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Shanghai: 2016 Ford Taurus (Chinese Market)

6K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  Evo69 
#1 ·
#5 ·
Re: The 2016 Ford Taurus.

Literally all of those design proposals are leaps and bounds over what actually was produced. -_-
Isn't that the way it always is? Concept rarely if ever is realized in production


John 25:11
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.
 
#6 ·
Re: The 2016 Ford Taurus.

Not concepts.... design ideas.

Design starts with flight of fancy drawings that have nothing to do with practicality or a view to producing exactly that design. As designs go through the development, some aspects different designs are chosen. A tail light idea on one might be combined with side sheetmetal sculpture of another. A grill on another idea might be combined with the headlights and the hood sculpture of another. then various drawings and designs of these themes are done, with themes chosen.

Once the general design theme is chosen, then.... and this is the important part.... the designs start being converted to make them practical!.

This means that these designs have to be fitted over an architecture based on certain hardpoints (basically, converting a design to conform to the profile of the platform it's going to be built on). Design ideas don't have to be done with regard to how an engine and cooling systems will fit under the hood. Nor does design ideas have to worry about how you and your passengers will fit inside, or how much luggage space you'll have. Design ideas don't have to worry about crumple zones or a myrad of other things that platform engineers have to be concerned with.

Then even after designs have been adapted to structures, then comes additional design tuning. Something that might look great in design might suck eggs when it comes to being aerodynamic. Some parts of a design idea may cause excessive wind noise. Another part of a design idea might be expensive or impossible to produce as is by stamping sheetmetal, and have to be revised. The 2nd gen Camaro has an issue with this when in early stampings, it's rear quarter panel stampings often produced wrinkled sheetmetal. Another example (also Camaro) involved 3rd gens all glass compound formed, rear hatch which would occasionally shatter in early prototypes. Sometimes certain parts have to be toned down.

Notice that I didn't even include feedback from styling clinics (which GM though GM has reduced it's reliance on them, still gathers select people for feedback). Cooling is also a huge item that alters design later in the game. Then there's numerous final design tweaks (rounding design edges that might cause injury in accidents, new ideas with headlight or tail light details, new plans to sell the vehicle in a different market which can alter additional small areas of design.

In the end, what you end up with are vehicles where you can see various parts of a original design ideas, but typically the thing looks less dramatic and more compromised. Even the 5th gen Camaro and the current Challenger that look like spitting images of the cars that were on turntables as concepts are significantly different when side by side as a result of making designs practical (let alone how they looked in original drawings and ideas).

So while some here may be disappointed that a car that hits the streets doesn't look exactly like pen and paper drawings, or even computer animations, production vehicles NEVER look exactly like design ideas. The realities of production, platform engineering, packing, engineering reliability, safety, and a whole host of other factors take what is pretty much a flight of fancy drawing, and turns it into a practical, operational vehicle where you can actually sit in, see out of, and enjoy.
 
#7 ·
Re: The 2016 Ford Taurus.

Handsome and stately, but the most obvious update of the Taurus imaginable. Probably a safe bet, and it will be one of the few 'traditional' sedans left, now that everyone is going to swoopy hatch-like rear designs. Sounds like they studied the Chinese market to death on this one, so will certainly be a hit there. One can only hope that the next Fusion can take a little more design risk.

It will be very interesting to see how the interior space is in this, because that was the most common complaint of the outgoing Taurus.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Re: The 2016 Ford Taurus.

So Ford is going to use the rotary dial gear-selector for the Chinese market Taurus?

Good for them. I like the look, frees-up space on the console, and is a bit minimalist. I know that this has been a "Chrysler-thing" of late (and Jaguar before them), but as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they could have done much worse.

I only wish that GM had done something similar for some of their models (the Escalade, Yukon, and Tahoe especially --- I hate the column mounted shifter).
The US-market Taurus is going to be different.
In what way? Will it use the shorter wheelbase? I hope not too different. This product is a bit reserved, but is also quite handsome in an understated kind of way.
 
#11 ·
Re: The 2016 Ford Taurus.

Ah....Ford's latest Audi.

Very handsome.

Look out La Crosse!
 
#22 ·
Re: The 2016 Ford Taurus.

The US-market Taurus is going to be different.
I hope so. That said this Chinese market Taurus is a very dignified looking car.
 
#14 ·
It all comes down to how we look at other people meaning (Human Race/Psychology)
I understand why they make changes especially with the size of the lights and grilles and some chrome strips.
When we look at other people the first thing humans tend to go for is the eyes or brow bone each market or each region has developed its own template for beauty.
So each market essentially has a different taste or comfort with a specific design.
Expect larger head lights and grille from the American Market version (This one is way too lean)
 
#20 · (Edited)
Yahoo Autos/MotorAuthority said:
Versions of the new Taurus in the U.S. market should differ slightly, particularly when it comes to powertrains and the choice of materials in the cabin (in China the car is being positioned as a near-premium vehicle). A debut for the U.S.-spec Taurus should take place later this year, with the car going on sale sometime next year as a 2016 model.
So I guess what we're seeing is somewhat close-looking to the model we're going to get in the US.

Yahoo Autos/MotorAuthority said:
And as the new Taurus will be aimed primarily at China’s chauffeur driven executives, Ford is even offering power-reclining rear seats on the car. These come with an available adjustable lumbar support feature as well as a massage function. Folding down the center seat cushion reveals a rear-seat control panel for air conditioning, seat functions and car media. Folding it up allows the vehicle to comfortably accommodate three rear passengers. Don’t expect these features to be offered on the U.S.-spec car.
I wouldn't have expected the US market version to have those features. But I hope that the Continental will.

Yahoo Autos/MotorAuthority said:
Premium elements can be found on the outside, too. LEDs are used for both the head and tail-lights. Furthermore, in silhouette, a powerful hood profile and planted architecture give the Taurus a premium car-like stance, and adding to this are the polished 19-inch alloys and integrated chrome exhaust tips.
I hope that some of those elements will at least be offered as an option on the Titanium version in the US. When even "ho-hum" Kias and Hyundais are being offered with LED headlamps and taillamps, certainly a large car (and "halo-sedan" for the brand) should have them as an option.

Yahoo Autos/MotorAuthority said:
The platform underpinning the new Taurus is a stretched version of the Blue Oval’s CD4 design, found in a variety of existing models such as the 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 earlier this month in concept form at the 2015 New York Auto Show.
It was pretty much already known (or at least suspected), but that confirms that.
I think it's a nice nod to the original Taurus (especially in that C pillar from the interior perspective) and a heap of Audi - which looks fantastic.
I hadn't noticed the way the C-Pillar seems to echo the original Taurus sedan. Nice observation. Hopefully it should lend itself to be a "lighter, airier" cabin.
 
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