After a prolonged presence in the full-size market (remember the Ford Five-Hundred?), Ford is preparing the current generation of the Taurus to be sent out to pasture. While it could be said that by no means is the current Taurus a bad vehicle per se, one recurring gripe against the full-sizer is its rather portly curb weight and, hence, its impact on performance and fuel economy.
In a recent interview with Edmunds.com, an undisclosed Ford insider stated, “The problem with today’s Taurus is that it is overweight and even the high performance SHO is not really competitive. With all the power from the (365-horsepower) V6 EcoBoost, it is pretty hard to overcome the amount of mass that the SHO has to move.” At about two tons, the Taurus’ weight is competitive with the Dodge Charger but is at least 200 pounds heavier than the Chevrolet Impala.
In an attempt to remedy the issue, Ford is placing the next Taurus on a diet by switching to the Fusion’s platform. The chassis we see debuting on the smaller sibling Fusion will be significantly lengthened and widened, all the while preserving the inherent lightness of the platform to serve the full-sizer’s purposes. If Ford successfully keeps the Taurus’ weight in check, an increase in performance and economy will likely be assisted by a new 9-speed automatic transmission.
Nothing is cast in stone yet but we expect the new Taurus’ debut sometime within the next year with a release for public consumption in perhaps two years’ time. For further details and information on the latest Taurus, stay tuned to Motrolix.com.
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