FordBuyer Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Also during the speech, Mulally said a new Ford Taurus, once the best-selling car in the U.S., is coming in 2009, although when asked about it later he said: "I probably said too much." This is big news. We knew about an all new Taurus, but next year is surprise! :happy feet: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Also during the speech, Mulally said a new Ford Taurus, once the best-selling car in the U.S., is coming in 2009, although when asked about it later he said: "I probably said too much." This is big news. We knew about an all new Taurus, but next year is surprise! :happy feet: so coming in 09 as a '10 model means the current Taurus/Taurus X facelift of a 3 year old car will 2 model years behind it. So 5 total model years of this car. Sounds about right for a ground-up redo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbmphil Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Rear wheel drive like Blue II has been saying, duh. Or it may just be the redesign prior to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Well, 2009 could be the year it starts going on sale, but it could be a 2010 model. Meaning we could go all of 2008 without seeing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 This makes sense since Ford spent over $1billon on new revised CAP a few years ago and needs some return on that investment. Mulally previously did say that new Taurus is really a looker, but it was assumed it would not be out for a few more years. But CAP can't go on selling 75,000 Tauruses/year and less than 30,000 Sables. Taurus has to be high volume again and I would say 125,000/year would be minimum Ford would expect to keep CAP working. Wonder if Mercury will get Sable version of all new Taurus. I would assume so to give CAP more production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 ^^Actually that is something a little confusing, and it is still not resolved per insider info. The D3 and D32 platforms are capable of RWD, so Ford could have simply done that. However it seems the RWD Taurus might be pioneering the new GRWDP and that is not coming this early. Most likely, and Blue might get mad at me, is that the Taurus that will debut next year will be still FWD/AWD on the MKS (D32) platform, but will be replaced quickly by a RWD Taurus on the GRWDP. We shall see what Blue II has to say - Igor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Rear wheel drive like Blue II has been saying, duh. Or it may just be the redesign prior to it. No suitable RWD platform will be ready by '09-10. It'll be a reskinned D3...likely using the tweaked version of the platform the MKS uses. Glad to hear it is coming sooner rather than later though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Well, 2009 could be the year it starts going on sale, but it could be a 2010 model. Meaning we could go all of 2008 without seeing it. I would bet that this reskinned Taurus will debut at '09 NAIAS Show. Sounds like extensive reskin to me with same platform and engine. Kind of what Ford did with Escape and Focus I would assume. All new beltline so that it doesn't look so conservative. Probably more nimble handler too and maybe down 150 pounds in weight and much better looking. Ford sure is moving quickly now and improving vehicles at quickening pace. Hope Wall Street notices for once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 What specifically makes D32, different from D3? Is it like the C170/C1 where it's just a few braces ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 I would bet that this reskinned Taurus will debut at '09 NAIAS Show. Sounds like extensive reskin to me with same platform and engine. Kind of what Ford did with Escape and Focus I would assume. All new beltline so that it doesn't look so conservative. Probably more nimble handler too and maybe down 150 pounds in weight and much better looking. Ford sure is moving quickly now and improving vehicles at quickening pace. Hope Wall Street notices for once. The next Taurus is related to the new MKS, sharing similar engine and chasis improvemnets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 What specifically makes D32, different from D3? Is it like the C170/C1 where it's just a few braces ? It's very similar. I believe the entire front subframe is different though. It's definitely supposed to be beefier structurally. I don't think D3 needed much in the way of improvement anyway. Its only downside is it being saddled with such dull sheet metal on top of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted January 22, 2008 Author Share Posted January 22, 2008 Ford Plans New Design For Taurus Sedan By MIKE SPECTOR January 22, 2008 11:41 a.m. DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is in the process of designing a new Taurus sedan the company hopes will be better received than the current model, Chief Executive Alan Mulally said Tuesday. The new model, which could come in the next year or two, is "the one we should've built originally," Mr. Mulally said during a speech at an automotive conference here. David Patton Ford Taurus Asked to elaborate further, Mr. Mulally said he had "said too much." He said he isn't disappointed by the performance of the current Taurus despite slow sales and that all of Ford's product plans are "exciting." Ford, of Dearborn, Mich., neglected the Taurus for years while focusing on pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles to the point that the sedan went from America's best-selling car to a brand better known as a rental vehicle. That led Ford to kill the name last January. But Mr. Mulally brought the name back in February -- one of the new CEO's first major product moves -- arguing that it had good brand equity. Ford renamed its slow-selling Five-Hundred sedan "Taurus," believing that few consumers had heard of the "Five-Hundred" while many more knew of the "Taurus." The comeback hasn't taken hold in the market. Taurus sales plunged 19% last year, in part because of an overall decline in large-car sales and a broader downturn in auto sales. Write to Mike Spector at mike.spector@wsj.