Ford Tempo

Ford Tempo, also known as Ford Ghia, Ford Topaz, and Mercury Topaz, is a type of compact car produced by an American automobile manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, in 1983. It was intended to be the successor of Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr. The production of this model was ended in 1994, and it was later replaced by Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

Ford Tempo was designed by Jack Telnack, and it was assembled in Ontario, Canada and Missouri, United States. The layouts used for this model are front-engine front-wheel drive layout and front-engine four-wheel drive layout. It was built based on the Ford CE14 platform.

During its production period, the company has released two generations of Ford Tempo. The first generation was produced in 1984-1987 for the sedan version and 1984-1994 for the coupe version. The second generation was produced in 1988-1994.

Under The Hood

The first generation of Ford Tempo has 2-door coupe (produced in 1984-1994) and 4-door sedan (1984-1987) body style. It has 99 inches wheelbase, 176 inches length, 68 inches width, and 52 inches height.

For the powertrain, it has 2.0 liters Mazda RF inline-four diesel engine, 2.3 liters HSC inline-four gasoline engine, and 2.3 liters HSO inline-four gasoline engine. It uses 3-speed ATX/FLC automatic, 4-speed IB4 manual, and 5-speed MTX-III manual transmission system.

The second generation of Ford Tempo has 4-door sedan body style with 99 inches wheelbase, 177 inches length, 68 inches width, 52 inches height, and 1235 kilograms curb weight.

For the powertrain, it has 2.3 liters HSC inline-four gasoline engine, 2.3 liters HSO inline-four gasoline engine, and 3.0 liters Vulcan V6 gasoline engine. It uses 3-speed ATX/FLC automatic, 5-speed MTX-III manual, and 5-speed MTX-IV manual transmission system.

Models and Features

The latest 1994 version of Ford Tempo comes in two different variants: the Tempo GL Sedan and the Tempo LX Sedan.

The standard features included in this model are bucket seats, center console, lighted entry system, polycast wheels, power brakes, tinted glass, 2.3 liters inline-four OHV 8V FI engine, 14 inches wheels, 5-speed manual transmission, clock, tachometer, cloth seating, power steering, remote trunk release, tilt steering wheel, intermittent windshield wipers, power door locks, power exterior mirrors, and AM/FM audio system.

The optional features included in this model are driver front airbag, 3-speed automatic transmission, rear window defroster, special factory paint, 3.0 liters V6 OHV 12V FI engine, AM/FM/Casette audio system, power driver's seat, cruise control, air conditioning, power windows, and roof rack.

- For the engines and performance, the Tempo GL Sedan variant has the standard 2.3 liters 96 hp inline-four engine that is capable of producing 96 horsepower and 128 lb-ft torque power. The engine displacement is 2311 cc, with 3.68 mm bore, 3.31 mm stroke, and 9.0:1 compression ratio. It uses MPFI fuel system and 5-speed manual transmission system with overdrive.

The Tempo LX Sedan variant has the standard 2.3 liters 96 hp inline-four engine that is capable of producing 96 horsepower and 128 lb-ft torque power. The engine displacement is 2311 cc, with 3.68 mm bore, 3.31 mm stroke, and 9.0:1 compression ratio. It uses MPFI fuel system and 5-speed manual transmission system with overdrive.

- For the interior, the Tempo GL Sedan variant has 5 standard seats, 37.50 inches front headroom, 36.80 inches rear headroom, 41.50 inches front legroom, 36.00 inches rear legroom, 53.90 inches front shoulder room, 53.30 inches rear shoulder room, 48.80 inches front hip room, and 51.00 inches rear hip room.

The Tempo LX Sedan variant has 5 standard seats, 37.50 inches front headroom, 36.80 inches rear headroom, 41.50 inches front legroom, 36.00 inches rear legroom, 53.90 inches front shoulder room, 53.90 inches front shoulder room, 53.30 inches rear shoulder room, 48.80 inches front hip room, and 51.00 inches rear hip room.

- For the exterior, Ford Tempo GL Sedan variant has 2619 pounds automatic curb weight, 2569 pounds manual curb weight, 99.90 inches wheelbase, 177 inches length, 68.30 inches width, 52.90 inches height, 54.90 inches track front, 57.60 inches track rear, 36.50 feet turning diameter, R&P steering type, independent front suspension, independent rear suspension, and 185/70R14 tires.

The LX Sedan variant has 2663 pounds automatic curb weight, 2613 pounds manual curb weight, 99.90 inches wheelbase, 177 inches length, 68.30 inches width, 52.90 inches height, 54.90 inches track front, 57.60 inches track rear, 36.50 feet turning diameter, R&P steering type, independent front suspension, independent rear suspension, and 185/70R14 tires.

Fuel Economy

The fuel type used in Ford Tempo is unleaded fuel, with the fuel tank capable of storing up to 15.9 gallons of fuel in one go.

The fuel economy for Ford Tempo GL Sedan variant is 24 miles per gallon for city driving and 33 miles per gallon for highway driving.

The fuel economy for Ford Tempo LX Sedan variant is 24 miles per gallon for city driving and 33 miles per gallon for highway driving.

The driving range for this model is 333 miles for city driving and 477 miles for highway driving.

Safety Rating and Technology

According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Ford Tempo has received 4-star rating for passenger safety and 4-star rating for driver safety.

Additional Information

- The Ford Tempo model is the downsized edition of its predecessor, Ford Fairmont.

- The premise for the company to release the Ford Tempo model is to deliver modern-styled vehicle that has good fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly in order to be able to compete with other import models.

- The design philosophy of this model is geared toward creating a more efficient, more ergonomic, and more aerodynamic design.

- This model is known to be the groundbreaker in the automotive industry due to its aerodynamic design and innovation. Later, Ford Motor Company released the newer vehicle, Ford Taurus, which brings even more innovation to the design.

- The first generation of Ford Tempo has 5 different trim level variants, such as the L variant for entry level, the GL variant for mid level, the LX variant for luxury model, the GLX variant which is available for 1984 and 1985 models, and AWD which is available only for the 1987 model.