2013 Ford Taurus Delivers More Fuel Efficiency, Technology, Design Refinement and Even Better Driving Dynamics

The new Ford Taurus delivers more of what large sedan customers really want for the 2013 model year – with even better fuel economy, more technology, design refinement, improved craftsmanship and enhanced driving dynamics.

“We have significantly upgraded Ford’s flagship sedan through obsessive attention to detail,” said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. “This evolved Taurus builds on the transformation we achieved in the 2010 model. Delivering so many upgrades so soon further underscores Ford’s leadership and commitment to bringing high-quality, fuel-efficient cars for our customers.”

Greener, yet powerful

A choice of new engines offers customers increased fuel efficiency, without compromising the responsive performance they want.

Taurus is the first car in Ford’s North American lineup to offer the advanced 2.0-liter EcoBoost® engine. Ideal for full-size sedan buyers seeking maximum fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance, this advanced engine combines direct injection of gasoline and a turbocharger to provide performance comparable to naturally aspirated V6 engines offered by competitors.

The EcoBoost 2.0-liter is anticipated to deliver an estimated 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque while delivering highway fuel economy of at least 31 mpg. That performance bests Toyota Avalon by 3 mpg.

A relatively high compression ratio is enabled by the use of direct injection of gasoline, operating at fuel pressures from 2,200 to 2,800 psi. The unique turbocharger is optimally matched to the EcoBoost 2.0-liter engine and direct injection system, providing precise fuel pressure control to deliver boosted power at low rpm without annoying turbo lag.

The EcoBoost 2.0-liter uses 5W30 oil to reduce internal friction, and enables 10,000-mile oil change intervals representing a potential reduction in cost of ownership. In addition, fuel economy is optimized with a low-tension accessory drive belt and a one-way alternator clutch.

Ti-VCT 3.5-liter V6 engine

The 3.5-liter V6 is offered as standard equipment in Taurus SE, SEL and Limited series models.

In the new Taurus, this engine benefits from the addition of twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT), achieving better fuel economy, more horsepower and a reduction in part-throttle emissions compared to the previous standard Taurus V6. This engine delivers an expected increase of 2 mpg highway, with 10 percent more horsepower than the current model.

The engine has been engineered for durability with chain-driven camshafts, high-strength forged metal connecting rods with floating pins, a fully counterweighted forged steel crankshaft, die-cast aluminum deep-sump oil pan and four-bolt main bearing caps with side bolts through the engine block.

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) characteristics are controlled and reduced through employment of a tuned composite upper and lower manifold, and a silent-chain camshaft drive.

EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 engine

The EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 – standard equipment in the high-performance Taurus SHO – is Ford’s most powerful EcoBoost offering, delivering 365 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque.

Like all Ford EcoBoost engines, this engine produces peak torque across a broad plateau from 1,500 to 5,250 rpm. Peak torque building quickly off idle ensures responsive acceleration.

From the driver’s seat, the result is linear power delivery.

Combining direct injection and a pair of turbochargers, the V6 EcoBoost engine avoids lag by employing impellers that spool up quickly for swift response. This Taurus SHO combination of power, consistent torque delivery, all-wheel drive and up to 25 mpg on the highway is unmatched by competitors.

Six-speed transmissions

Each Taurus engine is mated to a unique six-speed automatic transmission specially tailored to that application. Six-speed transmissions add fuel economy and performance, as they allow for lower gearing to be optimized for improved off-the-line acceleration, yet enable higher gears to help provide economical cruising by keeping engine rpm levels low.

The 2.0-liter EcoBoost Taurus is fitted with a new 6F35 gearbox featuring active transmission warm-up and a “dot nozzle” internal clutch friction material configuration. Together, these innovations contribute to overall fuel efficiency by reducing internal friction.

 

Taurus equipped with the 3.5-liter Ti-VCT V6 engine features the 6F50 six-speed transmission, while the Taurus SHO sport sedan mates a high-capacity 6F55 version of this gearbox to the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.

Integrated efficiencies

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

•Variable-displacement air conditioning compressor

•Reduced friction lubricants

•Electric power-assisted steering (EPAS)

The team put special emphasis on fitting all new Taurus models with EPAS to improve steering response by speeding up the steering ratio and rigidly mounting the steering rack to the subframe. The EPAS system allows for a high degree of tuning by Ford vehicle dynamics engineers to optimize steering feel, plus it saves fuel and provides drivers with enhanced feedback.

All-wheel-drive Taurus models features an advanced array of mechanical clutches that engage and disengage unobtrusively to efficiently distribute torque to the wheels with optimum traction.