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkFive Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Mullaly was also quoted as saying: "I think we’re going to have a terrific update on Thursday,” Mulally told journalists today after his formal comments to conference attendees. This refers to 4th quarter results. Auto.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Mullaly was also quoted as saying:This refers to 4th quarter results. Auto.com yes - Thursday is the 4rth quarter financial results conference. Igor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battyr Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 No suitable RWD platform will be ready by '09-10. It'll be a reskinned D3...likely using the tweaked version of the platform the MKS uses. Glad to hear it is coming sooner rather than later though. The WRD platform's priorities are likely Explorer first, then Crown Vicky, then 2 different Lincolns, then Mustang. When all that is done, if the marketing people still say they need RWD Taurus; redesign it with less weight, lower cost and better quality for a Taurus. It could be an extra 4 years after the first car comes out before they make a RWD Taurus. On the other hand, the RWD Taurus could replace the Crown Vicky and come out a lot quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 this will be the car that brought tears to mullalys eyes remember?,Taurus X...bye bye...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moby Vic Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Have they even bothered to make a TV commercial for the current Taurus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Have they even bothered to make a TV commercial for the current Taurus? Well if this pans out...maybe this is the reason why? :shades: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joihan777 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Mulally mentioned a new Taurus (most likely related to the MKS). Will this also be the time when the TaurusX evolves into the Explorer [ala America concept]? If so, I hope Ford considers an ordinary station wagon option for the Taurus for folks who don't want SUVs but need something with a little extra cargo space yet can handle well. Speaking of handling, the current Taurus handling isn't too good in cornering. Right now its more of a highway cruiser. I hope the next Taurus gets a 'sport' suspension option too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Mullaly was also quoted as saying:This refers to 4th quarter results. Auto.com No way!! Ford couldn't have a good 4th quarter. That would mean they were actually profitable for FY07. Then we wouldn't hear every article mentioning "after losing $12B last year". Oh no!!! What is the media going to do now??? They'll have to come up with some original filler for a change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Mulally mentioned a new Taurus (most likely related to the MKS). Will this also be the time when the TaurusX evolves into the Explorer [ala America concept]? If so, I hope Ford considers an ordinary station wagon option for the Taurus for folks who don't want SUVs but need something with a little extra cargo space yet can handle well. Speaking of handling, the current Taurus handling isn't too good in cornering. Right now its more of a highway cruiser. I hope the next Taurus gets a 'sport' suspension option too. I have heard the X gos to pasture, really no need for it with Flex;s Edges, new Explorers? etc etc....too many products IMO. As for the Taurus, I think it was tuned more for comfort than handling, it isn't that bad, but it isn't that great in the twisties...but for a long distance freeway ride would be tough to find ( barring a Crown vic....oh my god i'm agrreeing w Moby!!!!!!!!!!!! ) a vehicle less fatiging... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papilgee4evaeva Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Hmm... Sounds like a reason for me to wait until my money is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueblood Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 (edited) No way!! Ford couldn't have a good 4th quarter. That would mean they were actually profitable for FY07. Then we wouldn't hear every article mentioning "after losing $12B last year". Oh no!!! What is the media going to do now??? They'll have to come up with some original filler for a change. They'll change it to "after losing $12B the year before last"... Edited January 22, 2008 by Blueblood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 Wasn't Ford's favorable treatment from the UAW based on the assumption that they needed help =now=? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted January 22, 2008 Share Posted January 22, 2008 You know what -- the lines on the assumed 2009 Fusion would translate really well for the larger Taurus, I think. Better than the Fusion. Maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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