jpd80 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) 12 August 2014 By RON HAMMERTON THE Ford Falcon will not be the last large sedan to go through the Ford Australia engineering mill after all, as these exclusive picturesof a next-generationFord family car – believed to be the all-new North American Taurus – can attest. The heavily disguised development car was snapped by GoAuto while in transit on public roads from Ford Australia’s You Yangs proving ground to its product engineering centre in Geelong in Victoria. It is thought to be the first time the seventh-generation Taurus has been caught on camera anywhere in the world, even though the car is little more than a year out from launch in the United States and Canada where it will be billed as a 2016 model. Despite the camouflage, we can see the new Ford family trapezoidal grille, door-mounted exterior mirrors, straight beltline to the C-pillar, twin exhaust pipe outlets – minus their decorative chrome tips – and other giveaways that this is the replacement for the Taurus that was once America’s top-selling car. In the flesh, the vehicle is undoubtedly large, perhaps 1900mm at the mirror tips, which would make it broader than the locally built Falcon (1868mm). But Aussie Falcon fans should not get too excited – the American front-wheel-drive sedan is unlikely to replace the Falcon when the latter goes out of production in 2016 in Australia, where the Blue Oval brand has all but officially confirmed that the new-generation European-built Mondeo – due here in early 2015 – will be as big as it gets in the sedan range once the local hero departs. As the Taurus’ development ‘homeroom’ is at Ford’s Dearborn technical centre in Detroit, the Taurus seen here is likely to be part of a global large-car development program that could include a variant for China. more at the link Edited August 17, 2014 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moosetang Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Same car that LeftLane is calling the next Fusion. Wheels, trim around the windows,exhaust cutouts, even the rectangular bulges underneath the camo are exactly the same. So somebody's wrong, and I don't think it is Ron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 Taurus for China is my bet and probably the worst kept secret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Taurus for China is my bet and probably the worst kept secret. That's what I'm hearing as well. NA Taurus continues on D3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 IMHO, I don't see Ford engineering two different Tauruses, one for China, on one platform and one for the US on a different platform. IMHO, that car we see here will be sold in North America. But I could be wrong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehaase Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Continuing the D3 Taurus for North America indicates that Ford has given up on the full size car market here (except for the police version), but it may be a wise business decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 Of course the D4 Taurus is still going to be built in the US..just that its called the Police Interceptor. Flat Rock is getting a new MKS in the next year or two and given the fact that the next gen Taurus and MKS will share the same platform, will make no sense not to build the new Taurus here. The D4 development will be "paid" by the Explorer till it moves to a development of the Edge/Fusion platform in the next 3-5 years. The only way well know for sure is when we start hearing rumors out of Chicago. Plus where are they going to build the Mondeo/Taurus in The Far East. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 That's what I'm hearing as well. NA Taurus continues on D3. It's generally expected that the Taurus will be launched first in China-- However, that is hardly an indication that the US Taurus is going to continue on D3 even as *every other product* is moved off that platform. Ford is not going to 'panther' the Taurus. You can be assured of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 However, that is hardly an indication that the US Taurus is going to continue on D3 That was a direct quote from someone who should know. I'd be surprised if it was wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 That was a direct quote from someone who should know. I'd be surprised if it was wrong. To me, the only way that happens is Ford decides the EUCD platform can't be strengthened enough to meet the needs of LEO's. Or even more unlikely they are planning to drop the retail model of the Taurus. Are we sure they aren't just keeping the PI on D4 and moving the retail to the new platform? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 That was a direct quote from someone who should know. I'd be surprised if it was wrong. I'd be surprised if he's right. Very surprised. Very, very surprised. Ford will either cancel the Taurus or update it to CD4, which is NOT EUCD, despite what you will hear from certain individuals on this board. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I'd be surprised if he's right. Very surprised. Very, very surprised. Ford will either cancel the Taurus or update it to CD4, which is NOT EUCD, despite what you will hear from certain individuals on this board. One of the biggest complaints with the Taurus (and 500, Freestyle, & Flex) is the floor pan in the front. I thought this wasn't easily fixable with the current platform. Even with updates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 (edited) One of the biggest complaints with the Taurus (and 500, Freestyle, & Flex) is the floor pan in the front. I thought this wasn't easily fixable with the current platform. Even with updates. The current Taurus sits on basically the same floorpan as Explorer, giving it a high H Point asn making it look bigger/taller than with a sedan floor pan. The move to CD4 will cut a lot of weight out of the car, unconfirmed rumors that the weight with the I-4 is fractionally more (~100 lbs) than Fusion. Think about the logistics, Taurus will be built in China but MKS is being imported form USA, that means there will be an opening for CD4 Taurus too but probably not until well after the Chinese Taurus launches next year and most likely after MKS production launch in USA is completed. Edited August 18, 2014 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I don't think we'll see the MKS till the end of next year. Current at Flat Rock, the 2015 Mustang is getting flexed in with the Fusion overflow production... So that leaves an entire assembly line open for the MKS and Taurus production, which would be total overkill just for the MKS. Between the Mustang (in a good year), the Fusion (if demand