• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Auto Trends Magazine

Car reviews, industry news, & advice.

Archives for March 20, 2014

On the Way: 2016 Ford Taurus

March 20, 2014 by admin 3 Comments

Lighter full-size sedan expected in summer 2015.

2013 Ford Taurus SHO.
The next generation Taurus will look nothing
like the current model.

Large sedans may no longer carry the status they once did, but to automakers they represent both premium and profitable models, serving retail and fleet customers alike. The Ford Taurus is one such vehicle, a model name rescued by CEO Alan Mulally soon after he took the helm in 2006. What was originally a midsize vehicle has morphed into a full-size model, replacing the aged Crown Victoria as Ford’s flagship sedan.

2016 Ford Taurus

Ford plans to keep making the Taurus and is now readying a new model in time for the 30th-anniversary edition. On Tuesday, Edmunds.com reported that an all-new Taurus is due out in the third quarter of 2015, citing an unnamed Ford source who shared some tidbits about the upcoming model.

The next-generation Ford Taurus will come in lighter than the current edition, losing the Volvo-based platform it has used for the past 10 years. The new model will be derived from the same one underpinning the Ford Fusion midsize sedan, stretched and widened to accommodate the Taurus. That move will allow Ford to share many components and hold down costs, a strategy that other automakers currently employ.

Indeed, the Chevrolet Malibu (midsize) and Chevrolet Impala (large) are derived from the same platform as are the Toyota Camry (midsize) and Toyota Avalon (large) sedans. Expect Ford to make good use of light weighting, perhaps employing an aluminum body just as they plan to do with the 2015 Ford F-150 when it is released later this year.

Engine Possibilities

The new Ford Taurus will offer standard front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive optional. Its engine line up may change with Auto Trends forecasting that the now optional 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine will become the standard engine.

Though the displacement is small, the four-cylinder engine currently produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and has an output of 270 foot-pounds of torque in the 2014 Ford Taurus. And that is in the base model weighing in at 3,964 pounds. Lighten the load and you’ll get a faster sedan and improved fuel economy. That should also allow Ford to offer the four banger will all-wheel drive, something it doesn’t provide with the current edition except with the V-6.

The 2014 Taurus base engine is a 3.5-liter V-6 making 288 horsepower. An EcoBoost version (with twin turbochargers and direct injection) is sold with the Taurus SHO, making 365 horsepower. Me thinks that the Taurus SHO may retain the larger engine while the all-new 2.7-liter V-6 slated for the Ford F-150 could become the optional engine for the standard Taurus. The larger EcoBoost would also be used in the Police Interceptor sedan, which is based on the Taurus.

Transmission Direction

The transmission choices may be a bit more difficult to pin down, but a base Taurus could be paired with a six-speed automatic as currently used. Ford is also putting the finishing touches on a nine-speed automatic, what would be used elsewhere.

That transmission if optionally paired with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine should help the Taurus achieve at least 35 mpg on the highway (up from 32 mpg), tops in its segment.

With start/stop technology, light weighting and various aerodynamic adjustments such as automatically closing shutters, 25 mpg in town would be within reach. It wasn’t too long ago that compact sedans produced similar numbers.

Looking a bit further out, the Taurus might also offer a hybrid system, providing yet another way for Ford to meet ever-increasing federal fuel economy mandates.

Rising Ford Taurus Sales

Sales of the Ford Taurus increased by 4.5 percent in 2013, with 69,063 units sold. Add in sales for the Police Interceptor sedan and nearly 80,000 units rolled out of the factory door, up by more than 50 percent over 2009 reports Reuters.

Photo courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.


Other News — Recalls: GM Sets the Narrative

Filed Under: New Models Tagged With: 2016 MODELS, 9-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, all-wheel drive, CHEVROLET IMPALA, EcoBoost, Ford Fusion, Ford Taurus, TOYOTA AVALON, V-6 ENGINE

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • The Mazda CX-5 Brings a Premium Touch to the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle Segment
  • 4 Car Upholstery Cleaning Tips
  • The 14 Brands of Stellantis
  • Peugeot May Not Return to the U.S. Market After All
  • Next-Generation Sedona Minivan Will Be Renamed the Kia Carnival

