2011 FORD TAURUS DELIVERS FULL-SIZE STYLE, SUBSTANCE, TECHNOLOGY, DRIVING DYNAMICS, VALUE
07/09/2010
Ford
The Ford Taurus - the car that changed America's view of full-size sedans - continues for 2011 with an upscale design, impeccable driving dynamics and class-leading technologies at a compelling value for full-size sedan buyers.
Taurus is aimed at drivers who might move family and friends, yet who place a premium on the driving experience and the technologies that make time on the road more meaningful and fun.
Exterior design details are sculpted and powerful - from the hood-mounted powerdome that speaks to the strength behind its confident grille to the pronounced fenders and fascia. Bold headlamps combined with recessed parking lamps frame a bold expression of the signature Ford three-bar grille - and the lowered roofline helps make the Taurus more aspirational.
Vibrant new colors for 2011 include Bordeaux Reserve Red Metallic, Kona Blue Metallic and Sterling Gray Metallic.
Wheels from 17- to 19-inches in diameter fill the sculpted wheel wells and lend Taurus a muscular and athletic stance. The raised shoulder lines provide a confident profile and enable generous trunk capacity.
Inside, a forward-leaning center stack - home to the climate controls, audio components and available navigation screen - flows through the instrument panel and into the center console. This smart design allows for the interior to be formed with unbroken lines to impart seamless quality and craftsmanship.
The door panels employ an innovative urethane tooling process providing unique soft texture and identity to surfaces, with visible stitching and a handcrafted appeal. This same process allows for two-tone finishes, enabling model series differentiation.
Taurus precision craftsmanship is reflected in the quality of materials used in the interior, and in the exterior margins that are comparable to costly German luxury sedans.
Better performance, with exceptional fuel economy
To match its striking design, the Taurus features sportier driving dynamics.
Taurus for 2011 comes standard with the proven Duratec 3.5-liter V-6, generating 263 horsepower and 249 ft.-lb. of torque. This award-winning engine earns a ULEV-II emissions certification and comes paired with a choice of two new six-speed automatic transmissions.
The smooth and refined Duratec V-6 helps the front-wheel-drive Taurus deliver highway fuel economy of up to 18 mpg city and 28 highway. Taurus reflects the company's commitment to deliver the best or among the best fuel economy across the vehicle segments in which it competes.
Taurus fuel economy is aided by the use of a two-speed fuel pump and aggressive deceleration fuel shutoff technology.
The Taurus SE offers a six-speed automatic transmission with a grade-assist hill-holding rollback prevention feature, paired with an economical 2.77 final drive ratio.
SEL and Limited series Taurus models are offered with SelectShift, featuring race-inspired shift control paddles mounted on the steering wheel. SelectShift offers the convenience of conventional automatic operation, or a manual shift mode that gives the driver manual control over gear selection.
The SelectShift transmission enables "match-rev" downshifts and will hold manually selected gears, unlike some competitive transmissions that second-guess the driver.
The SEL is offered with a 2.77 final drive ratio, while the Limited series uses a 3.16 gear in front-wheel-drive models and a 3.39 ratio in all-wheel-drive models to provide enhanced acceleration.
Chassis and suspension components are tuned to deliver on the sporty and aggressive design with optimized roll stiffness for cornering control, responsive steering with sharp turn-in and precision accuracy. This chassis tuning of the MacPherson front struts and multilink rear suspension reflects Ford global DNA, defined by responsive steering and handling while maintaining a comfortable ride quality.
The 2011 Taurus features the SR1 suspension configuration. Named for its "one-to-one" rear shock absorber ratio, it provides a superior balance between cornering and handling while providing a stable baseline for fine-tuning. SR1 enables the use of 19-inch wheels and reduces vehicle weight to help save fuel.
Wind tunnel development time was important to reduce noise and vibration, but it also helps deliver increased fuel economy.
Customer-focused technologies
Tech-savvy customers will find plenty to like about the 2011 Taurus. Its technologies enable customer connectivity, while fulfilling desires for customization and control.
These offerings were selected and developed to provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience for driver and passengers. Extensive work has also been done to ensure these technologies are intuitive to operate. Taurus features include:
Adaptive Cruise Control allows the driver to set the vehicle cruising speed while using radar technology to monitor traffic traveling up to 600 feet ahead, automatically adjusting Taurus speed to help maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
Collision Warning with Brake Support is a new active safety feature integrated with Adaptive Cruise Control. The collision warning system uses a radar sensor to detect moving vehicles ahead and provides a visual heads-up warning signal transmitted across the base of the windshield and an audible warning when slower-moving traffic is detected. The system also pre-charges the brakes and engages an electronic brake assist to help the driver stop more quickly.
Intelligent Access with Push-Button Start is a new Taurus feature that allows drivers to start the engine by simply carrying the fob as they approach and enter the vehicle.
