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The Ford Taurus is due for a redesign for the 2016 model year, but before showing Americans their new version of the one-time bestseller, Ford unveiled the Chinese-market Taurus at the Shanghai auto show.
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In each of its previous redesigns, the Taurus debuted a radically different styling direction, but that’s not the case here. This 2016 Taurus is an evolution of the current car, with a bit of Ford Fusion thrown in. Importantly for the Chinese market, the wheelbase has been stretched by some four inches, opening up rear-seat room. (Today’s Taurus has been criticized for offering rear-seat accommodations that are no better than the mid-size Fusion.) For China, the new Taurus offers power-reclining rear seats with available power lumbar and massage, and the fold-down center armrest features controls for the HVAC, seats, and audio system.
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The car is powered by Ford’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, an engine we know from its application in the F-150 pickup, where it makes 325 horsepower and 375 lb-ft. That engine would be a likely candidate to replace today’s naturally aspirated, 288-hp 3.5-liter V-6 in the Taurus. The 240-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost four is likely to continue, but we’ve found that engine to be overburdened by the car’s mass.
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- Instrumented Test: 2013 Ford Taurus SEL AWD
- Instrumented Test: 2013 Ford Taurus 2.0L EcoBoost
- Ford Taurus Full Coverage: Tests, Reviews, Specs, Photos, and More
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This is the first Taurus to be sold in China, and Ford describes it as “designed specifically to meet the needs of the Chinese market,” so we don’t know how well it predicts the U.S. version. But a roomier cabin and the adoption of the 2.7-liter turbo V-6 would be welcome changes for our market, as well.
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