keeps increasing), and the Taurus/MKS, Flat Rock could be looking at building 300k units easy, which would be the first time ever that plant would be running at full capacity. It just makes you wonder what is going to happen long term at Chicago and Oakville, where other D3 products are made. Not sure if Police Interceptor and Explorer sales would keep it busy enough and Oakville would be busy enough with just Edge and MKX production. Maybe we'll see the S-Max and Galaxie come over here as a Flex replacement and a new minivan. Or maybe the Transit Connect could be built there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 All the signs point to all new Taurus with PI carrying on as it is now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 (edited) Continuing the D3 Taurus for North America indicates that Ford has given up on the full size car market here (except for the police version), but it may be a wise business decision. I don't believe that can rebuild Lincoln without a large sedan, and there is no way that Ford can continue the current MKS in unchanged form. Edited August 18, 2014 by grbeck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Ford already said they would not be pursuing a large flagship sedan right now. You gotta admit - the market is extremely small and crowded. I think they're looking at spending those resources on smaller to midsized car and cuvs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Seems to me the questions will just have to wait until Ford deigns to release some news. Will the PI Taurus move to the new CD4 and the new top hat? Or will it stay as it is, out of Chicago? Seems to me, if the new MKS is out of Flat Rock, then the new Taurus could be built there too, while Chicago builds Explorers and PI's, if Ford wants. Then there's Oakville, and the MKT/Flex, and inquiring minds would just love to know what's going to happen, but Ford has great security, it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Ford already said they would not be pursuing a large flagship sedan right now. You gotta admit - the market is extremely small and crowded. I think they're looking at spending those resources on smaller to midsized car and cuvs. Define Flagship car...the Taurus is a full sized car, not a high dollar flagship. Its relationship is similar to the Impala and XTS, not the upcoming LTS Caddy has been talking about. The new Taurus and MKS would share a significant amount of engineering with the Fusion and other CD based products like the Edge...its not like its going to be completely different platform like the current Taurus is. Just adding up all the different CD4 based vehicles, your looking at over 500k+ in sales in North America alone. Adding the Taurus and MKS to the Fusion platform is more or less similar to adding a Lincoln product to the same platform...even if the Taurus sells around 80-100k units a year, it will be profitable for ford since 70-80% of development coats would be spread around/shared with the Fusion and Edge. Its like adding sprinkles to a cake, small cost to make it taste better (make $$) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Ford already said they would not be pursuing a large flagship sedan right now. You gotta admit - the market is extremely small and crowded. I think they're looking at spending those resources on smaller to midsized car and cuvs. A new MKS would not be a flagship car for Lincoln. In this day and age, a "flagship" car for a luxury car marque has to be on the order of the Mercedes S-Class. That type of car would require an entirely new platform for Lincoln to be truly competitive. Lincoln does need an entry in the class where the MKS currently competes, and it can't be even a warmed-over version of the present car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Define Flagship car...the Taurus is a full sized car, not a high dollar flagship. Its relationship is similar to the Impala and XTS, not the upcoming LTS Caddy has been talking about. The new Taurus and MKS would share a significant amount of engineering with the Fusion and other CD based products like the Edge...its not like its going to be completely different platform like the current Taurus is. Just adding up all the different CD4 based vehicles, your looking at over 500k+ in sales in North America alone. Adding the Taurus and MKS to the Fusion platform is more or less similar to adding a Lincoln product to the same platform...even if the Taurus sells around 80-100k units a year, it will be profitable for ford since 70-80% of development coats would be spread around/shared with the Fusion and Edge. Its like adding sprinkles to a cake, small cost to make it taste better (make $$) I don't disagree and I can't find the quote exactly other than Lincoln saying that they don't need a $100K sedan flagship. If they're not developing a new Taurus/MKS/Explorer/Aviator/etc on CD4 then I think they're keeping those on D3 and putting the resources into a new platform probably mustang based. Nothing else makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 If they're not developing a new Taurus/MKS/Explorer/Aviator/etc on CD4 then I think they're keeping those on D3 and putting the resources into a new platform probably mustang based. Nothing else makes sense. That would be insane if they did that...but I agree that would be the only alternative. But the D3 is a pretty old platform, so this happening is pretty nil, given the other products around the world that would use the CD platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 That would be insane if they did that...but I agree that would be the only alternative. But the D3 is a pretty old platform, so this happening is pretty nil, given the other products around the world that would use the CD platform. That's why it was hard for me to believe that they wouldn't move it to CD4 asap. If they did to a RWD sedan/coupe platform for Lincoln, adding the sedan to Ford as a Tbird and down under as a new Falcon would certainly help the platform amortization. But Lincoln would be the driving force on that one. And if they're not planning to move all of the D3/D4s over to CD4 right away then it would make sense to leave Taurus on D3 for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 This week, Automotive News is featuring Ford in their annual "upcoming products" report. Go here for a summary: http://www.autonews.com/article/20140818/OEM04/308189998/ford-puts-fresh-spins-on-its-classics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Well in the latest Fleet Order Guide, it is showing the 15/16 MY switch over for Explorer and Taurus happening near the end of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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