Photo: Mircea Panait
Those of you who were surprised by Volkswagen’s upmarket move for the Passat in Europe will be swept off their feet by what Ford is doing with the Taurus in China. As previewed, the Shanghai Auto is bringing us the Chinese-spec 2016 Taurus, which has had quite some extra premium assets injected into it.
As you know, Chinese appreciate their rear legroom, so the Blue Oval has followed suit, pushing the wheelbase from 113 to 116 inches (2,870-2,950 mm). Instead of elongating the Taurus and calling it a day, Ford has also tweaked the little details here and there. Overall, you do get the impression this is a more plush proposal compared to the standard offering.
We were especially curious about the side view since this is where most of the difference to the standard Taurus is made. We came across a set of 19-inch ten-spoke alloy wheels.
Stepping inside, the rear passengers receive even more attention in the form of power reclining rear seats that offer adjustable lumbar support and even come with a massage feature.
Fold down the rear center armrest and you'll come across a set of controls for the seats, infotainment and air conditioning. Basically, this Taurus has all the lavish seating features you’d get in one of those British ultra-luxury machines, but without the rear-passenger vanity mirrors. Panoramic sunroof and special materials such as soft leather included.
Under the bonnet, we find Ford’s 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, which is quite premium for the Chinese market. The carmaker hasn’t officially disclosed the output yet, but you can expect this to deliver 325 hp and 475 Nm (lb-ft) of twist, being matted to six-speed automatic. The carmaker should also release a turbocharged two-liter four-cylinder unit in the future.
The “let-me-spoil-you” Taurus is being domestically produced at the Changan Ford site in Hangzhou. The live photos in the gallery bellow allow you to check out Ford’s Chinese flagship up close. For now, there's no word on the updates shown here reaching other markets. Nevertheless, Ford could hit the US market with the refreshed bits later this year.
We were especially curious about the side view since this is where most of the difference to the standard Taurus is made. We came across a set of 19-inch ten-spoke alloy wheels.
Stepping inside, the rear passengers receive even more attention in the form of power reclining rear seats that offer adjustable lumbar support and even come with a massage feature.
Fold down the rear center armrest and you'll come across a set of controls for the seats, infotainment and air conditioning. Basically, this Taurus has all the lavish seating features you’d get in one of those British ultra-luxury machines, but without the rear-passenger vanity mirrors. Panoramic sunroof and special materials such as soft leather included.
Under the bonnet, we find Ford’s 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, which is quite premium for the Chinese market. The carmaker hasn’t officially disclosed the output yet, but you can expect this to deliver 325 hp and 475 Nm (lb-ft) of twist, being matted to six-speed automatic. The carmaker should also release a turbocharged two-liter four-cylinder unit in the future.
The “let-me-spoil-you” Taurus is being domestically produced at the Changan Ford site in Hangzhou. The live photos in the gallery bellow allow you to check out Ford’s Chinese flagship up close. For now, there's no word on the updates shown here reaching other markets. Nevertheless, Ford could hit the US market with the refreshed bits later this year.
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