2002 Mercury Cougar: The Front-Drive Relaunch's Final Year

Wikipedia's own account, this record's overview states, records that the 1999-2002 Cougar was built at Flat Rock, Michigan, with a 125-horsepower 2.0-litre Zetec four or a 170-horsepower 2.5-litre Duratec V6, and that the last Cougar left the line on August 9, 2002, the closing date this record's own final model year describes directly; this record's own dek states plainly that no 2002-specific production figure was found. This record's own key facts section is empty for the year.¹

Two calendar-year sales rows document 2002 volume, this record's own production table shows, neither one a model-year production count: 19,345 cars sold in the United States during calendar year 2002, drawn from both a GoodCarBadCar sales table and a Ford press release's own primary copy, with this record's own note explaining that these are calendar-year deliveries that may include 2001-model cars and do not equal the 2002 model-year build; and a further 2,024 cars sold during calendar year 2003, from GoodCarBadCar alone, with this record's own note stating that the source does not give the model year of those cars, deliveries continuing after the line itself had already closed. This record's own production notes state directly that no sourced production figure for the model year itself was found.^2,3

Six 2002 prices are documented from the Auto Channel's own buyer's-guide database, this record's own prices section shows, this year under a three-tier Sport naming scheme distinct from prior years' I-4/V6/V6-S structure: $17,520 MSRP and $16,113 dealer invoice for the V-6 Sport, $18,520 MSRP and $17,013 dealer invoice for the V-6 Sport Premium, and $19,920 MSRP and $18,273 dealer invoice for the V-6 Sport Ultimate, each on an effective date the source itself does not state.⁴

The same two engines and two transaxles carry into 2002 unchanged, this record's own engine and transmissions tables show: the 2.0-litre Zetec DOHC four standard at 125 horsepower SAE net and the 2.5-litre Duratec DOHC V6 optional at 170 horsepower SAE net, paired with the MTX-75 5-speed manual transaxle available with either engine or the CD4E 4-speed automatic transaxle, also available with either engine in the US but rare with the four-cylinder, this record's own transmissions table states.¹

This record's own options section names three trim packages for the model's final year, all drawn from Wikipedia's own paint-and-trim list: a carryover C2 package in French Blue, Silver Frost or Vibrant White with blue interior accents; an XR package unique to 2002, in Black or XR Racing Red with black-and-red seats and trim and 17-inch silver wheels carrying black spoke accents; and a 35th Anniversary package, also unique to 2002, in Laser Red, French Blue, Satin Silver or Black with 17-inch machined wheels, most examples pairing leather with silver seat centres.¹

This record's own paint, interiors, specifications, performance, identification and conflicts sections are all left entirely empty for 2002. Its own unpublished-leads section carries two items forward without asserting either as fact: a 2002 production figure of 18,321 cars as tabulated by Wikipedia, marked forum-only since Wikipedia's own citation is a 2004 NewCougar.org forum post, and a claim that only about 500 Cougars across 1999-2002 were built with the 2.0-litre four and the automatic transaxle, sourced to Wikipedia's own hedge word "supposedly" with no source given there.¹