RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) It's as close to a fact as we're going to get until Ford makes an official announcement. My source specifically said no new Taurus for the U.S. which coincides with the article and other speculation. That's not very close to a fact. You have one insider source and a bunch of tea-leaf reading. - Remember when Ford wasn't going to build a GT? - Remember when Ford was going to build a new Mercury Tracer? - Remember when the Mustang was going to be 200lbs lighter? - Remember when Lincoln was going to build the MKC? - Remember when Lincoln was going to build a compact sedan? http://www.leftlanenews.com/spied-lincolns-focus-based-compact-sedan.html Edited April 10, 2015 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Believe it or not, the Fusion and Edge wheelbases are the same at 112.2 but the Edge is 2 inches wider. Edge is also 4 inches shorter overall. I meant the relationship between the Taurus/Fusion and the Edge 7/Edge 5, not necessarily the relationship between the Edge & Fusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Wouldn't it be funny if Continental turned out to be D3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbalek Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) If Ford is serious about staying competitive in the police sedan market, then there has to be a replacement for the current PI as well as Taurus. I doubt they would make a police version with no retail version. Edited April 10, 2015 by hbalek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Wouldn't it be funny if Continental turned out to be D3? Only if you laughed during "Faces of Death" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Wouldn't it be funny if Continental turned out to be D3? I'm still wondering if the Chinese Taurus isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 That's not very close to a fact. You have one insider source and a bunch of tea-leaf reading. - Remember when Ford wasn't going to build a GT? - Remember when Ford was going to build a new Mercury Tracer? - Remember when the Mustang was going to be 200lbs lighter? - Remember when Lincoln was going to build the MKC? - Remember when Lincoln was going to build a compact sedan? http://www.leftlanenews.com/spied-lincolns-focus-based-compact-sedan.html So what exactly is your theory on the U.S. Taurus then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I'm still wondering if the Chinese Taurus isn't. Then why wouldn't they already have the current one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) So what exactly is your theory on the U.S. Taurus then? CD4, built at Flat Rock with the Conti. Launch some time after the Chinese model, somewhat different look. If we wander off into the realm of baseless speculation, I'd say production Conti debut at LA, production Taurus debut at NAIAS, Job 1 some time next spring. Both production launches come after the new UAW contract is negotiated. Edited April 10, 2015 by RichardJensen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) I've lost track of all the permutations of the speculation in the thread, so if this is a repeat of someone's thought, apologies in advance: could Ford be planning to build this new China Taurus on the current Fusion chassis, alongside the Fusion (in a China plant), in the same way that they will be building a 7 passenger Edge as a companion model to the Edge (for China only). If the above were correct, the new Taurus would not cost much in terms of engineering since it would be built on a chassis already being built (just like the 7 passenger Edge). This would then support the idea that our Taurus will be a companion to the new Continental in a U.S. plant - which would make sense to me since Lincoln (especially the Continental model) cannot support the development of a bespoke chassis. That makes sense except for one thing for me - why would they move back toward two completely different Taurus models in the world? One for China and one for the U.S. That doesnt make sense. Unless CD6 is indeed RWD capable and they call it Falcon as a RWD Continental counterpart, with no Taurus here Edited April 10, 2015 by rmc523 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The only reason they'll have two different Taurus is one will be called Police Interceptor....and not actually a Taurus since it has its own nameplate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 That makes sense except for one thing for me - why would they move back toward two completely different Taurus models in the world? One for China and one for the U.S. That doesnt make sense. Unless CD6 is indeed RWD capable and they call it Falcon as a RWD Continental counterpart, with no Taurus here The only reason they'll have two different Taurus is one will be called Police Interceptor....and not actually a Taurus since it has its own nameplate. Maybe the PI will be based off of the Chinese Taurus in order to allow differentiation between the US Taurus and the PI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Both production launches come after the new UAW contract is negotiated. This is probably the hold up. If they are waiting for the new contract, the earliest production will start could be October. The new contract summary should give some idea to future products and where they will be built, it was with the current contract. MKC being built at Louisville was indicated in the current contract way back in 2011. