First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus - The once and future king?

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2010 Ford Taurus - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford's marketers and PR types have a tremendous task ahead of them: Educating the American consumer on what company's new Taurus is all about. It's a Herculean task that amounts to nothing more than rebuilding a brand that was once broadly considered an icon - not just of the auto industry - but of American business at large.

Fortunately for the Blue Oval team, they may have an ace-in-the-hole. As we learned driving the 2010 Ford Taurus through Tennessee and North Carolina's Smoky Mountain roads, this new bull shows promise and takes the marque upscale like never before. But be under no illusions - this is a risky move. The Taurus name has never been extended upmarket like this before (let alone in such a waterlogged economy), and it isn't immediately clear who the model's competitors are - a detail that could prove problematic when trying to target customers.

The Chicago-built Taurus is no longer a logical Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Malibu cross-shop - that's the Fusion's turf now. In size, technology, and aspirations, Ford is pushing its new sedan several of rungs up the ladder. Is it the right product for the right time? Perhaps of more immediate concern, is it carrying the right name and will Ford be able to overcome the Taurus brand's baggage and sell America on its virtues?

Click through to see if the Blue Oval has a fighting chance.


Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: 2010 Ford Taurus

Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus - The once and future king?
First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus - The once and future king? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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