2012 Taurus Overview
06/22/2011
Ford
The 2012 Ford Taurus continues to build on a platform of technological leadership, stylish design, convenience and comfort that has raised the bar in the full-size sedan segment.
"As the flagship car in the Blue Oval showroom, Taurus is the launching pad for our most innovative driver-assistance, comfort and convenience technologies," said Chief Program Engineer Bill Gubing. "Taurus offers sedan buyers an unmatched array of features such as adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic alert and multicontour seats."
New for 2012
Completely redesigned for 2010, Taurus offers a revised color palette for 2012. It adds Ginger Ale Metallic, an elegant new hue. Bringing enhanced rear visibility, Taurus now features standard integrated blind spot mirrors in the power-assisted sideview mirrors.
Quality
Taurus quality begins with its distinctive design. Vehicle appearance is a significant purchase reason for full-size sedan buyers. Taurus is muscular and athletic, with design cues - such as the lower trapezoidal grille opening - that give some visual linkage and family resemblance to other nameplates in the Ford showroom.
Exterior craftsmanship for the new Taurus has been improved through the employment of digital pre-assembly. This advanced technology enables engineers to address potential issues in Taurus manufacturing while still in the online phase, and ensures precise, uniform surface gaps and margins once series production is initiated. Taurus was benchmarked against premium European sedans for exterior fit-and-finish superiority.
Taurus' interior craftsmanship is elevated through expanded use of soft-touch, high-quality materials inside the cabin. Upgraded materials across the instrument panel and throughout the center console are evidence of continuous improvement.
Taurus NVH control has delivered a car that rivals premium imported sedans for quietness.
Green
Each Taurus powertrain features additional technologies to help conserve fuel, such as:
-Low-tension front end accessory drive belt
-Smart battery management
-Aggressive deceleration fuel shutoff
-Reduced friction lubricants
-Six-speed transmissions
The Taurus interior keeps green with extensive use of recycled material in the cloth surfaces, in the headliner and in NVH control components. Taurus seat cushions are comprised of a high concentration of soy foam, significantly reducing petroleum-based substances.
The 2012 Taurus is powered by a 3.5-liter Duratec V6, providing 263 horsepower and 249 lb.-ft. of torque.
Safe
Taurus continues to build on a legacy of safety, as the 2011 model earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick rating. The stiff Taurus structure contains a significant portion of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, including boron.
Taurus features the Trinity front-crash architecture, named for the three elements that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from vehicle occupants. These components consist of an ultra-high-strength boron front beam to absorb initial impact force, boron "shotgun rails" that transfer impact forces in a diagonal path to the roof panel, and a decoupling engine cradle within the front subframe to help prevent the powertrain from interfering with the cabin.
Taurus also features Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE(R)) Architecture, a hydroformed cross-car beam embedded in the floor between the door frames to help provide additional strength on the vehicle sides. A rigid roof crossmember, side-impact door beams and boron B-pillar reinforcement also contribute to side-impact protection.
In the event of an airbag deployment, Taurus provides an SOS Post-Crash Alert System(TM) and features AdvanceTrac(R) with electronic stability control.
In addition, Taurus offers a complement of driver-aid technologies, such as:
-Adaptive cruise control employing radar technology to monitor traffic up to 600 feet ahead, automatically adjusting Taurus speed to help maintain a safe distance
-Collision warning with brake support, enabled by adaptive cruise control, provides a "heads-up" visual warning combined with an audio signal to alert the driver to slower moving traffic ahead. The system also pre-charges the brakes to aid stopping
-Blind Spot Information System (BLIS(R)) is designed to alert the driver if another vehicle is driving within a potential blind spot
-Cross-traffic alert, enabled by BLIS, senses and warns the driver of oncoming traffic from either direction when the Taurus is backing out of a driveway or parking space
-MyKey(R) owner control feature allows parents or fleet administrators to activate restricted driving modes. MyKey can limit top speeds and audio volume, provides earlier warnings and prevents deactivation of stability control systems
Smart
2012 Ford Taurus also offers the following comfort and convenience technologies:
-Multicontour seats with Active Motion(TM), a class-exclusive offering, help to reduce driver and first-row passenger fatigue with a subtle rolling massage pattern
-Intelligent Access with push-button start, allowing the driver to enter the car and start the engine via push button simply by having the key fob in his or her possession
-Auto high beams employ a sensor to switch headlamps to high beam when no oncoming traffic is detected
-Rain-sensing wipers use an advanced optical sensor to detect the intensity of rain and/or snowfall to automatically adjust wiper speed
-Rear window power sunshade, a luxury-class feature that shades the rear glass at the touch of a button, helping to keep the cabin cooler
-SYNC(R), Ford's acclaimed voice-activated entertainment and communications system, with 911 Assist(TM) and Traffic, Directions and Information
Production location
The 2012 Taurus is produced at Ford's Chicago manufacturing facility.