Bringing back the Taurus name might be as smart as dropping it was dumb. Blame and credit Ford Motor for both. After 7 million sales over two decades, production of the Ford Taurus ended in 2006. In its place, Ford filled the family-sedan slot with two offerings, the midsize Fusion and the larger Five Hundred. The Fusion was a success. The Five Hundred was less successful. Only four of 10 potential buyers knew the Five Hundred existed, said Kate Thompson, a Ford product marketing executive. So, for the 2008 model year and on sale now, the Five Hundred is out and the Ford Taurus is back. In many ways, the new Taurus is the same as the 2007 Five Hundred it replaced, but changes have been made. Both the engine and the transmission are new, said Jim Baumbick, a Ford chief vehicle engineer. The ??™07 Five Hundred mated a 203-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6 with either a six-speed automatic or a continuously variable transmission. The ??™08 Taurus pairs a 260-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 and a standard six-speed automatic.

Source: [url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/105323.html]TheNewsTribune.com[/url]