by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
With bailout funding needed to help sustain a major portion of the U.S. auto industry, its customers are hoping for a comeback – and Ford Motor Co. plans to make its latest Taurus model a part of that comeback.
Two models of the 2010 Ford Taurus cruised throughout Jacksonville Monday as a part of the company’s “Summer of Taurus” 100-city tour. Jacksonville was the first of seven stops the tour will make in Florida, and citizens, City Council members and dealers were invited to take a look at the vehicle that is projected to hit showroom floors by the end of August.
“Show people the silver one because the black one is sold,” said Dave Outerson, a longtime Ford fan who sat in the driver’s seat of the 3.5 liter V-6 SEL model.
The styling and standard features, which include Ford SYNC and voice-activated navigation with SIRIUS Travel Link, may draw people in, but pride may seal the deal. The Taurus is produced in America at Ford’s Chicago assembly plant. Four models are available from the plant: SE, SEL Limited and SHO. A visitor from a little north of that plant was in town, as well, to share his enthusiasm for the new product.
“Sure, we could roll the cars into the showrooms and let people come and see them,” said Jay Ward, Ford SUV/CUV communications manager from the company’s Dearborn headquarters, “but the tour helps bring the car to them and helps us build a better relationship with our customers.”
Ford is attempting to rebuild its relationship with fans of the Taurus, which was temporarily replaced by the Five Hundred in 2008.
“Nobody really knew the Five Hundred brand,” said Ward, “but if you ask someone about a Ford Taurus, most recognize the name and the car.”
Those fans might not recognize the next generation of Taurus, as it has aimed to compete with European and Japanese car makers with its styling inside and out. The SE model offers paddle shifters attached to the crossbar on the underside of the steering wheel. The silver accents and graphite panels on the dash give the sedan a cockpit feel, but also provide plenty of leg room in the rear seats.
This roominess might be useful for another market Ford is looking to rekindle: government and police fleets.
“It’s a new model, so we haven’t had enough time to test it to pass the requirements necessary for use as a police vehicle,” said Ward. “But we aren’t looking to walk away from that business. Taurus looks to figure into that market.”
Ford will have to do some work if they plan to grab a part of government market share in Duval County, according to Fleet Management Division Chief Sam Houston.
“We’ve gone from the (Ford) Crown Vic(toria) to the Chevrolet Impala to the Malibu as we continue our efforts to downsize our vehicle and save the taxpayers money,” said Houston. “We use a vehicle replacement formula that includes age, mileage and cost per mile to maintain when deciding when to buy new vehicles. With the sheriff’s patrol vehicles, we have gone with the Malibu because it has been much cheaper, offers about the same size interior and, we’ve found, the maintenance to be less for the GM products as opposed to the Fords.”
The new Taurus isn’t all work and no play. Ford is also reintroducing its SHO (super high output) model with a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged Ecoboost engine, which boasts 365 horsepower. A key feature to its EcoBoost design is gasoline direct injection, which, Ford reports, provides improved throttle response, reduced cold start emissions and improved fuel economy.
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