2000 Ford Taurus Makes Safe Debut in New York

30 March 1999
2000 Ford Taurus Makes Safe Debut in New York
    NEW YORK, March 30 -- Ford uncovers the newest version of its
Taurus family sedan at the New York Auto Show and announces that the 2000
model will include new safety technologies making it one of the safest cars on
the road.
    For 2000, Taurus takes on new contemporary styling and builds on the
previous model's safety reputation by leading into production Ford's Advanced
Restraint System (ARS).  The current Taurus is the only mid-sized car to
achieve the federal government's highest frontal crash-test rating, five stars
for driver and front passenger.
    The ARS is a collection of a dozen components that allows the car to
"think" about the crash, "understand" its severity, "examine" the driver seat
position and if he or she is wearing a safety belt and "decide" how to deploy
the safety systems.  With the system, dual-stage air bags inflate at two
different rates depending on the situation as described above.  Additionally,
safety belts are equipped with pretensioners and retractors that are designed
to help reduce the risk of force-related injuries in a crash.
    "There's much more to the 2000 Taurus than meets the eye," says Jim
O'Connor, president of Ford Division and vice president of Ford Motor Company.
"To family car buyers, safety is the number one priority and Taurus is a
leader in new safety technology."

    Safety Features
    Taurus also comes standard with Ford's emergency trunk release, designed
to allow a child or adult trapped in the trunk to open it from inside.  The
glow-in-the-dark trunk release handle will be factory installed, standard
equipment on all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles starting this summer.
    The 2000 Taurus was engineered to achieve the double five-star rating and
adds a number of other features to enhance occupant safety.  In addition to
the standard ARS, Taurus features Ford's Belt-Minder system which reminds
unbelted drivers to buckle up with an intermittent chime and indicator light.
    Head and chest combination side air bags are available to help reduce the
risk of injury in a side collision.  The side air bags are activated by
separate sensors located near the car's B-pillars.  Energy absorbing trim
surrounds the door frame and arm-rest areas for additional protection.
    The 2000 Taurus is equipped with child-safety seat tether anchors to
provide parents with an improved method to more securely buckle their
safety-seat in place.

    Power Adjustable Pedals
    Taurus also becomes the first car in North America to offer power
adjustable brake and accelerator pedals allowing drivers of smaller stature to
move the pedals toward their feet rather than moving the seat uncomfortably
and dangerously close to the steering wheel.

    Functional Styling
    The styling changes are driven by customer desire for improvements in
functionality.  All exterior panels on the 2000 Taurus are new with the
exception of the doors.  The grille opening is wider giving the car a larger,
more substantial front end appearance.

    Headlamps are larger and 20 percent brighter.

    The greenhouse has been revised and offers an improvement of nearly
2 inches in rear seat headroom and nearly an inch in front headroom.  The rear
window is larger and rectangular for improved visibility.

    The decklid is higher and wider at the opening giving customers an
increase in cargo space of 1.2 cubic feet.

    Ride and Handling
    The chassis has been revised to give customers a smoother, more plush ride
without adversely affecting handling.  Larger, 16-inch tires and wheels are
standard.  Steering and alignment refinements give Taurus a better on-center
feel and directional stability and reduce wind-wander.

    Powertrain Improvements
    The 2000 Taurus powertrains have been refined to increase power, improve
mid-range torque and reduce noise, vibration and harshness.  Two different
3.0-liter V-6 engines are offered in four configurations.  Transmissions have
been refined for smoother shifting.

    Vulcan 3.0-liter V-6
    * 153 horsepower @ 5000 rpm -- an increase of 8 horsepower
    * 182 ft. lbs. of torque @ 4000 rpm -- an increase of 12 ft. lbs.

    Duratec 3.0-liter V-6
    * 200 horsepower @ 5750 rpm -- an increase of 15 horsepower
    * 200 ft. lbs. of torque @ 4500 rpm -- an increase of 15 foot pounds

    Both the Vulcan and Duratec engines meet Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV)
standards in California and the 13 northeast states.