STANDARD ADVANCE TRAC STABILITY CONTROL, SOS POST-CRASH ALERT BUILD ON TAURUS SAFETY LEADERSHIP

• Stability control: Ford's innovative AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control technology is standard equipment on the 2009 Ford Taurus, rated America's safest full-size car.

• Crash alert: The 2009 Taurus introduces a new standard SOS-Post Crash Alert System, which unlocks the vehicle doors and activates the horn and emergency flashers in the event air bags are deployed.

• More choices: The 2009 model year brings a new series designation. Taurus SE, the Taurus family's impressively equipped base series, brings the number of customer series choices to five.

Rated America's safest full-size car, the Ford Taurus adds even more safety technology for 2009 with standard AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control and a new SOS-Post Crash Alert System.

The new standard technologies build on the Taurus safety leadership story. Taurus has been rated the safest full-size car in North America and is a segment leader for safety, capable of achieving five-star ratings in all four categories of the U.S. government's crash tests. It also has been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

AdvanceTrac® and SOS-Post Crash Alert are standard equipment across the Taurus model range, which includes a new base series for 2009. The new member of the Taurus family is the Taurus SE, which joins the Taurus SEL, SEL AWD, Limited and Limited AWD to bring the array of Taurus series choices to five.

Taurus SE's impressive list of base model standard equipment includes the proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, AM/FM/CD audio with an integrated MP3 input jack, climate control with ducts for rear-seat passengers, 6-way power driver's seat and two-way power, fold-flat front passenger seat, premium sound insulation, halogen headlamps, 17-inch bright machined aluminum wheels with silver painted accents and an array of safety equipment and technologies.

'Taurus just keeps building on its strengths,' says John V. Felice, general marketing manager, Ford Division. 'The Taurus family for 2009 offers more of what customers really want across the range with more diverse, well-equipped series choices and even more standard safety equipment.'

Building on Safety Leadership

The new standard safety technologies add to an impressive list of standard safety features offered by the Ford Taurus.

AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control predicts the vehicle's intended path using a sensor to detect and measure oversteer and yaw. It monitors the vehicle's speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to keep the car tracking safely on its intended path.

The new standard SOS-Post Crash Alert System activates in the event of deployment of the vehicle air bags or safety belt pretensioner activation. When this occurs, SOS-Post Crash Alert System unlocks the doors and activates the horn and emergency flashers. The system is designed to alert passers-by and emergency services to the vehicle's location.

Other standard Taurus safety features include:

• Safety Canopy® - Ford's exclusive collision and rollover activated side curtain air bags, featuring 'roll fold' technology, are designed to help protect vehicle occupants in side impact collisions and rollover accidents with sustained inflation.

• Side air bags, which deploy from the front seatbacks, provide additional side impact protection.

• SPACE™ Architecture - An innovative cross-car beam under the front seats reinforces the structure between the B-pillars, which helps direct energy away from passengers. The rails are designed to bend and the tubes compress in a severe crash deflecting the brunt of impact force away from vehicle occupants.

• Personal Safety System®, a suite of seven protection technologies working together as a system to help protect occupants. The system includes dual-stage front air bags and an occupant classification system to sense whether the passenger seat is occupied. It tailors - or suppresses - air bag deployment to help provide an appropriate level of protection. It also features the Ford Belt-Minder® system to remind front-seat occupants to buckle up.

The 2009 Taurus also offers a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System, SecuriLock® passive anti-theft system, SecuriCode™ entry and autolocking keypad, and the LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) System.

Taurus models for 2009 feature new electrochromic interior rearview mirrors with an integrated compass feature.

2009 Taurus SEL - SIRIUS® Standard Equipment

SIRIUS Satellite Radio is now standard equipment on Taurus SEL models, as well as the top-of-the-range Limited.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio features a diverse array of satellite radio stations. Ford Taurus SEL and Limited customers receive a complimentary six-month subscription to SIRIUS® with their vehicle purchase. The system also is available as an option on Taurus SE.

