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DRIVEN: New Taurus Laden With Style, Technology
Written by: Bob Golfen   
06/23/2009
Ashville, N.C.
 
Ford Taurus returns once again for 2010, this time as a technology-laden full-size sedan that targets the premium competition.

Taurus SHO is back, bringing with it a 365-horsepower twin-turbocharged V-6. (Photo: Bob Golfen) » More Photos
This is good news for Ford loyalists who were disappointed by the Five Hundred and subsequent Taurus version of the same sedan, which were decent-enough cars but lacked any sort of spark.

But the best news is that the high-performance Taurus SHO also returns for 2010 after more than a decade’s absence, bringing with it a powerful, twin-turbocharged V-6, sport-tuned suspension and steering, all-wheel drive, and the fast, sporty driving sensations that enthusiasts appreciate.

The latest Taurus, with its handsomely sculpted body, lavish interior, high-tech features and responsive drivability, should rouse plenty of interest among those who have been shopping Toyota Avalon, Chrysler 300 or even some of the sporty Europeans.

Though built on the same Volvo-derived platform as the previous Taurus, the 2010 version is practically a clean slate of engineering and design, which has produced a much more interesting car.

The new Taurus shows off its sculpted body with multiple character lines and detailed trim. (Photo: Bob Golfen) » More Photos
The original Taurus that appeared in 1986 was revolutionary, while the new one shows more of the steady beat of automotive progress that happened in the subsequent 24 years. Bigger and more substantial, more luxurious and comfortable, Taurus is now Ford’s flagship, aimed at an upscale market.

Ford calls Taurus SHO a sleeper performance car that may look like an ordinary sedan but could run away from some of the better established driving machines. Boasting 365 horsepower from its turbocharged EcoBoost engine, SHO is quick and agile whether running on a high-speed freeway or ducking into the curves on a winding back road.

SHO (for Super High Output) also turns in fuel-mileage results comparable with
the regular, 263-horsepower Taurus, credited to the EcoBoost V-6 engineering that provides loads of torquey pull combined with modest gas consumption and clean emissions.

Ford introduced Taurus and Taurus SHO to the motor press in the hill country of Tennessee and North Carolina, a suitably Americana environment laced with enjoyable country roads.

Taurus earned praise as a well-designed, good-handling big car with much to recommend it, but it was the SHO that lit up this crowd of car guys.

The 2010 Taurus is a hugely important product for Ford, the only member of the Big 3 that stayed away from bankruptcy and government aid during these lean times.

As flagship, Taurus represents the pinnacle of Ford’s engineering, design and technology, the mainstream premium sedan that will represent the heart and soul of the Dearborn, Mich., automaker as it moves through the difficult years ahead.

What it is: A stylish large sedan that’s loaded with high-tech features and drives with quiet competence. In its SHO guise, it’s also a fast and sporty large sedan that’s a hoot to drive.

Performance: The standard 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 runs smoothly with plenty of power despite Taurus’ two-tons of heft. With the 365-horse twin-turbo engine in the SHO, Taurus turns downright fast, with a flat torque curve that starts delivering 350 pound-feet at just 1,500 rpm.

SHO’s EcoBoost V-6 is the first twin-turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine in North America, according to Ford. This means that it benefits from both the power boost of turbocharging and the fuel efficiency of direct fuel injection, which sprays atomized gas directly into the combustion chambers at high pressure.

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