Ford Taurus (fifth generation)
The fifth generation of the Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company for the 2008 and 2009 model years. Marking the return of the nameplate after a hiatus of less than a year, the revived Taurus is a midcycle revision of the Ford Five Hundred full-sized sedan. After its retail withdrawal following the 2007 model year, the Crown Victoria was replaced by this generation of the Taurus, making it the flagship Ford sedan for the first time.
| Ford Taurus (fifth generation; D258) | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford |
| Also called | Ford Five Hundred (Middle East) |
| Production | May 2007–May 2009 |
| Model years | 2008–2009 |
| Assembly | United States: Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Assembly) |
| Designer | J Mays (2005) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan |
| Layout | |
| Platform | Ford D3 platform |
| Related |
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| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.5 L DOHC Duratec 35 (Cyclone) V6 |
| Transmission | 6-speed 6F automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 112.7 in (2,863 mm) |
| Length | 201.8 in (5,126 mm) |
| Width | 74.1 in (1,882 mm) |
| Height | 61.5 in (1,562 mm) |
| Curb weight | FWD: 3,741 lb (1,697 kg) AWD: 3,930 lb (1,780 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | |
| Successor | Ford Taurus (sixth generation) |
Along with the revived Taurus, the Ford Freestyle wagon/CUV was rebranded as the Taurus X. In a similar rebranding, the Mercury Montego adopted the Sable nameplate; no Mercury version of the Taurus X was marketed, nor any Lincoln version of the fifth-generation Taurus. As with the Five Hundred, the fifth-generation Taurus was sold exclusively as a sedan. For the first time, all-wheel drive was offered as an option.
The fifth-generation Ford Taurus was assembled in Chicago (Chicago Assembly) along with the Mercury Sable. The fifth-generation Taurus was marketed in North America, South Korea, Mexico, and the Middle East. Outside the United States, Canada, and South Korea, it retained the previous Ford Five Hundred branding.
For the 2010 model year, the sixth-generation Taurus made its debut, which became the final generation produced (outside of China).