The Taurus interior keeps green with extensive use of recycled material in the cloth surfaces, in the headliner and in the NVH control components. Taurus seat cushions are made from soy-based foam, significantly reducing petroleum-based content.

Even smarter

America’s most innovative full-size sedan gets even smarter with an array of even more class-leading technologies including SYNC® with MyFord Touch®, which replaces many traditional buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, colorful LCD screens and steering wheel-mounted five-way toggles. These screens can be personalized to display information relevant to each driver by using voice command, keeping the driver’s eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

MyFord Touch is powered by a new version of Ford’s award-winning SYNC system, combining voice control for vehicle functions, enabled Bluetooth® devices, MP3 players and a wide variety of external media.

The new Taurus also adds Ford’s intuitive active park assist technology, making life simpler and more convenient for customers.

The following comfort and convenience technologies are available too:

•New heated steering wheel adds to the comfort of the heated and cooled leather-trimmed seats

•Multicontour seats with Active Motion™, a Taurus class-exclusive offering, help to reduce driver and first-row passenger fatigue with a subtle rolling massage pattern

•Intelligent Access with push-button start allows 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 view camera activates when reverse gear is selected, projecting via the center stack-mounted 8-inch screen

•Rear window power sunshade is a luxury-class feature that shades the rear glass at the touch of a button, helping to keep the cabin cooler

In addition, Taurus is available with a wide variety of audio and navigation connectivity alternatives including a Sony® audio system and the latest MyFord Touch driver controls.

Packed with detail

New Taurus quality begins with design refinement. Building on the completely reinvigorated 2010 model, the new Taurus features a more muscular hood. Wider wheels and tires fill out the wheel well openings, giving the car an athletic stance. Rear quarter panels house larger, full LED taillamps. Without increasing overall dimensions or vehicle weight, the new Taurus looks more streamlined, substantial and sporty.

Improved driving dynamics is a quality the driver will feel. Beyond the across-the-board transition to EPAS, the hard-mounted steering rack with a faster ratio, springs and dampers have been optimized to provide improved vehicle handling combined with improved ride quality.

Turning technologies

The new Taurus dynamics benefit from the addition of torque vectoring control. This feature uses a slight – virtually imperceptible to the driver – amount of braking force on the inside front wheel when accelerating through a corner, resulting in a vehicle that feels smaller and more maneuverable, with more control when increasing speed through curves.

The new Taurus adds curve control, a Ford braking control feature aimed at slowing the car if it senses a driver inadvertently entering a curve too quickly. With application of four-wheel smart braking, the car can reduce speed swiftly.

Entering curves or on- and off-ramps too quickly contributes to more than 50,000 crashes each year in the U.S.

All new Taurus models will receive a larger brake master cylinder with revised booster tuning, resulting in a shorter pedal ratio and dramatically improved pedal feel.

Careful craftsmanship

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. The exterior fit and finish of the Taurus rivals that of more expensive German sedans.

Inside, no detail went untouched. Taurus’ interior craftsmanship is elevated through expanded use of soft-touch, high-quality materials inside the cabin. Upgraded materials across the instrument panel, throughout the center console, cloth-wrapped A-, B- and C-pillars, and fully trimmed trunk space are evidence of continuous improvement.

NVH control has been enhanced in the new Taurus with the addition of A-pillar, cowl baffles, acoustic wheel well liners, shock tower wraps, and upgraded hood and dash insulators to quiet road noise.

Safe Taurus

The new Taurus builds on a legacy of safety, as the current model earned an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick rating. The stiff Taurus structure contains much high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels, including boron. Additional safety features include:

•Trinity front-crash architecture, named for the three elements that are designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from vehicle occupants

•Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE®) Architecture

•Enhanced airbag restraints feature optimized tethering and venting to tailor deployment force to occupant size, position and seat belt status

•Safety Canopy® with rollover sensor

•S.O.S. Post-Crash Alert System™

•AdvanceTrac® with Electronic Stability Control

Taurus also offers a complement of driver aid technologies, including:

•Adaptive cruise control employs 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 precharges the brakes to aid stopping

•Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) 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® owner controls 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. A new MyKey feature can prevent access to blocked satellite radio content

The new Taurus is manufactured at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.

Fuller Ford offers Lifetime Free Oil Changes on ALL new vehicle purchases – in stock or factory ordered. Whether you are coming from Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana, we are conveniently located right off of I-75, just west of downtown Cincinnati. We are Cincinnati’s ONLY downtown dealer! Check out our entire inventory at www.fullerisford.com.

 

 

Ford Expands Industry-First Rear Inflatable Seat Belt Offering

After launching its industry-first rear inflatable seat belts on the new Ford Explorer, Ford Motor Company is now expanding availability to the Ford Flex and is set to arrive in dealer showrooms next summer.

