This is the 2016 Ford Taurus for the Chinese auto market

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This is the brand new 2016 Ford Taurus for China, featuring a shiny chromed grille and mean looking headlights. The new Ford Taurus debuted in April on the Shanghai Auto Show, and it will be launched on the Chinese car market in September.

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The 2016 Ford Taurus stands on a new platform called ‘ABB’, it will be manufactured in China by the long-running Changan-Ford joint venture. It is the first time that Ford is using the Taurus name in China. Chinese name is Jinniuzuo (金牛座).

The Taurus will be positioned above the highly successful Ford Mondeo (Fusion), which is made in China by Changan-Ford as well. Price for the Taurus will start around 300.000 yuan or 48.316 USD.

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There will be three engines available: a 1.5 turbo four with 181hp, a 2.0 turbo four with 245hp, and a 2.7 turbo V6 with 329hp, and the latter will be one of the most powerful engines ever used in a China-made car. Size: 4996/1878/1503, and wheelbase is 2949.

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A neat interior with a tad too much gray, dressed up with some wood on dash in cream white leather seats. Steering wheels looks more Focus than Taurus. Start button on the left of the screen.

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Analogue dials with digital displays inside. Revs to 6500.

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Interestingly, the Taurus comes with a standard CD player, while we are really living in 2015 now, the time of iPhones, Bluetooth, and streaming things. Nobody has compact discs anymore, and certainly not the younger generation of Chinese car buyers. They all wireless kids you know! Even more interestingly, said CD player is clearly marked as a Sony, as if Ford wants to show off with the troubled Japanese brand. Weird stuff.

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It has a ‘sound’ button, we wonder what that does. The panel is otherwise a bit messy too, with shiny-white oval selector buttons, shiny black round buttons, a shiny-black oval button, non-shiny matte black round buttons, and non-shiny black oval selector buttons, and the main button in shiny chrome!

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The 10.1 inch screen is still covered here by the protective plastic sheet so we can’t say for sure how clear it is. The photo shows the temperature selectors for the dual-zone climate control, on the top-left and the top-right of the screen.

Interestingly, these very same temperatures can also be controlled by the mentioned non-shiny black oval selector buttons on the mentioned messy panel. So passengers can choose how to control their climate (?!). Fuzzily, the text on the screen is partly in Chinese and partly in English, making for yet another messy look.

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The gear selector looks cool, but it is positioned almost dangerously close to the electronic parking brake.

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But all that matters only for the chauffeur as the owner will sit mostly in the back, where he finds lots of space for the legs and head, more leather, some chrome and wood, flimsy floor mats, a compartment in the seat in front of him, and a huge control panel integrated in the arm rest.

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The panel controls the dual zoned aircon, again, the seats, and the radio. But not, it seems, the CD player.

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The compartment hides a USB charger, and nothing else really.

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The rear is arguably the best looking part of the vehicle, especially from 3/4 behind. And we really love the subtle but racy spoiler on the boot lid.

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Front much weaker, stoned deep-sea fish kinda weak.

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This is the 2.7 V7, and there still seems a lot of space under the bonnet. Fit a V8!

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Exhaust pipes neatly integrated in bumper. Rear lights connect via a chrome strip.

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But we end with that spoiler. Absolutely brilliant.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Who the hell is writing these bull shit,
    Saw this car in person and its a real treat, true its not BMW,Audi class when it comes to quality and looks are subjective as well, but writing like it looks cheap etc makes your writing feel cheap,

    This car is a very good car for the money they are asking for it, and whats the transmission?
    I heard its a new 10 speed AT,
    This car easily is a good alternative to the China favorite Passat

  2. You can compare this to American Malibu and Taurus looked more energetic than mentioned.
    CDs still have more respect than downloads or streaming since you CAN’T delete or unhear what you listened INSTANTLY.
    I like the messiness of the button. It’s more visible to find.

  3. When you consider that Ford EU are trying to pawn off a tarted up Mondeo as a ‘premium’ model (Vignale) I’d prefer to buy a Chinese Taurus any day.

  4. That is simply a combination of the Fusion and the Taurus.
    Come on Ford get your act together and design something that doesn’t look like every other automobile on the road.
    I love my Fusion and was thinking my next car would be the Taurus, but why?
    It looks similar to the Fusion and the Fusion is more affordable.

  5. They ruined the Taurus it was such a nice car. I don’t know why the auto manufacturers can’t get it right. Take a look for example the Chevy Traverse nice looking car why isn’t called a Trail Blazer you spend years and countless dollars branding it and you throw it way.

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