Description
After banging their heads against the walls, Ford's design department came to its senses and replaced the Taurus' third generation with a different vehicle.
It was unusual for Ford to redesign a car after just four years on the market, but the third generation of the Taurus featured an uninspired design, to say at least, and that was directly reflected in the car's sales. If the designers were happy with the bug-eye headlights, the marketing, and the sales departments weren't. So, the design team had to go back and come with a new version. The engineers have mostly left aside since the Taurus' fourth-generation sported a slightly different platform than its predecessor.
The new headlights swept-back to the front fenders were the most noticeable difference when compared with the round headlamps from its predecessor, but the elliptic grille shape was similar. In the back, Ford installed corner-mounted taillights that followed the new-edge design trend already initiated by the Ford Focus.
Inside, the fourth-gen Taurus featured a dashboard with a less controversial look, with the instrument cluster's upper side extended over the center console. A trapezoidal-shaped audio system replaced the previous one, which looked like an egg.
For the engine compartment, Ford installed a choice of two V6 engines with a similar displacement, with power up to 201 hp. All versions were mated to a standard 4-speed auto, with a floor-mounted shifter.