“This advanced restraint system is designed to help reduce head, neck and chest injuries for rear seat passengers, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to such injuries,” said Sue Cischke, Ford group vice president of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “Expanding the rollout of this technology is another example of Ford leading the way to enhance vehicle safety for our customers.”

The addition of the inflatable rear seat belts to Flex builds on the Top Safety Pick ratings the vehicle recently earned from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Ford plans to continue offering the inflatable belts affordably after launching them on the new Explorer.

Early data show approximately 40 percent of Explorer buyers are parents who are ordering the rear inflatable belts, said Amy Marentic, Car and Crossover Group marketing manager.

“The addition of inflatable belts enhances Ford’s well-earned reputation of adding technology that enables safety,” she said. “This is especially important to customers of products such as Explorer, which often serve large families who are looking for that extra peace of mind found in technology like inflatable belts.”

The inflatable belts were added this spring, bolstering Explorer’s already extensive suite of safety innovations. The vehicle already has seen strong demand from customers for its safety and driver-assist technologies.

Of the first 19,000 Explorer orders received:

•87 percent include rear view camera

•40 percent include BLIS® (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert

•22 percent include adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, active park assist and rain-sensing wipers

Safe and comfortable

Advances in airbag inflation and seat belt construction methods have enabled Ford and its suppliers to develop inflatable seat belts that are designed to deploy over a vehicle occupant’s torso and shoulder in 40 milliseconds in the event of a crash.

In everyday use, the inflatable belts operate like conventional seat belts and are compatible with child safety seats. In Ford’s research, more than 90 percent of those who tested the inflatable belts found them to be similar to or more comfortable than a conventional belt because they feel padded and softer. That comfort factor could help improve the 61 percent rear belt usage in the U.S., which compares to 82 percent usage by front seat passengers, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

In the event of a frontal or side crash, the inflated belt helps distribute crash force energy across five times more of the occupant’s torso than a traditional belt. That expands its range of protection and helps reduce the risk of injury by diffusing crash pressure over a larger area, while providing additional support to the head and neck. After deployment, the belt remains inflated for several seconds before dispersing its air through the pores of the airbag.

“Ford’s rear inflatable seat belt technology will help to enhance safety for rear seat passengers of all ages, especially young children who are more vulnerable in crashes,” said Cischke. “This is another unique family technology that builds on our safety leadership, including the most top U.S. safety ratings of any automaker ever.”

Vehicle safety sensors determine the severity of the collision in the blink of an eye and deploy the inflatable belt’s airbag. Each belt’s tubular airbag inflates with cold compressed gas, which flows through a specially designed buckle from a cylinder housed below the seat.

The use of cold compressed gas instead of a heat-generating chemical reaction – which is typical of traditional airbag systems – means the inflated belts feel no warmer on the wearer’s body than the ambient temperature. The inflatable belts also fill at a lower pressure and a slower rate than traditional airbags, because the device does not need to close a gap between the belt and the occupant. The inflatable belt’s accordion-folded bag breaks through the belt fabric as it fills with air, expanding sideways across the occupant’s body.

“It’s a very simple and logical system, but it required extensive trial and error and testing over several years to prove out the technology and ensure precise, reliable performance in a crash situation,” said Srini Sundararajan, safety technical leader for Ford Research and Innovation.

Ford’s safety leadership record continues to grow

The inflatable seat belt continues Ford’s record of safety innovation and implementation in its wider product lineup. Ford also offers radar-enabled adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support and BLIS with cross-traffic alert in mainstream vehicles. These technologies – introduced in 2009 – assist drivers in avoiding potential dangerous crash situations using radar to detect the relative position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and audio alerts.

Ford’s other seat belt and airbag innovations include industry-first Belt-Minder® in 2000, which the U.S. government credited with increasing front belt usage by 5 percent in Ford vehicles. On the 2002 Ford Explorer, Ford launched the industry’s first rollover-activated side curtain airbags – called Safety Canopy® – as well as roll stability control technology that goes a step beyond traditional stability control systems by helping to detect and prevent side-to-side skidding and other situations that could lead to rollovers.

Ford also introduced on the 2009 Ford F-150 and 2010 Ford Taurus some of the industry’s first pressure-based airbag technologies that help deploy side airbags up to 30 percent faster.

Fuller Ford offers Lifetime Free Oil Changes on ALL new vehicle purchases – in stock or factory ordered.  Whether you are coming from Ohio, Kentucky, or Indiana, we are conveniently located right off of I-75, just west of downtown Cincinnati.  Come in today to see Ford’s entire line of fuel efficient vehicles. Or, check out Fuller Ford’s inventory at http://www.fullerisford.com/default.aspx.