Can it get anymore boring?

Ford makes such crap.

The greenhouse looks like it was stolen from a late 90's Passat.

Hmm...if Ford makes such crap, explain why the F series are the best trucks? Strongest, best towing, best reliability, best selling?
/sarcasm
Yes indeed...Ford makes such crap.
/end sarcasm

While I can't say I entirely approve of this Taurus, you peeps need something else to do with your time than bash automakers.

This looks like one of those "generic" cars you'd find in a racing game. You know, like what the traffic AI drives, while you drive the real cars.

My family had a '96 Ford Taurus, and despite it's numerous mechanical problems, we loved it's interior and exterior designs. They should try to come back to that design. The "UFO" car, as my former neighbors called it.

That is one butt-ugly front end, and I'm guessing the rear end is equally bad. The styling in between seems ok, a bit bland, but that's better than it could have been. I wonder what the interior will look like. More rental car crap I'm sure.

Dear God, do you Yanks hate the concept of design? I'm a Ford fan first and foremost (Australian and European divisions), so this isn't some Ford bashing spiel, but goddamn, what the hell is this? It blows my mind that Ford US thinks so little of the American public that it can produce this purile rubbish and sell it to you? Even the Focus? Everywhere else, it's one of the most respected small cars around, you get some POS with a Focus badge on it?

Ford isn't on it's own. Chrysler and GM are both guilty of fleets of uninteresting tubs that handle like fridges. I just don't care about those guys.

If Ford US hadn't come up with the Ford GT (thankyou J Mays), I'd have given up on them a long time ago.

...ok the new Mustang is ok... The ItalDesign version was much better though.

"what the hell is this?"

Something that targets our growing geriatric demographic. Don’t stare too hard; it'll make you sleepy.

"Hmm...if Ford makes such crap, explain why the F series are the best trucks? Strongest, best towing, best reliability, best selling?"

Its only the best selling cause they include fleet sales. Which shouldnt really count!!

Strongest, best towing, best reliability?? lol...show me
and dont freaking compare a f350 to a Toyota Tundra not the same class of trucks

anyway american car companies got to stop putting those side grills on every damn car!! It does not belong on non sporty cars or sedans!! another thing stop with all the damn chrome!! and adding a bunch of wood trim DOES NOT make the interior look better!!

How long have Jap and Euro cars been in imported to the US?? American car companies still cant copy the way they make interiors?? I sat in my co-workers new 2008 pontiac g6 and holy crap i thought i was still in the 80s!!

Ford had done a slightly better job with styling the last couple of years. I guess they're going back to boring blob shapes again.

What a joke. The concept is great to bring the Taurus back, but the styling looks just like the current car in a scaled down mode. This should have been a great opportunity to break some new ground like the original Taurus did back in '86. Ford really missed the target with this generic and bland design. The company could really be in a good position for a comeback, but is really missing the target on almost every model they make. They should seriously consider bringing some of the European models to the US for sale. Otherwise, their design is super generic and the customer service really needs a total revamping. Until the domestics learn from Toyota and Honda on how to treat customers they will continue to lose market share.

someones gotta build fleet vehicles *shrug*

Coyote:

"They should try to come back to that design. The "UFO" car, as my former neighbors called it."

My dad had one, and I called it "The Slug." I thought it was fugly. This new one looks like the generation that came before it. Boxy with a little bit of curve at the corners. Wow, this is like a regression.

"This looks like one of those "generic" cars you'd find in a racing game. You know, like what the traffic AI drives, while you drive the real cars."

HA! That perfectly describes the Ford Taurus. There is not one line, not one curve on this car that gives it any flavor or character.

The Taurus is intended to be a cheap, bland, and plain car. The reason the first Taurus was the best selling car in the world was because it's price tag was so low. It's a boring people mover, and thats what it ought to be.

The louvres in the side fenders do look stupid.

I'm pissed about the Focus too. The US version is a slap in the face.

To everyone bashing the looks of the car in the picture, this is the CURRENT car.

We all already know the current car is ugly, as does Mulally the Ford CEO. Here's to the redsigned car hopefully looking better.

