Ford Taurus

The Ford Five Hundred sedan, as produced for the 2005-2007 model year, was scheduled for a significant styling facelift update and power upgrade for the 2008 model year. That vehicle is being redesignated as the new Taurus. Ford's new CEO Alan Mulally determined that Ford's strategy to redesignate new cars in the lineup with new names beginning with the letter F, as in Ford Focus, Ford Fusion, and Ford Freestyle, was not a good marketing move, as some of the renamed cars had highly recognizeable iconic names. The new F names were not as well known to be associated with Ford in the US, and consumers were confused by the name changes. Mulally believed that the Taurus had an immediately strong brand equity, and that it would take years for consumers to have a similar recognition of the Five Hundred. Changes to the new Taurus from the existing Five Hundred include a newly styled front end, with the signature 3-bar chrome grille from the Fusion, and the addition of the 265 hp 3.5 L Cyclone engine from the Ford Edge, replacing the 203 hp 3.0 L V6. The Five Hundred's continuously variable transmission, which was power-limited to a maximum of about 210 hp, is also replaced with a more conventional six-speed automatic. The similarly facelifted Freestyle will be renamed the Taurus X. The Taurus X will also drop the CVT transmission and 3.0 L V6 used in the Freestyle in favor of the 3.5 L engine and six-speed 6F automatic. The Taurus sedan twin, the Mercury Sable nameplate, will also be revived from the Mercury Montego. The 2008 Ford Taurus will have a base price of $23,245 (for the SEL front-wheel drive model) to $28,695 (for the Limited all-wheel drive model).