By: Jeffrey Ross
Autotropolis.com
When Ford released the Taurus as a 1986 model, few imagined the ensuing success of the bubbly, unconventionally designed sedan.
Twenty years later, in an attempt to homologize Ford’s lineup, the Taurus name was dropped, in favor of the Fusion, so that all Ford car names (except the Mustang) started with the letter “F.”
New chief executive officer, Alan Mulally, wasn’t about to let the brand equity that the Taurus name had built up to slip away, so he decided to revive the name on a bigger, safer sedan. The move should allow Ford to build off the success of the Fusion and build anticipation of the Flex, the minivan-replacing crossover.
Enter the all-new 2008 Ford Taurus. Some will say it is nothing more than a rebadged 2007 Ford Five Hundred, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
In addition to the added safety of the Taurus available by sharing platforms with the Volvo S60, V70 and XC90, Ford engineers looked at every little detail in an attempt to refine its large sedan to increase luxury, performance and handling and reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
With a more attractive design that carries Ford’s new corporate three-bar chrome grille, the Taurus offers a much-needed departure from the overly conservative design of the Five Hundred. Every aspect of the Taurus’ design was scrutinized to improve the quality of the car by paying attention to the smallest detail. Among other things, the door mirrors were redesigned with ridges on top to reduce wind noise and the door seals and latches updated to provide a quieter, more solid sound when the doors are closed. 
Besides an updated look, the Taurus and Taurus X will benefit from an all-new powertrain. The 203-horsepower, 3.0-liter V6 and continuously variable transmission (CVT) are being replaced with a 263-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 and a six-speed automatic transmission.
The end result is a car that Ford badly needs - a distinct, attractive car that offers the highest possible level of safety. The 2008 Ford Taurus received five-star crash test ratings in all categories from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is the Top Safety Pick of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
With Ford ending retail sales of the Crown Victoria for 2007, the Taurus will take over as Ford’s largest sedan. While the Crown Vic is a foot longer than 2008 Taurus, the wheelbase is only two inches shorter. A three inch height advantage over the now-fleet-only Crown Vic allows the Taurus to offer similar or improved head-, leg- and hip room in a more compact design (the 2008 Taurus gives up almost a foot in overall length to the Crown Vic).
The momentum created by the popular Fusion should carry-over well past the end of the decade with the introduction of the new Taurus this summer and the highly anticipated Flex later next year. Building off the success of the Fusion, the Taurus and Taurus X should help the company’s ailing sales (which are down almost 24% this year) and give Ford a desirable and attractive model lineup.