In January, Ford announced it would make the unprecedented move of redesigning its Taurus sedan, and our spy photographers have now spotted the first running prototypes of the next Taurus while undergoing testing in Michigan.
The current Ford Taurus was unveiled in early 2007 as the 2008 Ford Five Hundred. It was then renamed to Taurus in an effort to take advantage of the nameplate?s strong mindshare. The car was ?facelifted? to give it more style than the original 2005 Five Hundred. Unfortunately, the move was not enough to boost sales or public perception of the model.
As a result, Ford CEO Alan Mulally ordered a complete redesign. Less than six months ago, he told the press the 2010 Taurus would be ?the one we should have made originally.?
Ford has decided to combine elements of its ?Bold American? and European ?Kinetic? design language for the 2010 model. While this isn?t Ford?s all-new design language (which will debut in several years), it is certainly a move in the right direction.
Although the car spotted today was heavily clad in camouflage, an earlier image leak and our artist?s illustration show what the production Taurus will look like. The basic three-bar grille remains, but it has been grafted onto a trapezoidal opening. A similarly shaped inverted air intake sits below the grille. The headlights have some detailing similar to other American Ford products, but their shape is decidedly European.
Underhood, Ford is expected to equipped the Taurus with its new family of ECOboost engines, including the high-performance SHO model.
Is it a groundbreaking design? Not especially. Will it allow Ford to compete effectively against its Asian competition? Absolutely ? and that?s what counts.
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