Taurus features an impressive set of standard and available technologies that add convenience, connectivity, safety and value for customers. They include Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning, Intelligent Access with Push Button Start, MyKey™ parental programmability, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert, Rain-Sensing Wipers, EasyFuel™ capless refueling, Ford SYNC® and Voice-Activated Navigation with SIRIUS® Travel Link™.
The new Taurus is powered by the award-winning 3.5-liter V-6 Duratec engine, mated to one of two available fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmissions including SelectShift® with shift control paddles mounted on the steering wheel and available all-wheel drive.
DETROIT, Jan.11, 2009 – The Ford Taurus – the car that changed America's view of full-size sedans – is all-new for 2010 and ready to take on the world's best, with an upscale new design, impeccable driving dynamics, class-leading technologies and an unbeatable price tag.
"The new Taurus sets the pace for Ford's growing new car launch momentum," said Mark Fields, president of The Americas. "This sedan completely redefines expectations of what Taurus stands for – and helps further define what Ford is capable of delivering – quality, fuel-efficient vehicles featuring the latest technologies and head-turning design."
The new Taurus benefits from Ford's Global Product Development System, which made it possible to deliver an all-new sedan 12 months sooner – with more new features than customers and dealers dreamed possible.
"Taurus is our premium Ford flagship, and it casts a halo across the entire brand portfolio," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product development. "Building on its reputation for safety leadership, we leveraged extensive use of computer-aided design and engineering technologies as well as digital pre-assembly modeling to deliver a high-quality, new Taurus a year ahead of schedule."
Even better news? The new 2010 Taurus will start at $25,995 – the same price as 2009 models but with more class-leading features, new technologies and perceived quality that rivals premium luxury sedans.
"The new Taurus showcases the what the Ford brand promise is – expressive design, class-leading technologies and an engaging driving experience," said Jim Farley, Ford's group vice president of Marketing and Communications. "To truly appreciate the new Taurus, you have to drive it. All of the experiences come together once you're behind the wheel."
New times, new design
"Lightning can strike twice," said Peter Horbury, executive director of Design for The Americas. "Like the 1986 original, the new 2010 Taurus differentiates by combining style with substance."
The shift starts with the vision for Taurus itself. It debuted as a family sedan, but with the advent of crossovers, the new Taurus is aimed more at drivers who might move friends and family but place more of a premium on the driving experience and technologies aimed at making time on the road more meaningful and fun.
"Taurus is more of a 'me' sedan now, and we've delivered with this buyer in mind," said Moray Callum, director of Ford's Car and Crossover Design.
Exterior design details are more sculpted and powerful – from the powerdome that speaks to the strength behind its confident grille to the pronounced fenders and fascia.
Bold new headlights combined with recessed parking lamps frame a new expression of the signature Ford three-bar grille – and the lowered roofline helps make the new Taurus more aspirational.
New wheels, from 17- to 20-inches in diameter, fill the sculpted wheel wells and lend Taurus a muscular and athletic stance. The raised shoulder lines of the new Taurus provide a confident profile and enable generous truck capacity.
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The exterior color palette for the 2010 Taurus includes new hues, selected to harmonize with interior appointments and offer customers a broader range of color combinations. New colors include Candy Red Metallic Tint, White Platinum Metallic, Steel Blue Metallic, Gold Leaf Metallic and Ingot Silver Metallic.
Inside, a forward-leaning center stack – home to the climate controls, audio components and available navigation screen – flows in a continuous unbroken form through the instrument panel and down into the center console. The smart design allows for the interior to be formed with unbroken lines to impart seamless quality and craftsmanship.
The door panels employ an innovative urethane tooling process providing unique texture and identity to surfaces, with visible stitching and a hand crafted appeal. This same process allows for door panel two-toning, enabling model series differentiation.
The new Taurus' precision craftsmanship is reflected in the quality of materials used in the interior as well as the exterior panel margins, which are comparable to costly German luxury sedans.
The 2010 Ford Taurus will be built at Ford's Chicago (Ill.) Assembly Plant and will be available in dealer showrooms in the summer.
