The new Ford Taurus delivers more of what large sedan customers really want for the 2013 model year - with even better fuel economy, more technology, design refinement, improved craftsmanship and enhanced driving dynamics.
“We have significantly upgraded Ford’s flagship sedan through obsessive attention to detail,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas. “The new Taurus builds on the transformation we achieved in the 2010 model. Delivering so many upgrades so soon further underscores Ford’s leadership and commitment to delivering high-quality, fuel-efficient cars for our customers.”
A choice of new engines offers customers increased fuel efficiency, without compromising the responsive performance they want.
Taurus is the first car in Ford’s North American lineup to offer the advanced 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, combining a turbocharger with gasoline direct injection. It is expected to deliver best-in-class highway fuel economy of at least 31 mpg. Providing plenty of power, the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine will deliver an estimated 237 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque.
The standard Taurus 3.5-liter V6 is projected to deliver unsurpassed fuel efficiency among V6 segment competitors while still delivering increased performance from an anticipated 290 horsepower.
This is accomplished with the addition of twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), enabling increased fuel economy while delivering 27 more horsepower, a reduction in part-throttle emissions and increased responsiveness.
Both engines are mated with unique six-speed automatic transmissions that offer optimized gear selection for off-the-line power delivery in lower gears, while benefiting fuel economy with higher gears that keep the engine turning efficiently at lower revolutions while cruising.
The Taurus interior keeps green with extensive use of recycled material in the cloth surfaces, in the headliner, and in noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) control components. Taurus seat cushions are comprised of a high concentration of soy foam, significantly reducing petroleum-based substances.
America’s most innovative full-size sedan gets even smarter with an array of even more class-leading technologies including SYNC with MyFord Touch, which replaces many traditional buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, colorful LCD screens and steering wheel-mounted five-way toggles. These screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each driver by using voice command, keeping the driver’s eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
MyFord Touch is powered by a new version of Ford’s award-winning SYNC system, combining voice control for vehicle functions, enabled Bluetooth devices, MP3 players and a wide variety of external media.
The new Taurus also adds Ford’s intuitive active park assist technology, making life simpler and more convenient for customers.
Taurus quality begins with design refinement. Building on the completely reinvigorated 2010 model, the new Taurus features a more muscular hood. Larger wheels and tires fill out the wheel-well openings, giving Taurus an athletic stance. Rear quarter panels have been raised, enabling larger, full LED taillamps. Without increasing overall dimensions or vehicle weight, the new Taurus looks more streamlined, substantial and sporty.
Improved driving dynamics is a quality the driver will feel. Beyond the across-the-board transition to EPAS, the hard-mounted steering rack with a faster ratio, springs and dampers have been optimized to provide improved vehicle handling, combined with improved ride quality.
The new Taurus dynamics benefit from the addition of torque vectoring control. This feature uses a slight - virtually imperceptible to the driver - amount of braking force on the inside front wheel when accelerating through a corner. This minimal brake force provides an effect similar to a limited-slip differential. The result is a vehicle that feels smaller and more maneuverable, with more control when increasing speed through curves.
This innovative feature will please enthusiasts while serving as a confidence builder for less-seasoned drivers. Torque vectoring control - normally found in high-ticket sports cars - is a Taurus class-exclusive feature. In addition, this feature is standard.
The new Taurus adds curve control, a unique Ford braking control innovation aimed at slowing the vehicle, if it senses that a driver inadvertently enters a curve too quickly. With application of four-wheel smart braking, the vehicle can reduce speed swiftly.
Entering curves or on- and off-ramps too quickly contributes to more than 50,000 crashes each year in the U.S. Curve control is a Taurus class-exclusive offering.
Across the board, all new Taurus models will receive a larger brake master cylinder with revised booster tuning, resulting in a shorter pedal ratio and dramatically improved pedal feel. Brake friction material has been upgraded for improved fade resistance and performance.
Exterior craftsmanship for the new Taurus has been improved through the employment of digital pre-assembly. This advanced technology enables engineers to address potential issues in Taurus manufacturing while still in the online phase and ensures precise, uniform surface gaps and margins once series production is initiated. Taurus was benchmarked against Audi A6 for exterior fit and finish.
Inside, no detail went untouched. Taurus’ interior craftsmanship is elevated through expanded use of soft-touch, high-quality materials inside the cabin. Upgraded materials across the instrument panel and throughout the center console are evidence of continuous improvement.
Additional improvements extend to cloth-wrapped A-, B- and C-pillars, flock-lined glovebox and console storage and new switchgear. This passionate attention to detail even reaches inside the trunk space, which is completely dressed.
NVH control has been enhanced in the new Taurus with the addition of A-pillar and cowl baffles and acoustic wheel-well liners to quiet road noise.
The new Taurus builds on a legacy of safety, as the current model earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick rating. The stiff Taurus structure contains much high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, including boron.
Taurus features the Trinity front-crash architecture, named for the three elements that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from vehicle occupants. These components consist of an ultra-high-strength boron front beam to absorb initial impact force, boron “shotgun rails” that transfer impact forces in a diagonal path to the roof panel, and a decoupling engine cradle within the front subframe to help prevent the powertrain from interfering with the cabin.
Taurus also features Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture, a hydroformed cross-car beam embedded in the floor between the door frames to help provide additional strength on the sides of the vehicle. A rigid roof crossmember, side-impact door beams and boron B-pillar reinforcement also contribute to side-impact protection.
In the new Taurus, airbag restraints have been enhanced with optimized tethering and venting to specifically tailor deployment force to occupant size, position and seat belt status. In addition, Taurus features the Safety Canopy with rollover sensor.
In the event of an airbag deployment, Taurus provides an SOS Post-Crash Alert System, and features AdvanceTrac with Electronic Stability Control.
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