Even though earlier this month Ford ceased
production of the Taurus in the U.S., the nameplate is still very mach alive in
China. Three and a half years after launching as an all-new generation
that’s distinct from the one that was on sale until recently Stateside, Taurus
is getting a mid-cycle facelift that will premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show
next month.
As is customary in China before the launch of a new
vehicle, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the first
photos of the car, revealing rather minor styling updates. The white car seen in the photos
is the upper-range Titanium grade while the black one is the range-topping
Vignale — a new variant for the Chinese Taurus. At the front, the facelifted
Taurus gains new headlights that feature chrome detailing around the lenses, a
reshaped chrome grille (a mesh one for the Vignale), and a restyled bumper
featuring fog lights and chrome trim at the lower end.
The rear end of the refreshed Taurus adopts new LED
taillights, a reshaped trunk lid, and a sportier bumper featuring black trim
and wide horizontal tailpipes. Customers will have three alloy wheel designs to
choose from.
The facelifted Taurus will only offer four-cylinder
EcoBoost engines, ditching the previously available 325hp 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6
twin-turbo unit. There will be two choices: a 1.5-liter EcoBoost and a
2.0-liter EcoBoost producing 245 horsepower. As before, the Taurus will be
built by the Changan-Ford joint venture at the Hangzhou plant, which has a
maximum annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles.
