The Ford Taurus is all-new for 2010, with an upscale new design and improved driving dynamics.

The new 2010 Taurus will start at $25,995 – the same price as 2009 models, but with more features, new technologies, and improved build quality. On top of that, a new 365 twin-turbo SHO version adds some performance to the lineup.

 

Design

Exterior design details are more sculpted and powerful – from the powerdome 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 the Ford Taurus a muscular and athletic stance.

Inside, a forward-leaning centerstack – 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.

 

Performance

To match its more athletic looks, the new Taurus features sportier driving dynamics.

The 2010 Taurus comes standard with Ford’s proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6, generating 263 horsepower and 249 foot-pounds of torque. This award-winning engine earns a ULEV-II emissions certification and comes paired with a choice of two new six-speed automatic transmissions.

Taurus fuel economy is aided by employment of a two-speed fuel pump and Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off technology.

The Taurus SE offers a six-speed automatic transmission with a Grade-Assist hill-holding rollback prevention feature, paired with an economical 2.77 final drive ratio.

SEL and Limited series Taurus models are offered with a six-speed SelectShiftAutomatic™ featuring racing-inspired shift control paddles mounted on the steering wheel. SelectShift offers the convenience of conventional automatic operation, or a manual shift mode that gives the driver complete control over gear selection. The SelectShift transmission enables “match-rev” downshifts and will hold manually selected gears, unlike some competitive transmissions that second-guess the driver.

The SEL is offered with a 2.77 to 1 final drive ratio, while the Limited series uses a 3.16 to 1 gear in front-wheel-drive models, and a 3.39 to 1 ratio in all-wheel-drive models to provide enhanced acceleration.

Chassis and suspension components are tuned to deliver on the sporty and aggressive design with optimized roll stiffness for cornering control, responsive steering with sharp turn-in and precision accuracy.

The foundation of the new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V-6 engine. This powerplant generates 365 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 350 ft.-lbs. of torque from 1,500 to 5,250 rpm, resulting in significantly improved power, flexible torque, and fuel economy compared with larger, normally aspirated engines. This also is Ford’s most powerful EcoBoost engine.

A key feature of this EcoBoost engine is gasoline direct injection. The direct injection of fuel into the cylinder during the intake stroke, as opposed to port-style injection to an externally mounted intake, produces a well-mixed air-fuel charge. Fuel vaporization during the intake stroke cools the incoming air, improving volumetric efficiency and lowers the likelihood of knock.

The results are improved throttle response, reduced cold start emissions characteristics and improved fuel economy. The cooled charge enables an increased compression ratio, improving efficiency at partial load, while the higher compression ratio allows for better volumetric efficiency under full load engine behavior. Customers will experience normally aspirated V-8 power, without compromising V-6 fuel economy.

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 also uses twin turbochargers, as opposed to a single unit. The reduced size of each turbocharger results in reduced internal inertia, allowing this advanced engine to avoid the “turbo lag” often prevalent in earlier-generation turbocharged applications. From the driver’s seat, the rewarding result is linear power delivery across a broad torque band from 1,500 through 5,250 rpm. Peak torque building quickly off idle ensures responsive acceleration from a standing start.

The new Taurus SHO driveline combines a high-capacity 6-speed 6F55 SelectShift Automatic transmission with a sophisticated torque-sensing all-wheel-drive system. These components work in harmony to deliver ample traction when putting EcoBoost power on the road. The 6-speed transmission offers a wide array of gears to enable spirited acceleration, yet comfortable high-speed cruising, through a 2.77:1 final drive ratio.

SelectShift provides conventional automatic operation or a manual shift mode that gives the driver complete control over gear selection. For performance-minded drivers, paddle controls allow “match-rev” downshifts and will hold manually selected gears for precise control. Intuitively operated, a squeeze on either paddle will deliver an economical upshift under acceleration, while a gentle push forward brings a smooth downshift, synchronizing the engine and transmission speeds for responsive and positive engagement.

The Taurus SHO driveline is contemporized with the incorporation of a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system that engages automatically and unobtrusively. The unit contains an advanced array of internal electromechanical clutches to efficiently distribute torque to the wheels with optimum traction. Standard all-wheel-drive allows the Taurus SHO to efficiently deliver its high performance to the pavement under a wide variety of conditions.

For the discriminating automotive enthusiast, Taurus SHO offers an available SHO Performance Package consisting of upgraded brake pads, recalibrated EPS for even more responsiveness, a “Sport Mode” setting for the standard AdvanceTrac® Electronic Stability Control and a shorter 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio for faster acceleration. Performance-compound 20-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 tires on premium painted wheels also are included.

 

Technology

The 2010 Ford Taurus will come with a host of known or new technical gadgets like Adaptive Cruise Control, Keyless entry, automatic headlights and wipers, Blind Spot Information System, Ford SYNC®, Voice-Activated Navigation System with SIRIUS® Travel Link™, and a Sony audio system with Sirius satellite radio.

In addition, Collision Warning with Brake Support, a new active safety feature enabled by Adaptive Cruise Control, uses a radar sensor to detect moving vehicles ahead and provides a visual “heads-up” warning signal transmitted across the base of the windshield and an audible warning when slower moving traffic is detected ahead. The system also pre-charges the brakes and engages an electronic brake assist to help the driver stop more quickly.

The new Ford Taurus is equipped with a comprehensive package of active and passive safety features, including dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, side impact airbags and Safety Canopy®, a Ford exclusive protection system that features side curtain airbags that help protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollover and side impact crashes.