(I'm a Mazda guy, so it doesn't really matter to me, but the comments about the picture showed a lack of reading comprehension)

Yeah the car is plain looking, but functionally its pretty nice if any of you have ever driven one. Its one of the most comfortable seating positions of any car I have ever sat in and drives very nicely especially with the new stronger engine since they changed it from the 500 to the Taurus, which was a stupid decision. What they should do is put an 8 cyl. engine in it and build a new Lincoln luxury car with it which is essentially what they have done with the Lincoln Mks. If you all want eye candy, go check out the 2009 Mks and get a taste of what the new Taurus will look like. I think they have finally pulled their heads out of the sand and let the Mondeo designers loose in the USA. Thank goodness.

@ Coyote

(My family had a '96 Ford Taurus, and despite it's numerous mechanical problems, we loved it's interior and exterior designs.)

Key Words: "..despite it's numerous mechanical problems..."

Enough said about the Taurus

Ford made two mistakes. First, it let the previous generation Taurus languish in the fleet sales (w/out a significant upgrade). So the Taurus name is still associated with boring, bland fleet rental cars.

Second, it decided to rename the 500. The 500 was a pretty well executed car that was hampered by a small horsepower engine for its class and a CVT that sucked the lifeblood out of that engine. Ford would have been better served by making the changes(3.5 liter engine, 6 speed auto) and leaving the name.

The car is IMO not ugly, but bland. However, for potential buyers the car will serve them well. Is Ford is serious in resurrecting the Taurus name, it should be applied to a brand new platform that is daring and revolutionary. (like how the original Taurus sparked the aero trend in the 80's)

looks like the guy whos designing porsche 911's for the last 50 years has become a consultant for ford and came up with the "updated styling" whatever... this car looks just like the current model, why did they re-do it and come up with the same car? well folks it looks like the accountants in charge of FOrd are at it again.

If this is the best Ford can do to compete in this class, might as well give it up. The car is just uninspired, bland and almost ugly.

Include the Focus and you wonder if Ford can make appealing cars anymore.

If a car is a relection of the style of country that makes it, then what does this car say about the style in America?

I guess they didn't want to attract any youthful buyers.

Timboj you mean like that pathetic junk Pontiac made in Australia and tried to pass it off as a new GTO for instance? The famous "blunder from down under", the insult of a GTO, which us "Yanks" rejected.

It surprises me how only 1 / 23 of the posts above mine actually realize that the photo is of the 2008 Ford Taurus. Ian, you win the award for reading comprehension!

The redesign hasn't been shown yet, hence why they say it will be INTRODUCED NEXT YEAR. People, people, people. It's the first freaking sentence.

Yes, we all know the current Taurus aka 500 looks like crap. Ford knows it looks like crap. It's selling like crap. Hence the reason they're redesigning it. Just goes to show you that all of the so-proclaimed car experts on this blog don't know their heads from their azzes.

I've got a 2004 Taurus. It has 100K miles on it. All I've had to do is replace the brake pads at 70K miles, and new front tires at 80K miles. It's been more reliable than our Camry.

Chaser- Oooh, hit a soft spot did I? Never said anything about rating the Monaro (Pontiac didn't 'make it in Australia'. GM US liked what they saw at Holden, thought they could sell it and rebadged it as a Pontiac). I'm not a Holden fan, but it still had better under-pinnings than just about everything else in the Pontiac line-up. Styling was a little bland for American tastes, especially considering what it was replacing (which I thought was dog ugly anyway), which is one of the major reasons it bombed. I think pricing was an issue too. That said, about 20-30,000, sorry, Americans didn't reject it.

Anyway, I didn't say Ford Aus or Europe was perfect (why we're talking about the GTO/Monaro I don't know). I could reel out a bunch of cars from both divisions that are pretty ordinary BUT they still tend to have a better standard of build quality and design than Ford US. Deal with it.

I've no idea how it's going to sell, but take a new G8 for a drive and see how you feel about Australian cars. The Commodore (or G8) is one of the first (maybe the first?) GM car to use the Zeta platform that Holden was placed in charge of engineering (Global rear-wheel drive platform -suspension/floorplan)... which is what they're building the new Camaro around.

I would pay good money to see a base model Falcon go up against any sedan in the Ford US catalogue for price/performance/handling (bar the2009 Lincoln MKS- I'm kinda hoping they sell that here). And try and tell me your 50 year old Crown Victoria wasn't a dated POS or death trap. If Ford wanted to build cars people liked and enjoyed, they'd build them in rear-wheel drive without a solid rear axle (hello Mustang).

You've every right to defend your nation's automotive industry, but honestly, did I say anything incorrect? I mean, c'mon mate, you're sticking up for a Taurus.

