The Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] will pull the covers off an all-new Taurus at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show, which gets underway in just a few weeks. This will be the classic nameplate’s first appearance in China, a market where comfy, large sedans like the Taurus are still popular.
Ford is yet to reveal any solid details but says the new Taurus leveraged the automaker’s “global expertise” in vehicle design and development. Prototypes for the car, which suggest the new Taurus will look like a longer version of the Fusion, have been spotted here in the U.S. as well as in China and as far away as Australia.
CHECK OUT: Honda Confirms Type-R For U.S. At Civic Concept Debut: 2015 New York Auto Show
The platform underpinning the car will be a stretched version of the Blue Oval’s CD4 design, found in a variety of existing models such as the aforementioned Fusion as well as the Edge crossover and Lincoln MKZ. The stretched version of the CD4 platform will be common to the 2016 Lincoln Continental, previewed just this week in concept form at the 2015 New York Auto Show.
Expect front-wheel drive to be standard and all-wheel drive to be an option. It’s not clear yet if there will be a high-performance SHO model once again. Expect the powertrain lineup to include four- and six-cylinder EcoBoost engines.
The new Taurus will be revealed at a private event on April 18 before its debut at the Shanghai Auto Show just two days later. It will be one of 15 new Ford and Lincoln vehicles going on sale in China this year. A debut of the U.S.-spec car, which we expect to arrive as a 2016 model, should take place later this year.
“We are looking forward to taking the wraps off seven new vehicles for our customers in China and continuing our delivery of great products and innovative technologies,” Ford China CEO John Lawler said in a statement. “With the new Ford Taurus, our Ford Performance vehicles, and a few other surprises, there will truly be something for everyone.”
