The Taurus was dead - but now it's alive again. Ford's decided to revive the nameplate, putting it on the former Five Hundred sedan built in Chicago.
Along with the name change, Ford is sharpening the edge of the old Five Hundred sedan, boosting the full-sizer's front-end appeal and bringing it more in line with the sedan's surprising ride and handling.
The big upgrades for the 2008 Taurus start in front and back, where Ford adopts the three-bar grille found on the new Fusion and Edge. The hood is sculptured, with a slight edge applied to the chin spoiler. In back, fresh taillamps give the sedan's tail a more modern look, with Limited editions donning a splash of chrome trim.
The interior receives a few updates of its own. A new center console sports enough room for a purse or a camera on top of a larger bin. More sound deadening has been applied to quiet the Taurus' drivetrain.
2008 Ford Five Hundred |
And for 2008, the drivetrain moves smartly ahead from the underwhelming CVT/200-hp combination that the Five Hundred had used since launch. The new powertrain is a standard 260-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 with a six-speed automatic transmission. With 30 percent more power, the Taurus gets better fuel economy and qualifies as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV).
All-wheel drive remains an option across the Taurus lineup. Stability control is available as well.
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