With its catlike headlamps and sweeping lines, the Cougar looks like nothing else on the road. It features smooth, sculpted surfaces defined by clean folds and sharp intersections. Parts of this car look as though they were sculpted with a sharp knife, while other parts, its perky rear, for instance, are abundantly, voluptuously rounded. Cougar offers artful exterior details as well: Small triangles show the location for the jacking points. Side markers act as turn signals to alert the driver next door. Cougar looks ready for high speeds and winding roads. Part of the reason for this is its relatively long wheelbase, with European-style short overhangs.

Cougar Zn is an eye-catching vehicle with new features and distinctive styling, including unique zinc (Zn) yellow clearcoat paint. With its zinc yellow hood scoop and spoiler, the Cougar Zn also will offer for the first time standard 17-inch machined aluminum wheels with ebony accents and center caps. Adding to its unique look, the Cougar Zn is dressed with the Cougar logo in the back-glass blackout

Cougar C2 adds its own unique styling features and a one-of-a-kind French blue paint. In addition, a French blue instrument panel and color-keyed spoiler, as well as machined aluminum wheels with French blue center caps, are also offered. (Cougar C2 is also available in silver frost, vibrant white and black.)

The Cougar Zn offers midnight black diamond-patterned sport cloth bucket seats while the Cougar C2 offers French blue. Also available on each model are midnight black leather seats as well as dark graphite floor mats. Both the dark graphite floor mats and the midnight black leather seats include either the zinc yellow or French blue Cougar logo badging. AM/FM stereo with an in-dash 6-disc compact disc changer/player is now standard on all base 2001 Cougar Zn and C2 models.