Other Taurus SEL standard features include:

Autolamp - automatic headlamp operation with wiper-activation

Folding power, heated exterior mirrors in body color with puddle lamps

• AM/FM/6CD audio

• Dual-zone climate control

• Eight-way power driver seat

• Leather and woodgrain appearance touches

• 17-inch, eight-spoke bright machined aluminum wheels with dark painted accents

Taurus Limited - Ford SYNC™ and Universal Garage Door Opener

The highly popular SYNC technology is standard on the 2009 Taurus Limited, which also makes a universal garage door opener standard equipment.

SYNC is the voice-activated, hands-free communications and entertainment system, developed in collaboration with Microsoft. It integrates mobile phones and media players with the vehicle using Bluetooth® technology and USB connectivity. SYNC-equipped vehicles feature an electrochromic rearview mirror with integral compass and microphone features. The system is optional on SEL models.

The universal garage door opener gives the vehicle the technology to learn up to three garage door and power gate remote control codes, eliminating the need to clutter the interior with separate remote control units.

Other Taurus Limited features include chrome-accented door handles and license-plate molding, 18-inch, seven-spoke chrome clad aluminum wheels, adjustable pedals with memory feature, leather seating surfaces, memory settings for driver seat and exterior mirrors, heated driver and passenger seats, premium audio with subwoofer and reverse sensing.

New Color Choices

The 2009 Ford Taurus offers seven new exterior paint color choices:

• Brilliant Silver Metallic

• Cinnamon Metallic

• Sangria Red Metallic

• Smokestone Metallic

• Tuxedo Black Metallic

• White Sand Tri-Coat

• White Suede

The 2009 Taurus is powered by the 3.5-liter Duratec V-6 engine, which is rated at 263 horsepower (at 6,251 rpm) and 249 lb.-ft. of torque (at 4,501 rpm), and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Front-wheel drive models are rated at 18 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, EPA estimated.

by Ford

Introduced in December 1985 as a 1986 model, Ford unveiled the Taurus with its smooth, jellybean-like body. One of the slickest vehicles in the world, the Taurus had an aerodynamic drag coefficient of only 0.29. Instantaneously winning over thousands of fans, the Taurus was a huge success. The name Taurus came from the Latin word meaning ‘bull'. During its 20 years of production, Ford sold nearly 7 million Taurus's throughout its lifetime. Most Taurus's were built in either Chicago, Illinois and in Atlanta, Georgia.

A bold new step in US automobile design, this was the first time in many decades that an American manufacturer was building a world class car. Inspired by successful European designs, which were making huge steps in the US premium sedan market, Ford took a huge gamble in basing its main profits on this vehicle.

Weighing in around 3,200lbs, the front-wheel-drive midsize Taurus rode on a 106-inch wheelbase. All models except the LX featured the base engine, a four cylinder of 2.5 liters and 90 horsepower. Most buyers chose the optional 3.0-liter V6 that put out an impressive 140 horsepower. Transmission options were either a five-speed manual or three-speed automatic, while the V6 only came with a four-speed automatic gearbox.

In 1988 a larger 3.8-liter V6 engine became optional for all Taurus's and all Sables. Rated at the same horsepower as the standard 3.0-liter V6, the bigger engine produced more torque and was better off-the-line response, which was helpful in drag races.

Ford introduced the Taurus SHO in1989, which was a special treat for driving enthusiasts. Featuring a 220-horsepower, 24-valve, 3.0-liter Yamaha engine along with a sport suspension package, the SHO was a magnificent vehicle. Continuing with the serious, performance-oriented theme of the vehicle, the interior featured a 140-mph speedometer, an 8,000-rpm tachometer with a 7,000-rpm redline, aggressive side bolsters on the front bucket seats along with a console which featured a five-speed manual gearshift as no automatic transmission was available for the SHO. Reaching 0-60 mph in only seven seconds, the SHO received four-wheel disc brakes along with upgraded handling.

The Taurus received a driver's side airbag in 1990 along with a revised instrument panel. Antilock brakes were newly optional on sedans only, and a compact disc player. The three-speed unit that was formerly mated to the 3.0-liter V6 was replaced with a four-speed automatic.

The following year a much-need boost in power was made to the four cylinder engine, bumping it from 90 horsepower to 115. No increase in its output, but the 3.0-liter V6 received sequential fuel injection. The SHO also received a few updates as well that included larger 16-inch tires and wheels while the manual gearbox and clutch were modified for smoother operation.