Oh yeah, upl8n8, most people didn't make any reference to this being the 'new' car, including myself- they're just comments on the car in the photo.

You can take your self-proclaimed "I'm a smug genius" award down from your shelves now.

While most of the comments may be in relation to the current "Taurus" I too read into it as though you and others thought this picture was the new model.

I'm certain that the new model will be a great car just as the original Taurus was. For those of you bashing the mechanical reliability of the Taurus, look at the statistics and you'll see that for the number produced and used on a consistent basis show it to be a highly reliable vehicle. My wife's grandmother still has the 1990 Taurus she bought brand new in 1989. Still runs like a charm.

People forget that all the comments here are merely opinions. I take most of the as seriously as many of you will take mine.

This is the ugliest car I have seen for some time.
As design and technical aspects go up in Europe (finally), it goes further down in the US.

This goes to show you that Alan Mulally is on the ball. He's recognized there is a problem and he's rectifying it. As for all the dumbasses who think this will be the redesign, they're poorly mistaking.

I'm sure the new Taurus which competes in the full-sized segment will look like an enlarged Ford Fusion.

As for styling, full-sized sedans are generally bought by old people. Styling will be kept relatively bland yet classy so as to avoid the terrible looking Ford Tauruses of the mid 90s.

Btw

@ Steve: I don't think you really do own a Camry, else you would've stated year/model/# of repairs
Steve:

I've got a 2004 Taurus. It has 100K miles on it. All I've had to do is replace the brake pads at 70K miles, and new front tires at 80K miles. It's been more reliable than our Camry.

Hertz, here I come!

Ummm guys isn't the pic just a current 08 model Taurus and not a preview shot of the "new design"? That's what it looks like to me.
/shrug

Ive got a 2007 camry and it has problems with the ac if we let it sit longer then a day. My sister has a toyota tacoma v6 and the motor split in half at 53k miles. My sister has a tercel before that and the motor blew at 95k. The next model this will be replaced by should look much better. As well as cars in the us are quite a bit cheaper then overseas. If you took say a normal jaq in england it sells for say anywhere between 20-80k pounds but convert that to us currency and its a little less then double the cost. So if you brought the falcon over heat it may cost alot of money like gto/manaro did and tank in sales.

Totally agree. It's not really feasible to import it unless you do some weird pricing strategy like GM's doing for the G8. You guys will be getting more kit/power for the price than we are here. I don't know if that means GM is initially losing money on the deal or what.

Over here a base Falcon is $34,990AUS ($30,910.73US), but a straight import may raise that by $2000-3000, which is still ok, but less cost competitive.

There's talk of somewhere down the line of a new Global rear-wheel drive platform be developed for Ford in a similar fashion to the GM/Holden deal. But it sounds like Ford US is going to have more involvement than us this time. Ford US has been reluctant (for many years) to make use of it's Australian subsidiary overseas. Apparently they didn't want it cutting into their sales of the Crown Victoria in the states or the Middle East (it's biggest markets).

The Middle East is Holden's biggest export area, selling Commodores, Statesmen and now HSV products, rebadged as Chevrolet Lumina, Caprice and CSV. GM has seen what makes good market sense but blind-sighted Ford US hasn't embraced the idea of a superior machine cutting into their dinosaur rear-wheel drive car.

To A.J. Subram:

you are implying that he is lying that he has better sucess with his taurus than his camry. toyotas aren't what they used to be - even consumers reports have noted a drop in their reliability.

I just finished reading all the comments on this story, the amount of intelligent conversation on this site just boggles the mind !!!!!

The car pictured is the current car NOT THE CONCEPT. I think almost everyone missed that in his or her hurry to bash ford.

CTK

That's bull. You act like a lot of F-Series sales come from fleet, which is totally false. If you knew anything about fleet sales, 90% of the F-Series sales are sold to consumors and not to commercial companies. If fleet sales made up a lot of a cars overall sale, then the Ford Taurus would still be the best selling car in America. Fleet sales are a small fraction of overall car sales.

"The car pictured is the current car NOT THE CONCEPT. I think almost everyone missed that in his or her hurry to bash ford."

I was thinking the exact same thing.
If you follow the link, the news story simple says the new Taurus will be a redesign. Torqereport shows a picture of the current design next to the story reporting a redesign. So yeah, the picture is not in any way the redesigned Taurus.