2010 Ford Taurus Officially Unveiled

[qwiksix]

Maybe they could call it Falcus.

Doesn't look half bad. Some superficial styling changes to grill and tail lights, and suspension tuned for Aussie roads and it could work.

Mmmm. If they have AWD, how hard would it be to make one RWD?

qs

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by qwiksix

Maybe they could call it Falcus.

Doesn't look half bad. Some superficial styling changes to grill and tail lights, and suspension tuned for Aussie roads and it could work.

Mmmm. If they have AWD, how hard would it be to make one RWD?

qs

or Tauralcon...

(both sound like a toyota model name though....)

[Cobra]

Originally Posted by qwiksix

Maybe they could call it Falcus.

Doesn't look half bad. Some superficial styling changes to grill and tail lights, and suspension tuned for Aussie roads and it could work.

Mmmm. If they have AWD, how hard would it be to make one RWD?

qs

For starters, the Taurus being designed as a FWD first means that the engine is mounted transversely. You can't make a transversly mounted engine run RWD only. Ford would have to position the engine longitudinally, which would mean extensive re-engineering which will never happen.

You have to remember which market this car is from, FWD is better in the snow and half of the USA experiences this throughout winter. The AWD component is just a bonus, but it will never be a RWD baised setup, my guess is 50:50 split if we're lucky. Still should be a good 'un with TT V6 and AWD with hopefully LSD F & R.

[uranium_death]

One step forward and two steps back, nobody gets too far like that...

The front and interior are ok, but the rear is at least 10 years behind. It has no shape. Just a squarish-back.

I wish that Ford US would even allow the Falcon to be shipped over to the US in small numbers and tested on a small demographic to gauge some sort of response.
If it's good, then support the Australian product a little more and eventually allow us to export it.

A farmer has to dream, boy...

[vanman_75]

i wont buy a front wheel drive large car ,and im guessing most who buy falcons and commodores wouldn't either .
we all dream of exporting falcon which will never happen. America would only build it ,thats the way they work . copy all designs and reproduce with their own variations .no benefit to ford aus .
what annoys me is all the garbage of fuel economy ,.1-.3 etc is not substantial fuel gains ,big car running between 9-12 litres per hundred its how it is and most manufacturers fall in this bracket ,so deleting models for fwd is just stupid .
its not for me if i wanted fwd i would buy accords and such .tough aus vehicle = rwd simple ,it is nice but there lays the problem for me ,nice .

[TC200six]

Originally Posted by Buzz Box

I must say you hear this rumour getting more and more traction as time goes on.........

Although my understanding is the Taurus is like an American Mondeo? So Europe has the Mondeo and USA Taurus.......

(I do understand they are different cars but the position in line up and size and status within the company and flagships etc)

When it comes to size, I think the Taurus is more like the American Falcon counterpart, (only in FWD). While the Ford Fusion is more like an American Mondeo counterpart.

[Airmon]

AWD Turbo 6, Nice!

It's a pretty crappy article, plenty of speculation and doomsday predictions, they seem to be pretty good at turning good news into bad news. Seems Ford just can't win with these people.

[FPV+fteT3]

If that is the furure replacement for the falcon me thinks that I may have to buy up on spares for the fpv in the next couple of years as that looks like shyte.

[XR Martin]

If it replaces the Falcon it should be called the Five Hundred, which is what the Taurus was called for a year or two.

[TUF_302]

Looks good i think, definetly the best ever looking Taurus!

[bloggs24]

might consider buying if its AWD V8, if not, ill be getting a Holden!!

[bathurst77]

I still think 90% of buyers couldnt give a rats if a car is fwd or rwd. I know I couldnt.

Considering falcons core market is fleet, company, police taxi etc and to a lesser extent family drivers. Thse people care about runnning costs reliability resale value. ame for used car buying mum and dads. If by going FWD you make the car more economical and thus push up resale value, then people will buy it.

Sure there are the performance drivers and people who tow (most of which these days would buy territory hilux etc or other 4wd) for those people there is XR and FPV range, which can be AWD

AWD is heavier, more complex, uses more fuel, has more service costs. Why would Silvertop taxis, telstra or police want that. (Except highway patrol or response cars, police are commonly in camrys etc now).

To make the whole range AWD would be madness. Magna and Camry prove that people will buy a half decent FWD if it looks and goes OK. (Magna did sell well for over 10 years before it died)

FWD for the basic range, AWD for FPV and optional on Ghia - oops G6E same as turbo.

[FPV8U]

Originally Posted by Airmon

AWD Turbo 6, Nice!

It's a pretty crappy article, plenty of speculation and doomsday predictions, they seem to be pretty good at turning good news into bad news. Seems Ford just can't win with these people.

Back that up with a 6 Speed manual and im interisted..

[irlewy86]

Originally Posted by qwiksix

Maybe they could call it Falcus.

qs

Sounds like something I caught in the Navy

[Romulus]

If this is a replacement for the Falcon I'd have no hesitation in buying one. Provided:-

Has AWD configuration
Has a 3.5-3.7 Ecoboost TT engine
Weighs less than the current Falcon in AWD configuration
Has a decent 6 speed manual or auto
Can be made quicker than a FG XR6T/F6

[vanman_75]

Originally Posted by bathurst77

I still think 90% of buyers couldnt give a rats if a car is fwd or rwd. I know I couldnt.

