLADY REIGN

Ford has been producing cars for the American market since 1903. It was to be expected that they would later on expand in other countries including those in Asia and Europe. At this time they were producing vehicles for a specified market like that in Europe. Some vehicles were also offered in North America like the Ford Contour which was the American variant of the Ford Mondeo sedan which was offered in Europe. High quality Ford Contour parts were installed in the vehicle to ensure optimum vehicle performance.

The Ford Contour was introduced in 1994 as a compact car. Back then, they were offered in three trim levels, the base GL, the LX and the sporty SE. All of these trim levels were equipped with various Ford Contour parts that contributed to the vehicle's overall operation. For the GL and LX models, a 125 hp, 2.0 L Zetec inline four-cylinder engine was installed. While in the SE models, a 170 hp 2.5 L Duratec V6 was included. Ford Contour parts such as the 5-speed manual transmission were a standard feature on all trim levels of the vehicle.

For 1996, Ford introduced a Sport model for the Ford Contour. It was offered as an option in the SE and GL models with 2.0 L four-cylinder and 2.5 L V6 engine respectively. An SVT version was added to the Contour in 1998. This version had a specially tuned and modified version of the 2.5 L V6 engine that was able to produce 195 hp. The exterior of the vehicle was also given some attention by giving it a new body and larger wheels. Other performance modifications done on various Ford Contour parts were the upgraded brakes and a retuned suspension. Add to that, the high performance tires that came with the new wheels. All these certainly improved the operation and style of the vehicle. Although the Ford Contour was short lived, it did not lag behind. In fact, it was included on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1995, 1996 and 1997. The Automobile Magazine All Star for 1995, 1996 and 1997 all made for additional awards. Meanwhile, the SVT trim was named as the most wanted sedan under $25,000 for the year of 1999 by Edmunds.com.