| Production | 1988–1994 |
|---|---|
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Engine | 2.3 L HSC I4 2.3 L HSO I4 3.0 L Vulcan V6 |
| Transmission | 5-speed MTX-III manual 5-speed MTX-IV manual 3-speed ATX/FLC automatic |
| Wheelbase | 99.9 in (2537 mm) |
| Length | 177.0 in (4,496 mm) |
| Width | 68.3 in (1,735 mm) |
| Height | 52.9 in (1,344 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2723 lb (1235 kg) |
| Related | Ford Escort Ford EXP Mercury Topaz |
The second generation Tempo, released in 1988, saw several major design changes which brought out an even more similar look to the Taurus (esp. the door handles – four-door only). On the front end of the car, a completely restyled grille featured three thin horizontal chrome bands with a Ford oval in the center, with two stylish composite flush-mounted rectangular headlamps with restyled front turn signal housings on either side. On the Tempo GLS, this chrome grill was blacked out, and 4-door models received a blacked-out "D" pillar.
For the rear, the taillights received a major rework on the four-door model, and were now completely flush-mounted. A restyled rear quarter window was designed to match and blend evenly with the completely restyled rear door trim. The interior of both cars saw a brand new instrument panel design, with a central gauge cluster (now with a standard engine temp gauge), and more ergonomic driver controls. Fan and windshield wiper controls were now mounted on rotary-style switches on either side of the instrument panel, and the HVAC controls received a new push-button control layout. Other changes included reworked interior door panels. On Tempo LX and AWD, the interior received chrome and wood trim on the dashboard and doors.
1991 (the last year of the 1988 restyled look) saw the discontinuation of the all-wheel-drive model Tempo, as well as the now Canadian market exclusive entry level model Tempo L. 1992 saw a minor redesign. The Tempo gained body color side trim to replace the black and chrome trim, as well as fully body color bumpers. The three bar chrome grill was also replaced by a new, body colored monochromatic grill.
Also in 1992, a new engine, a 3.0L Vulcan V6, was introduced as optional on the GL and LX, and standard on the GLS 1992. 1992 would be the last year of the GLS, as it was discontinued (along with its Mercury Topaz counterparts) in 1993. This left Tempo with only two trim level options, GL and LX. 1992 also brought about a slightly redesigned gauge cluster, with tachometers now reading up to 7,000 RPM instead of the previous 6,000 RPM. Also, a fuel door indicator was added to the fuel gauge (an arrow pointing to the side of the car where the fuel door was located). 1992 was the only year for US models to have an available 120 MPH speedometer (GLS, XR5 and LTS models only), the rest read to 85 MPH. 1994 was the last model year for the Ford Tempo (and Mercury Topaz). Production halted in the first quarter of 1994.
Trim levels for the second generation Ford Tempo are as follows:
- L (entry level model, discontinued in 1991)
- GL (mid-level model)
- AWD (advertised by Ford as a separate trim level, AWD was actually built on an LX body, as evidenced by the body code. Discontinued in 1991)
- LX (luxury model, only available as a four-door sedan)
- GLS (replaced Sport GL as the performance oriented model, discontinued in 1992)
Read more about this topic: Ford Tempo
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