Considering falcons core market is fleet, company, police taxi etc and to a lesser extent family drivers. Thse people care about runnning costs reliability resale value. ame for used car buying mum and dads. If by going FWD you make the car more economical and thus push up resale value, then people will buy it.

Sure there are the performance drivers and people who tow (most of which these days would buy territory hilux etc or other 4wd) for those people there is XR and FPV range, which can be AWD

AWD is heavier, more complex, uses more fuel, has more service costs. Why would Silvertop taxis, telstra or police want that. (Except highway patrol or response cars, police are commonly in camrys etc now).

To make the whole range AWD would be madness. Magna and Camry prove that people will buy a half decent FWD if it looks and goes OK. (Magna did sell well for over 10 years before it died)

FWD for the basic range, AWD for FPV and optional on Ghia - oops G6E same as turbo.

i know what your trying to say but if that was tru then focus /mondeo should be our meal tickets .alas they are not we want ute ,territory, and the likes .
i dont know the answer but another fwd is not it .

[bd737]

It's a Falcon wannabe!

[Nikked]

yuck. Euro overtones, washed out buy Americam Conservatism.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Looks better than the last few efforts, hopefully it sells well.

Ugly , interior is to "ghey" and it drives the wrong end... I can just see us driving across the Simpson in this ( choke)

[GTP290]

The rear exhausts look like GT exhausts cut in half vertically, the rear window deflector has to go, the rear end sits up to high, its just not aggressive enough, suprise us with something bold, drastic, stylish and good looks. Look at the BA GTP or the Territory, these cars sold well because they were great cars with fantastic looks and there was a lot to like about them, they still look good today, remember first of all people want a good looking car, then they want everything else that Ford offer after that!

[GTP290]

oops somehow I got my previous thread mixed up with the Falcon wagon thread. Or have I gone bonkers??

[Elks]

Originally Posted by Dave_au

..... looks like the bastard love child of a Camry and a Mondeo.

Ugly sucker of a thing.

The 1st question I would ask is what benefit does it bring to the table over an FG? NVH, Handling, Performance, Interior space?

The only real benefit FWD brings is in drive-train packaging to create interior space particularly for front seat passengers. In a small car the benefit real, in a medium car the benefit is dubious, in a large car the benefit is outweiged by the traditional FWD drawbacks. and with the front axle so far back it must be nose heavy.

Check the photos at the bottom of the link in post 1 especially front seat space. Looks like a Camry to me. Sell it alongside an FG and it will go the way of its predecessor.

My 2c

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

They've had a FWD V8 in the past.

I struggle with the comment that the 'Taurus is a full sized car like the Crown Vic'. The Falcon was much bigger than the Taurus when it was here, and the Crown Vic is the same size again above the Falcon. I can, however, understand that the Mondeo and Taurus might be built on the same platform. Can anyone say Camry and Aurion clone anyone?


Lukeyson

The Taurus name was applied to the Five-Hundred, which was a full sized car. Before that the Taurus was a mid-sized car.

The 2010 Taurus is built from the Lincoln MKS platform, which is a full-sized car.


I don't think there will be a V8 in this. The twin turbo V6 EcoBoost engine will be in it. That's rated at about 355 HP.


Steve

[Ohio XB]

Wow. It is interesting to see a number of people here who feel now that Ford has taken the cover off the US market 2010 Taurus that this is already on it's way to Australia to replace the Falcon.

I may be naive since I don't have the experience others here have had as far as Ford's past actions in cramming cars down Aussie's throats, but I haven't heard anything yet about this being "global" architecture.

This car does not have a suspension that can compete with the Falcon, I wouldn't think. The Falcon seems much more performance oriented. It certainly has the heritage. The Taurus has always been a family sedan with one short run performance model, the SHO. I don't think that the Taurus, especially FWD, would be able to even attempt to pretend to be a replacement for the Falcon.



I hope I am right.


Steve

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

Wow. It is interesting to see a number of people here who feel now that Ford has taken the cover off the US market 2010 Taurus that this is already on it's way to Australia to replace the Falcon.

I may be naive since I don't have the experience others here have had as far as Ford's past actions in cramming cars down Aussie's throats, but I haven't heard anything yet about this being "global" architecture.

This car does not have a suspension that can compete with the Falcon, I wouldn't think. The Falcon seems much more performance oriented. It certainly has the heritage. The Taurus has always been a family sedan with one short run performance model, the SHO. I don't think that the Taurus, especially FWD, would be able to even attempt to pretend to be a replacement for the Falcon.



I hope I am right.


Steve

All good points Steve, the traditional fundamental differences between the US market and here in terms of performance orientation has been the US has based its performance offerings on mid sized coupes where as we have "adapted" our large family sedans into performance models.
Our performance "heritage" and "traditions" have primarily pivoted off our premier sedan racing category......
It will be interesting to see if that trend continues here.

[Smoke Pursuit]

The falcon kills it....

Why cant they just build 1 global RWD and get on with making money... The yanks would love the Falcon / Falcon Ute.

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by bfiipursuit

The falcon kills it....

Why cant they just build 1 global RWD and get on with making money... The yanks would love the Falcon / Falcon Ute.

I agree with that!!


Steve

[JerseyVics]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

I agree with that!!


Steve

+1


--Russ

[Corzza]

Cool taxi that!

[Dauphin]

I quite like it. Maybe it's a trick of the photography, but I like the rear boot wedges upwards. Much prefer this larger prominent grille to the current Falcon.

I like the sloping dash. Very airliner-ish.

Edit: I liked some of the styling elements. I will always prefer RWD.