Through its production, the model line was offered as a two-door coupe and four-door sedan, with the Mercury Topaz marketed as its divisional counterpart (no Lincoln version was sold).

[5] This new compact was expected to compete in the marketplace with General Motors' X-Body, but wound up more similar to GM's J-cars.

[7] The Tempo and Topaz chassis shared some parts with the front-wheel-drive platform used on the first North American Ford Escort, but with a wheelbase stretched by 5.7 in (145 mm) and distinctive new bodies.

[6] Switching to front-wheel drive freed up interior space that would have otherwise been lost to accommodate a driveshaft and rear differential.

The door frames wrapped up into the roofline, which improved sealing, allowed for hidden drip rails, and cleaned up the A-pillar area of the car.

The cars' backlights were also laid down at 60°, and the rear deck was raised, reducing drag and resulting in greater fuel efficiency.

Viewed from the side, the raised trunk imparted a wedge stance to the car which was especially prominent on the two-door coupes.

[9] In 1983 Ford had stopped production of their 200 cubic inch Thriftpower inline six, leaving unused capacity at the Lima Engine plant.

[10] Ford developed a four-cylinder engine that shared some features of the Thriftpower six, topped with a new cylinder head and using other new technologies, while repurposing as much tooling as possible at the Lima plant.

[14] The Tempo's front suspension on each side comprises a lower lateral link triangulated by the anti-roll bar and a coil over MacPherson strut.

The rear "Quadralink" suspension is two parallel lower lateral control links and a radius rod per side, with coil over MacPherson struts.

This differed from the Escort's rear suspension, which used a lower lateral arm, radius rod, and non-concentric coil spring and shock absorber.

[16] Fitting the Vulcan V6 into the Tempo required changes to the water pump, and use of a more restrictive exhaust system that reduced maximum power.

[19] The all-wheel-drive system adds 105 lb (47.6 kg) to the weight of the car, and increases ride height by just 0.5 in (13 mm).

[22] The first generation Tempo and Topaz were unveiled on the deck of the USS Intrepid, a decommissioned aircraft carrier that had been turned into a floating museum in New York Harbor.

[23] An early advertisement for the car featured a Tempo sedan performing a 360 degree loop on a stunt track.

The instrument panel featured a new, easier to read gauge layout, with all switches and controls placed within easy reach of the driver.

In early 1985,[25] the Tempo became the first production American automobile to feature a driver's side airbag as a supplemental restraint system.

[26] In 1984, Ford entered a contract with the General Services Administration and the Department of Transportation to supply 5,000 airbag-equipped Tempos.

Half also received a special windshield designed to minimize lacerations to passengers, and all were early recipients of the high-mounted brake lights that became required by law in 1986.

From 1985 to 1987, Ford offered the Sport GL, which included unique interior and exterior styling cues, the 2.3 L HSO engine, alloy wheels, tachometer, and the five-speed manual transaxle with a lower (numerically higher) final drive ratio of 3.73 for quicker acceleration.

The Tempo GLS, received a black grille and "D" pillar; flush mounted tail lamps and revised rear quarter window.

The Topaz received a more formal, more vertical rear window, waterfall grille, more revised wheels, and solid red tail lamps.

[35] Ford was unsuccessful in drawing a distinction between the Tempo and Contour, and many buyers assumed that the new car would be priced the same as the old, causing some to face a large sticker shock.

[37][38] All model year production figures for the Tempo are as follows:[39] During the early 1990s, in an attempt to ease trade tensions with the United States, China agreed to buy millions of dollars worth of automobiles from each of the Big Three American automakers; the share of the deal for Ford was worth $32 million.

[42][43] Along with reducing Chinese dependence on imports of Japanese automobiles, the arrangement let China keep its favored nation status with the United States (despite political tensions of the late 1980s).

[44] The initial government fleet order was originally intended for use as taxis and tourist vehicles; all were white-colored GL-trim four-door sedans.

[46] The lower level of automation at that plant translated into higher assembly costs, making a Mexican-built Ford Topaz retail for about US$400 more than a more well equipped US model with more effective pollution controls.

With wood grain panel doors, power antena, and 5 band stereo graphic equalizer, alloy wheels 14", similar a BBS model used by European Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Golf GTi.

[52] It is possible that the Tempo was chosen as it could accommodate a drive shaft and rear differential, due to the availability of the AWD model.