The sedan, solely manufactured by Changan-Ford, is based on the CD4 platform that is also shared by the current Ford Fusion and the Lincoln Continental among others. The 2010-on U.S. Taurus, in comparison, lived on the older CD3 variant. For 2020, there’s new LED lighting front and rear: the headlights get a “brow” shaped indicator on top of them, and the taillights now have a length of chrome between them. The new front grille also gets chrome, and the freshly introduced Vignale top trim level also has a bespoke grille and more chrome. It’s clear the Taurus is positioned as a formal sedan in China, appointed to attract customers directing the car from the rear seat.
The only engine choice mentioned so far is a 2.0-liter turbo, but it comes in two differently tuned guises, with the higher-spec variant producing 245 horsepower. Earlier, the Chinese Taurus has also been offered with a smaller, 1.5-liter four cylinder and the 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6, but it’s possible those two have been dropped from the roster.
Interestingly, the Chinese market Taurus isn’t just a way for the Taurus name to survive in the history books — as CarAdvice reminds us, this particular car was largely designed in Australia, and in a way it can also be seen as a current iteration of the Falcon bloodline, despite being front-wheel drive. With no hulking V8 engine or rear-wheel-drive option, it’s no real Aussie Falcon heir, but after Ford’s Australian arm ceased building the vaunted sedans in 2016, there’s nothing else to stand up for it. And if the Fusion and Mondeo sedans cease to be made during the next decade in favor of more crossover sales, the Taurus name might end up outliving them, too.
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