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2000 Ford Taurus Exterior/Interior

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EXTERIOR/INTERIOR - 2000 FORD TAURUS

Design

"The history of the Ford Taurus has been a cycle of revolution followed by evolution. The 2000 Taurus is designed to continue the evolution with customer-driven improvements to help it remain one of the best-selling family cars well into the next century."
- Chris Theodore, Vice President, Large Vehicle Center, Ford Motor Company

From the outset, the design team's desire was to make Taurus look more substantial, accommodate package improvements and move the styling comfortably toward the center of the Ford family of cars and trucks.

On the outside, Taurus' sheet metal has been revised to underscore the car's family-car size, with changes to nearly all exterior body panels to include revisions in cowl height, roof height, fender flares and use of larger wheels and tires.

The objective for the surface detailing was simplicity and a straightforward nature. The themes are more linear. The grille is much larger, with an oval shape and a honeycomb insert to instill a more durable, "built to last" appearance of quality.

All design changes were taken only after an extensive analysis of customer feedback and researched expectations. As a result, the design team revised all exterior body panels with the exception of the doors.

Larger headlamps and wider grille opening give front end a more substantial look.
Higher, wider decklid and new, larger taillamps
Redesigned roof improves headroom.
Interior features new instrument panel with rectilinear design to ICP.
New seat styles, consoles and door panels with up to six map pockets

Exterior Design Cues

A major revision of the roof creates a nearly two-inch improvement in rear headroom and one inch in front headroom.
The hood is raised at both the front and the cowl giving Taurus the look of a substantial, large car. A 0.6-inch higher kick-up at the trailing edge directs air over the windshield wipers. This reduces wind noise and up-flow of water trapped beneath the blades.
New, complex reflector-clear-lens headlamps are a larger, more sporty shape. The low beam lights have a sharper cutoff pattern and are 25 percent brighter than the headlamps they replace. Low-beam bulb life is increased 100 percent.
The grille is much wider, adding to the large car appearance and serves to provide improved engine compartment cooling.
The fenders are flared to accentuate larger wheels and tires. The bigger, wider wheels and P215/60R16 all-season tires give Taurus a wider, higher sport-stance and allow a 3 psi reduction in tire pressure - to 30 psi - contributing to an improved ride.
A new rectangular rear window is mounted flush to the body for a sleek appearance and improved visibility.
The decklid is four inches higher at the rear edge, and its opening width is increased two inches to improve access. Trunk capacity increases 1.2 cubic feet to 17.0 cubic feet.
On sedans, new, larger taillamps with integral backup lamps are positioned higher and farther apart, increasing trunk space. The stop and taillamp functions are 60 percent larger, and the turn signal is 100 percent larger for enhanced visibility.

Interior Comfort and Convenience

Customer feedback led to new features, such as power adjustable accelerator and brake pedals - the first passenger car with this feature. Both the brake and accelerator pedals can be horizontally adjusted up to three inches toward the driver from the standard location. This provides greater comfort for a wider range of drivers and allows drivers smaller-than-average in stature to position their seats further away from the steering wheel for a more comfortable, controlled driving position.

In addition:

Front and rear headroom is improved thanks to a redesign of the car's roof. Rear headroom is increased by 1.9 inches, and front headroom is increased by 0.8 inches.
Audio and climate controls are grouped in a new soft-cornered rectilinear shape Integrated Control Panel with square buttons. Buttons are arranged in a more conventional linear grid fashion for more intuitive use.
The flip/fold console in the six-passenger configuration now folds down flat to the floor, allowing better access to the lower part of the audio/climate control panel.
The five-passenger full-length floor console has a larger armrest and a larger storage area. An open bin is added to the front of the console below the instrument panel, with a molded compartment that is sized to accommodate a portable cellular phone.

Other New and Improved Interior Elements For 2000

Safety: The new Personal Safety System identifies critical information during an impact and determines the appropriate level of airbag deployment.
The seats feature new cloth materials and sew styles and include a new, optional manual lumbar feature on the driver's side.
Headrests are two inches taller and have a new locking adjustment.
The instrument panel is two-tone with a darker top portion for anti-reflective purposes.
The air-registers are a new, easier-to-use barrel style.
The four-spoke steering wheel is new, with a seamless air bag shroud and metallic Ford badge for a quality, crafted feel and appearance.
Front door panels include ergonomic 360-degree graspable door-pulls with an extra-soft covering for comfort and larger speaker openings for better audio performance.

Increased Interior Storage and Convenience Features Also Include

Molded map pockets in all four doors
Seatback map pockets on the driver and passenger seats
Second power point
Open storage bin in the center stack of the instrument panel
Adjustable cupholders available on the five-passenger configuration
Rear cupholders on both the five- and six-passenger configuration
Passenger side console map pocket available on the five-passenger configuration
Optional six-disc CD changer moves from the trunk to the console in the five-passenger configuration. An optional MACH 80-watt Audiophile Sound System with six speakers also is available.