A larger 3.2-liter version of the DOHC V6 was introduced in 1993 and came with automatic SHOs. Though peak horsepower was the same as the 3.0 motor, more torque down low offset the fitment of the auto gearbox. The SHO also received a decklid spoiler with integrated stop lamp along with chrome dual exhaust outlets. To make the Taurus even more competitive in the tough sportscar market segment, more standard equipment that included AC and a rear window defroster were added to lower-line models.

Every year the Taurus took the title of 'Best-Selling Car in America' from 1992 through 1995. Many changes were introduced for the 1996 Taurus. Under the hood was a new ‘Duratec' 24-valve, DOHC V6 with 200 horsepower. The 3.0-liter V6 gained an additional 5 horsepower bumping it up to 145 horses. The SHO also now had V8 power, a Yamaha-engineered, 3.4-liter, 32-valve unit that pushed 235 horsepower to the front wheels. The SHO no longer had a manual gearbox, along with all other Taurus's as now all vehicles featured an electronically controlled, four-speed automatic transmission handled gear changes. Despite of all of these controversial design changes, the Taurus continued with its 'Best-Selling Car in America' streak for yet another year.

For 1997 engineering was on everyone's mind as a variety of changes occurred for the 3.0-liter V6, and the Taurus didn't lag behind. The V6 motor was modified to run cleaner and even received California's low-emission vehicle status as a result. Along with standard gasoline-fueled version, the 3.0 offered two 'flexible fuel' options. One option allowed the engine to run on mainly methanol while the other ran on mostly ethanol.

The standard engine for the LX and SE models was once again the 145-horsepower V6 in 1998. The SE featured an optional Sport group that put the 200-horsepower Duratec V6 in the engine bay along with a spoiler on the trunk lid. The grille was slightly updated as a horizontal bar was inserted into the ‘mouth', and the orange taillights were replaced with clear lenses. The second generation airbags were replaced with more safe ones that were designed to reduce the chance of airbag related injuries; this debuted on the 1998 models.

For 1999 models safety was the big selling point as both the Taurus and the Sable received the government's highest rating for frontal crash tests. The largest selling point in the sportscar market was that both the sedan and wagon body styles garnered five stars for driver and passenger sides in the frontal impact test.

The following year a set of 3.0-liter V6 engines remained as the source of propulsion. The base version featured 155 horsepower and a higher-output 24-valve twincam unit that produced 200 horsepower. A four-speed automatic sends the power to the front wheels either way. The SHO was discontinued in 2000.

For 2000 the Taurus received yet another redesign as it minimized some of the oval design elements from the 1996 model. A taller roof over the rear-passenger space was featured in the redesign to increase passenger headroom that was sacrificed by the tapered '96 design. Making the vehicle more functional, the taller and roomier trunk also added points.

The interior of the 2000 model was completely replaced for a much more conservative design. A few elements of the interior were kept from the 1996 model, such as the integrated control console which combined the sound system and climate controls into one panel. To appeal to a broader, non-sporting audience, the suspension was also softened. The four-wheel disc brakes along with many other features were eliminated to reduce the price and increase profitability.

For 2002 the Taurus now included extra equipment on every trim level that included a CD player and power driver's seat on the SE, a power moonroof or leather interior on the SES. Both of these luxury options were found on the SEL. Optional on all models now were side airbags and traction control.

The Taurus received minor cosmetic changes to both the front and rear fascias, including an eggcrate grille for 2004. A new instrument cluster and steering wheel were installed for this same year.

Unfortunately the Taurus's days were numbers and for 2005 very little changes were made. Ford replaced the Taurus in commercial markets with the 2005 Ford Five Hundred after facing slumping sales. In January of 2005 the Taurus wagon was discontinued and replaced in the lineup by the crossover Ford Freestyle. Ford stopped selling the Taurus to the public in 2005. Still sold to the Canadian market, the model year 2006 Taurus is sold exclusively to rental fleets, such as The Hertz Corporation. In August 2006, the vehicle ceased production as a 2007 model year vehicle as Ford closed the Atlanta plant.

by Jessican Donaldson