2010 Ford Taurus 3.5L V6 Duratec 6AT (263 HP)

Vehicle Overview

While the 2008 Taurus was more of a rebadged Five Hundred, the 2010 model came as a fully-pledged sixth generation of this nameplate on the market.

Coming after the years of the world financial crisis, the sixth generation of the Taurus had to rely on parts designed in the past and couldn’t be replaced with completely new ones. In addition, the car was built on top of a D3 platform, which was a revised version of Volvo’s P2 architecture, but with steel suspension arms instead of aluminum. But fortunately, the car sported independent suspension in all corners, and that made the big Taurus a more comfortable car.

From the design point of view, the sixth generation of the Taurus was a huge improvement over its predecessor. It featured slimmer headlights and a narrower three-slat grille between them. The lower bumper sported a center trapezoidal-shaped grille, which resembled the one installed on the European’s Mondeo. From its profile, the arched roofline with its raked forward C-pillars evoked the cab-forward design. At the back, the blue-oval brand dared to cross the limit of the quarter panels with the taillights, which were extended on the trunk lid.

Inside, the car offered a generous cabin fit for five. The dashboard, with its double-bubble design, resembled the one from the Mustang. At the same time, the center stack hosted the infotainment screen, the buttons for the sound system, and the HVAC controls.

Underneath the hood, Ford installed a transversely-mounted 3.5-liter V6 from the Duratec family. It sent its power to the front or to all wheels, depending on the trim level and options.