Ford Taurus SE 4dr FWD Sedan
The Taurus is Ford's new flagship that offers full-size car interior dimensions, luxury car interior quietness, a top safety rating as well as advanced technology, to give it's owners confidence on the road.
The front-wheel or all-wheel drive Taurus is powered by a 263-hp 3.5-liter direct injection V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission with the option of steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The Taurus redesign also marks the return of the SHO performance model, powered by a twin-turbo version of the 3.5-liter V6, it produces 365-hp and channels that through standard all-wheel drive and a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission. Standard safety features include electronic stability and traction control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, six airbags, ignition disable and post-crash SOS alert. There are many kinds of technology features available such as Cross Traffic Alert, Collision Warning, MyKey parental features, SYNC, capless refueling, touch-pad keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rain-sensing wipers and intelligent keyless entry.
For 2011, three new colors have been added, and high definition (HD) radio has been added to the navigation system.
Ford's marketers and PR types have a tremendous job ahead of them: Educating the American consumer on what company's new Taurus is all about. It's a Herculean task that amounts to nothing more than rebuilding a brand that was once broadly considered an icon – not just of the auto industry – but of American business at large.
Fortunately for the Blue Oval team, they may have an ace-in-the-hole. As we learned driving the 2011 Ford Taurus through Tennessee and North Carolina's Smoky Mountain roads, this new bull shows promise and takes the marque upscale like never before. But be under no illusions – this is a risky move. The Taurus name has never been extended upmarket like this before (let alone in such a waterlogged economy), and it isn't immediately clear who the model's competitors are – a detail that could prove problematic when trying to target customers.
The Chicago-built Taurus is no longer a logical Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu cross-shop – that's the Fusion's turf now. In size, technology, and aspirations, Ford is pushing its new sedan several of rungs up the ladder. Is it the right product for the right time? Perhaps of more immediate concern, is it carrying the right name and will Ford be able to overcome the Taurus brand's baggage and sell America on its virtues?
The front-wheel or all-wheel drive Taurus is powered by a 263-hp 3.5-liter direct injection V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission with the option of steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The Taurus redesign also marks the return of the SHO performance model, powered by a twin-turbo version of the 3.5-liter V6, it produces 365-hp and channels that through standard all-wheel drive and a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic transmission. Standard safety features include electronic stability and traction control, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, six airbags, ignition disable and post-crash SOS alert. There are many kinds of technology features available such as Cross Traffic Alert, Collision Warning, MyKey parental features, SYNC, capless refueling, touch-pad keyless entry, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rain-sensing wipers and intelligent keyless entry.
For 2011, three new colors have been added, and high definition (HD) radio has been added to the navigation system.
Ford's marketers and PR types have a tremendous job ahead of them: Educating the American consumer on what company's new Taurus is all about. It's a Herculean task that amounts to nothing more than rebuilding a brand that was once broadly considered an icon – not just of the auto industry – but of American business at large.
Fortunately for the Blue Oval team, they may have an ace-in-the-hole. As we learned driving the 2011 Ford Taurus through Tennessee and North Carolina's Smoky Mountain roads, this new bull shows promise and takes the marque upscale like never before. But be under no illusions – this is a risky move. The Taurus name has never been extended upmarket like this before (let alone in such a waterlogged economy), and it isn't immediately clear who the model's competitors are – a detail that could prove problematic when trying to target customers.
The Chicago-built Taurus is no longer a logical Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu cross-shop – that's the Fusion's turf now. In size, technology, and aspirations, Ford is pushing its new sedan several of rungs up the ladder. Is it the right product for the right time? Perhaps of more immediate concern, is it carrying the right name and will Ford be able to overcome the Taurus brand's baggage and sell America on its virtues?
A big suit to fill?
As we tried to come to terms with the Taurus during our drive, we couldn't escape a few bars of a Talking Heads song. Specifically: "And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile... and you may ask yourself – well, how did I get here?" Similarly, in order to appreciate just how radical a departure this 2010 Taurus is, one has to appreciate where the model has been. This is not "same as it ever was" – not by a long shot. Allow us to recap:
Back when it was introduced in 1985 as a 1986 model, the original Taurus was nothing less than a watershed family car. Forward-thinking with advanced aerodynamics and a vehicle platform to match, it was a car the likes of which Detroit had never produced and mainstream America had never had the opportunity to buy. The surging Japanese imports sat up and took notice, as did U.S. consumers and the automotive press, both of which fell in love with the distinctive "jelly bean" sedan. Taurus was a smash hit both critically and in terms of sales, but unfortunately, America's warm cockles didn't last.
As we tried to come to terms with the Taurus during our drive, we couldn't escape a few bars of a Talking Heads song. Specifically: "And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile... and you may ask yourself – well, how did I get here?" Similarly, in order to appreciate just how radical a departure this 2010 Taurus is, one has to appreciate where the model has been. This is not "same as it ever was" – not by a long shot. Allow us to recap:
Back when it was introduced in 1985 as a 1986 model, the original Taurus was nothing less than a watershed family car. Forward-thinking with advanced aerodynamics and a vehicle platform to match, it was a car the likes of which Detroit had never produced and mainstream America had never had the opportunity to buy. The surging Japanese imports sat up and took notice, as did U.S. consumers and the automotive press, both of which fell in love with the distinctive "jelly bean" sedan. Taurus was a smash hit both critically and in terms of sales, but unfortunately, America's warm cockles didn't last.
While the second-generation model (introduced for 1992) didn't do much to alter the love affair, subsequent models clouded the Taurus' brand identity and found Ford floundering about trying to determine what consumers wanted out of a mid-sized sedan. In the case of the guppy-mouthed 1996 model, that floundering bordered on literal, as the Jack Telnack designed third-generation Taurus drew ire for its fish-like avant-garde styling and form-over-function utility.
