Set to go on sale in the middle of the year, the Taurus has been extensively updated for the 2010 model year with new safety features, two new six-speed automatic transmissions, and a more upmarket interior. The car benefits from Ford’s new global design strategy, which made it possible to deliver it up to one year sooner than if developed by a single engineering team.
Drive is sent to the front wheels via Ford’s proven Duratec 3.5L petrol V6, generating 263hp and 249lb-ft of torque. This engine earns a ULEV-II emissions certification and comes paired with a choice of two new six-speed automatic transmissions. The up-level SEL and Limited models can even be equipped with paddle shifters for the autobox. Later in the year Ford will add its new EcoBoost V6 engine, which combines turbocharging and direct-injection technology for more power but less fuel-consumption and emissions.
Some of the car’s advanced safety features include a new hydroformed cross-car beam enhanced floor, passenger-size sensing airbags, adaptive cruise control with collision warning, Ford’s AdvanceTrac electronic stability control, and a new SOS Post-Crash Alert system that automatically unlocks the doors, sounds the horn and activates the emergency flashers in the event of an air bag deployment.
The new Taurus will be built at Ford’s Chicago plant and will be available in dealer showrooms in the middle of the year. Pricing will start at $25,995 – the same as the outgoing 2009 model, while the more upscale SEL and Limited trims ratchet the price up to $27,995 and finally $31,995. Details on how much upgrades will cost - and therefore the true price of a properly outfitted car - will have to wait until Ford reveals more of the pricing structure.