Recent Comments

  • Buying Guide: 2020 Kia Sedona — Auto Trends Magazine on Next-Generation Sedona Minivan Will Be Renamed the Kia Carnival
  • Highlights of the 2020 Kia Sedona — Auto Trends Magazine on Next-Generation Sedona Minivan Will Be Renamed the Kia Carnival
  • Minivan Surprise: 2016 Kia Sedona SXL — Auto Trends Magazine on Next-Generation Sedona Minivan Will Be Renamed the Kia Carnival
  • Compact Crossover Extraordinaire: Mazda CX-5 — Auto Trends Magazine on The Mazda CX-5 Brings a Premium Touch to the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle Segment
  • Compact Crossover Extraordinaire: Mazda CX-5 — Auto Trends Magazine on Compact, Luxury SUV: 2019 Volvo XC40

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008

Categories

  • Auto Parts
  • Auto Shows
  • Automotive Career
  • Automotive News
  • Book Reviews
  • Car Tips
  • Classics & Discontinued Models
  • Commentary
  • Commercial Vehicles
  • Concept Vehicles
  • Dealers
  • Engineering & Technology
  • Fleet
  • Fun News
  • Maintenance & Repairs
  • Motorsport
  • New Car Reviews
  • New Models
  • Ownership Experience
  • Product Reviews
  • Special
  • Specifications
  • Uncategorized

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

New!
Check out our Jobs Board!

via GIPHY

Subscribe to Auto Trends

Subscribe in a reader

Social Media

Visit our social media pages:
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest

Where is Matt Currently Published?

The Carolinian (new car reviews)
NAPA Know How Blog
On the Road Again

Pages

  • About
  • Authors List
  • Automotive Brochures
  • Contact
  • Industry Jobs
  • Write
    • Style Guide

Categories

Recent Posts

  • The Mazda CX-5 Brings a Premium Touch to the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle Segment
  • 4 Car Upholstery Cleaning Tips
  • The 14 Brands of Stellantis
  • Peugeot May Not Return to the U.S. Market After All
  • Next-Generation Sedona Minivan Will Be Renamed the Kia Carnival
  • GM Launches BrightDrop, Its Commercial EV Brand
  • The Refreshed and Handsome
    Lexus IS 350 F Sport
  • What We Know About the All-New 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L
  • The All-New and Formidable 2021 Nissan Rogue Crossover
  • Fuel-Efficiency and AWD Champion: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
  • Midsize Performance Master: 2021 Hyundai Sonata N-Line
  • Performance Hatchback: The All-New 2021 Mazda Mazda3 Turbo!
  • NACTOY Finalists For 2021 Offer Familiar and Futuristic Choices
  • Super Trooper: Nissan Titan Pickup
  • Behind the Wheel of the Popular 2021 Toyota Corolla Sedan
  • Lucid Motors Completes Arizona Factory
  • A Robust Turbodiesel Comes to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • Mid-Engine Masterpiece: The Eighth-Generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
  • Compact Performance:
    2021 Cadillac CT4-V
  • All-Wheel Drive Supplies the Nissan Altima With a Competitive Edge
  • Return of the Toyota Venza!
  • Lexus Brings a Convertible to the Gorgeous LC 500 Line
  • Stellantis Logo Revealed by Peugeot, Fiat Chrysler Ahead of Spring Merger
  • Preview: 2021 Nissan Rogue Crossover
  • How to Fix a Broken Rivian Vehicle
  • Cadillac Gets Most Things Right
    With the XT6 Crossover
  • The High Potency Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Coupe
  • The All-New Chevrolet Trailblazer Forges Urban Paths
  • The Small Infiniti QX50 is Big on Tech and Engineering Features
  • Toyota Brings the TRD Treatment to the Midsize Camry Sedan
  • The Kia K5 Outclasses Most Competitors, Including the Departing Optima
  • Can the Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road Handle Tough Terrain?
  • Subaru WRX Showcases Its Performance Chops
  • Infiniti Overhauls QX80 Trims and Makes This Important Safety Feature Standard
  • Ford F-250 Super Duty and a Trail-Stomping Tremor Package
  • A Cut Above: Mazda’s Mazda3
  • The Highly Efficient Hyundai Ioniq
  • Volkswagen Atlas Revels in its Strengths
  • General Motors Deepens Partnership With Honda, Takes Stake in Nikola
  • Smart Concept: Jeep Grand Wagoneer
  • More Than an Encore: Buick Encore GX
  • Got a Recall? There’s an App for That.
  • Refreshed Nissan Titan Makes Its Case
  • BMW M235i: Not Your Typical Coupe
  • Hot Stuff: Lexus RC F Sport Coupe
  • Will the Electric Vehicle Boom Create New-Found Dependencies for Foreign Minerals?
  • Rumors? We Got Them!
  • About Bollinger Motors, EV Startup
  • Raptor Fighter: Ram 1500 TRX!
  • White Space Wonder: 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport
March 2014
S M T W T F S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
« Feb   Apr »

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in