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Maybe the PI will be based off of the Chinese Taurus in order to allow differentiation between the US Taurus and the PI. Why, that would be stupid as what GM is doing....have a cop car on a current platform won't hurt it. Having it on a rotting platform like the CV will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonj80 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Could Ford just import the retail version of the CD(whatever) Taurus from China? Keep the old one as a PI only unit and build more Explorers at Chicago? I don't think there would be an announcement on that until after the contract in Sept, though once that it out should give a pretty good clue as to Ford's plans for the next 3/4 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 CD4, built at Flat Rock with the Conti. Launch some time after the Chinese model, somewhat different look. But why make them different and why not launch them at the same time? Unless there are factory considerations that are forcing it, but even then I don't get it. If you redesigned a new Taurus for China and it's ready for China then it seems silly not to bring it here at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 @akirby....my $ are on the China version being blandsville and the US version being somewhat nicer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 (edited) But why make them different and why not launch them at the same time? Unless there are factory considerations that are forcing it, but even then I don't get it. If you redesigned a new Taurus for China and it's ready for China then it seems silly not to bring it here at the same time. You'd make them slightly different because there's minimal cost involved. Molded plastic bits (both fascias) are very cheap to tool/redesign--even if they'll be supplied from the same Tier 1 factory; stamping dies can't be shared, so there's minimal additional cost involved in slightly modifying the skin (not the hard points). Great examples would be the Focus/Focus, Fiesta/Fiesta, Escape/Kuga and Fusion/Mondeo. Clearly the 'same' car, while clearly not exactly the same. And you would not bring the vehicle *here* at the same time because you are not going to build it in Chicago, you're going to build it in FRAP, which apparently needs some mods, or you want to run it full speed w/the Mustang for a while for accounting reasons before the cost of adding new product. Toward that same end, I would envision them continuing to build the PI Taurus on D3 as long as the D3 Explorer survives, and transition that to CD4 (or who knows? CD6?) when the Explorer moves to a new platform. Edited April 10, 2015 by RichardJensen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Why, that would be stupid as what GM is doing....have a cop car on a current platform won't hurt it. Having it on a rotting platform like the CV will But if the same platform is being used on the Taurus in China, it's not a rotting platform. The older (less expensive) platform underpins the Chinaurus and PI, whereas the better, more expensive platform underpins the US Taurus/Conti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 You wouldn't use the old platform in China, because the Taurus is being built in China, and because (unlike the Escort), that's a premium segment that will support a new platform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Once again, regarding FRAP, the Mustang is NOT built on its own line. Again NOT built on its own line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 You wouldn't use the old platform in China, because the Taurus is being built in China, and because (unlike the Escort), that's a premium segment that will support a new platform. I was thinking more along the lines of what they did with the Escort, but if that's a premium segment that can support a new platform, then throw my theory out. When I think Chinese market, I think 'cheap out on everything.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Once again, regarding FRAP, the Mustang is NOT built on its own line. Again NOT built on its own line. My understanding of that plant is that, with some expansion to paint/body, you could easily run two full speed final lines, but that they do not do so at present because they can't build BIWs fast enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 You'd make them slightly different because there's minimal cost involved. Molded plastic bits (both fascias) are very cheap to tool/redesign--even if they'll be supplied from the same Tier 1 factory; stamping dies can't be shared, so there's minimal additional cost involved in slightly modifying the skin (not the hard points). Great examples would be the Focus/Focus, Fiesta/Fiesta, Escape/Kuga and Fusion/Mondeo. Clearly the 'same' car, while clearly not exactly the same. Other than lighting which is dictated by national laws, what exactly is the difference between NA and Euro Focus, Fiesta, Escape/Kuga and Fusion/Mondeo? Other than the steering wheel being on the wrong side on some models? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The answer to your questions are here: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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