STANDARD ADVANCE TRAC STABILITY CONTROL, SOS POST-CRASH ALERT BUILD ON TAUR
08/01/2008
Ford
Rated America's safest full-size car, the Ford Taurus adds even more safety technology for 2009 with standard AdvanceTrac(R) 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(R) 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(R) 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(R) - 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(TM) 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(R), 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(R) system to remind front-seat occupants to buckle up.
The 2009 Taurus also offers a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System, SecuriLock(R) passive anti-theft system, SecuriCode(TM) 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(R) 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(R) 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(TM) 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(R) 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.