Ford Taurus (fifth generation)

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Ford Taurus (fifth generation; D258)
Overview
Manufacturer	Ford
Also called	Ford Five Hundred (Middle East)
Production	May 2007–May 2009
Model years	2008–2009
Assembly	United States: Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Assembly)
Designer	J Mays (2005)
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size car
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	FF layout F4 layout
Platform	Ford D3 platform
Related	Ford Taurus X Mercury Sable
Powertrain
Engine	3.5 L DOHC Duratec 35 (Cyclone) V6
Transmission	6-speed 6F automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	112.7 in (2,863 mm)
Length	201.8 in (5,126 mm)
Width	74.1 in (1,882 mm)
Height	61.5 in (1,562 mm)
Curb weight	FWD: 3,741 lb (1,697 kg) AWD: 3,930 lb (1,780 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor	Ford Taurus (fourth generation) Ford Five Hundred Ford Crown Victoria
Successor	Ford Taurus (sixth generation)

The fifth generation of the Ford Taurus is a sedan that was marketed by Ford for the 2008 and 2009 model years. Marking the return of the model line after a hiatus of less than a year, the fifth-generation Taurus is a mid-cycle revision of the Ford Five Hundred, making the Taurus a full-size car for the first time. The model line also became the flagship Ford sedan, as Ford withdrew the Crown Victoria from retail sale. The model line was also sold as the Ford Taurus X three-row wagon (a revision of the Ford Freestyle). The fifth-generation Taurus was marketed in North America, South Korea, Mexico, and the Middle East. Outside the United States, Canada, and South Korea, it retained the previous Ford Five Hundred branding.^[1]

As the Taurus adopted the D3 architecture introduced by the Five Hundred, several firsts were made to the model line. The Taurus gained all-wheel drive as an option for the first time, along with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a standard overhead-cam V6 engine. In a similar rebranding, the Mercury Montego was replaced by the return of the Mercury Sable; coinciding with the closure of the Mercury brand, this was the final version of the Sable. For the first time, Lincoln did not market a counterpart of the Taurus as the Continental (instead designing the Lincoln MKS from the sixth-generation Taurus).

Ford assembled the Taurus in its Chicago Assembly facility (Chicago, Illinois) alongside the Mercury Sable, Taurus X, and Lincoln MKS (for 2009).