For 1988 the Tempo and Topaz sedans were redesigned, while the coupes were just facelifted. The new look cars arrived in November 1987. The changes made the Tempo and Topaz look even more like their respective Taurus and Sable stablemates. The front of the Tempo got a completely restyled grille featuring three thin horizontal chrome bars with a Ford oval in the center, and two composite flush-mounted rectangular headlamps with restyled front turn signal housings on either side. On the Tempo GLS, the grille was blacked out, as was the "D" pillar. At the rear were brand new flush mounted tail lamps. The rear quarter window was redesigned to match and blend evenly with the restyled rear door trim. The Topaz was differentiated from the Tempo by a more formal, more vertical rear window, a waterfall grille, more upscale wheels, and solid red tail lamps.
Both the sedan and coupe received a brand new instrument panel design with a central gauge cluster that included a standard engine temperature 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. A driver's side airbag continued as an option, a rarity then for an economy level car. On Tempo LX and AWD models, the interior received chrome and wood trim on the dashboard and doors. Topaz models featured a tachometer-equipped gauge cluster and a front center armrest as standard.
For the 1991 model year the all-wheel drive Tempo and Topaz and the Canadian market exclusive entry-level Tempo L were discontinued. For 1992, the Tempo and Topaz got a minor restyle, with the Tempo gaining body-colored side trim that replaced the black and chrome trim, as well as full body-colored bumpers. The Tempo's three bar chrome grille was replaced with a body-colored monochromatic piece, while the Topaz's chrome grille was replaced with a non-functional light-bar.
Also for 1992, the 3.0 L Vulcan V6 engine from the Taurus and Sable was introduced as an option for the GL and LX models, and as the standard engine on the GLS. The 1992 model year was the last year of the GLS, as it and its Topaz counterpart were discontinued in 1993. This left the Tempo with only two trim level options, GL and LX. 1992 also brought a slightly redesigned gauge cluster, with a tachometer reading up to 7,000 rpm instead of the previous 6,000 rpm. A fuel door indicator was added to the fuel gauge as an arrow pointing to the side of the car where the fuel door was located. 1992 was the only year when a speedometer reading to 120 mph was available in American models, and only in the GLS, XR5 and LTS trim levels; all other model years read to 85 MPH.