SecuriCode(TM) Keyless Entry Keypad enables vehicle access by unlocking the driver's door using a five-digit code on the new keypad system flush-mounted in the driver's side B-pillar.
MyKey(TM) allows parents or fleet administrators to activate a restricted driving mode. When enabled, MyKey features a persistent Belt-Minder(R) with audio mute until seat belts are buckled, an earlier low-fuel warning, and consistently engaged AdvanceTrac(R) stability control, Blind Spot monitoring, Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning. Additional programmability includes restrictions on audio volume, limiting top speed to 80 mph and speed chime warnings at 45, 55 or 65 mph.
Auto High Beams/Rain-Sensing Wipers harness sensor technologies to switch headlights to high intensity when no other vehicles are detected, in a range of up to 500 feet for taillight detection and up to 2,000 feet for oncoming headlights. Rain-sensing wipers use an advanced optical sensor to detect the intensity of rain and/or snowfall to adjust wiper speed.
Easy Fuel(TM) Capless Fuel-Filler System is an industry-exclusive feature that self-seals without a traditional fuel cap.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS(R)) consists of two multiple beam radar modules, one each per rear quarter panel. When an approaching vehicle enters the defined blind spot zone, an indicator alert provides warning to the driver in the corresponding side-view mirror.
Cross Traffic Alert uses the existing BLIS radar modules to sense oncoming traffic when slowly backing out of a parking spot. This industry-exclusive system functions only while the vehicle is in reverse and warns when cross-traffic appears within three car widths.
Ford SYNC(R) is the fully integrated, in-vehicle voice-activated communications and entertainment system, with 911 Assist(TM), Vehicle Health Report and GPS-based features including business search and call completion. SYNC connects to MP3 players, iPods, memory sticks and PDAs. SYNC's 911 Assist will place a call to a local emergency operator in the event of an airbag deployment incident. SYNC also includes Traffic, Directions & Information, providing turn-by-turn route guidance, and the ability to access content by personalized favorites such as region, subject matter or sports team.
Voice-activated navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link(TM) uses an 8-inch screen to present a bird's-eye-view map with 3D landmarks. The system responds to voice commands for destination programming and route selection. In addition, it provides enhanced route guidance features such as street name announcements and detailed freeway exit, turn and ramp position lane guidance. The screen can be personalized with up to 32 pictures, sized up to 1.5 MB. The system also incorporates SIRIUS Travel Link, offering availability of current weather and ski conditions, a five-day forecast, local fuel pricing by cost per gallon as well as brand, sports scores and movie listings. For 2011, this package also includes HD Radio(R), for improved sound quality and increased listening options.
Sony(R) branded audio components deliver sound from a variety of sources, with an AM-FM tuner, SIRIUS(R) satellite radio, CD, DVD audio and an integrated 10 GB hard drive for storage of 2,400 songs. This package also includes an available 10-speaker premium audio system.
Multi-Contour seats are available on an industry-exclusive basis for driver and passenger, integrating a six-way lumbar support and subtle rolling pattern massage. The bottom cushion features Active Motion.
Rear View Camera System is standard on Limited series and optional on SEL models.
Safety leadership grows
The 2011 Taurus builds on its legacy of safety leadership, incorporating a comprehensive array of passive and active features engineered to protect and preserve its passengers.
Taurus safety begins with a body structure optimized for strength and stiffness. The energy-absorbing front structure features octagonal front frame rails, tunnel rails and "shotgun" front structural members designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment. The Taurus body structure features ultra-high-strength boron steel in the B-pillar for added side-impact protection.
Taurus is equipped with a comprehensive package of active and passive safety features, including dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, side-impact airbags and Safety Canopy(R), a Ford-exclusive protection system that features side curtain airbags that help protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollover and side-impact crashes.
Technology and connectivity features
Standard and available 2011 Ford Taurus technology features include:
SYNC voice-activated communications and entertainment system with Traffic, Directions & Information
SIRIUS satellite radio with initial six-month subscription
Voice-activated navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link and HD Radio, including iTunes song-tagging ability
Multi-Contour seats with Active Motion
Integrated Blind Spot Mirrors for better blind-spot visibility
Rear View Camera System to aid visibility while backing up
Easy Fuel Capless Fuel-Filler System
Ambient lighting allowing drivers to change interior lighting color palette
Steering wheel audio controls
Safety technologies
Standard and available 2011 Ford Taurus safety features include:
Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture(R) comprised of a hydroformed cross-car beam embedded in the floor between the door frames, providing additional strength in the side of the vehicle
Personal Safety System(R) consisting of sensors that note right front occupant weight, seat belt usage, outboard seat belt tension and seating position to optimize airbag deployment force for occupant safety
AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control
SOS Post-Crash Alert, an integrated system that automatically unlocks the doors, sounds the horn and activates the emergency flashers in the event of an airbag deployment
MyKey programmable vehicle key
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system on rear seating positions
The 2011 Ford Taurus is built at Ford's Chicago Assembly Plant.