AUTOS: Ford Adds Four To Taurus

New Models

AUTOS: Ford Adds Four To Taurus

Turbo four-cylinder engine for 2013 provides 240 horsepower and 32 miles per gallon on the highway in the full-size sedan.

AutoWeek | http://www.autoweek.com/ | Posted June 27, 2012 Dearborn, MI

The 2013 Ford Taurus will include an optional Ecoboost four-cylinder engine. (Photo: Ford)

For the first time since the 1980s – and let's face it, 1991 was still the '80s – Ford will stash a four-cylinder engine in the Taurus sedan. With the EcoBoost four pot underhood, Taurus will get 32 mpg on the highway, Ford says.

Gas mileage has also improved across the rest of the 2013 Taurus line, with the V6-powered base car and the SHO model certified at 25 mpg or better on the highway. The turbocharged 2-liter engine will make about 240 horsepower.

Ford says the four-cylinder Taurus gets a higher combined fuel-economy rating than the Mercedes-Benz E350 diesel, the Porsche Panamera S hybrid and the V6-powered variants of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, while providing similar power.

In an effort to conserve fuel in all Taurus models, Ford added technologies such as a low-tension front-end serpentine belt, smart battery management, deceleration fuel shutoff, variable-displacement air-conditioning compressor, reduced-friction lubricants and electronic power steering.

The company also takes a page from the Focus hybrid and uses grille shutters to allow the proper amount of air into the radiator while keeping the aero optimized for fuel efficiency.

The 2013 Ford Taurus will arrive in dealerships later this summer.

This story originally appeared at AutoWeek.com.