Hot Take: You Probably Wouldn't Have Wanted the New Ford Taurus, Anyway

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Despite having risen from the grave in 2007, following its brief stint as the Ford Five Hundred, the Taurus has been reburied. The last example rolled out of Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant a few weeks ago (to make room for SUVs), though the car lives on in China. However, we doubt you’d be interested if the manufacturer suddenly began exporting them.

A seventh generation of the Ford Taurus was introduced there in 2015, looking like a hybrid of the American sixth-gen and Australia’s FG X Falcon. A mid-cycle refresh is right around the corner, and you’ll probably be glad it’s staying in China.

The car’s official debut isn’t until next month’s Shanghai Auto Show, though leaked images of the car have made the rounds online — apparently stemming from the Sohu Internet news site and several leaks from within the company. While the car still resembles the Taurus we’ve put to rest, a few minor changes cropped up. Slimmer headlamps, a new grille and bumper, more LEDs, and some additional chrome detailing help modernize the look. And it’s all very bland… and round.

Worse yet, the Chinese Taurus will only be available with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost or the current 2.0-liter EcoBoost (producing 245 horsepower), mated to a six-speed automatic. The V6 is gone, not that the country has any longstanding affinity for the SHO or large, high-horsepower vehicles in general.

It’s not completely terrible, but Changan-Ford doesn’t appear to offer anything that would light a fire under Americans shopping for a new full-size sedan. Hopefully, that makes the loss of the North American Taurus more palatable to those feeling extra raw about its continued existence in Asia.

As for the possibility of future exports, don’t count on it. Ford isn’t even considering shipping the car to other markets right now, and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon — even if US-Chinese trade tensions suddenly dissipate.

[Images: Sohu Inc]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Gardiner Westbound Gardiner Westbound on Mar 22, 2019

    The problem with the outgoing Taurus was the small interior relative to its exterior size. The item doesn’t address that issue. Regardless, I would want a V6. Too much iron to move with a heavily stressed four cylinder.

  • Outback_ute Outback_ute on Mar 25, 2019

    I've seen one of the Chinese market Tauruses, pre-facelift, and it was a nice-looking car. Is anybody in the market for a full-size car looking for something styled like it is out of insert-reference-here? Ok so the facelift hasn't helped but that is easily fixed. It is 3.2" longer in the wheelbase than the outgoing Volvo-origin car.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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