2010 FORD TAURUS EARNS IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK; OFFERS SUITE OF STANDARD SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES

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SUMMARY:

• The all-new 2010 Ford Taurus, with its advanced crash safety structure and a suite of standard restraint and air bag technologies, has earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) based on its performance in testing
• Taurus offers an array of driver aid and safety features, including a radar-enabled advanced collision warning system, Cross Traffic Alert that that warns drivers of hard-to-see parking lot traffic and the MyKey™ safety system that provides parents with peace of mind
• The 2010 Taurus introduces the latest version of Ford SYNC® with Traffic, Directions & Information; studies show in-vehicle voice-activated communications systems such as SYNC help drivers keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel

CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

The new 2010 Taurus builds on Ford Motor Company’s safety leadership by adding to its leading number of IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings. The new Taurus not only features side air bags that are designed to deploy up to 30 percent earlier than traditional air bag systems, it also pioneers the mainstream introduction of active crash-avoidance features such as a segment-first, radar-based forward collision warning system that helps drivers avoid accidents.

DETAILS:

Safety leadership grows
The new 2010 Taurus earned a Top Safety Pick based in part on a comprehensive package of crash-protection features, including dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags, side-impact air bags and Safety Canopy® – a Ford exclusive protection system featuring side curtain air bags that help protect front and rear outboard passengers in both rollover and side-impact crashes.

The new Taurus’ state-of-the-art side air bag systems use pressure pulses from a side impact and are designed to deploy up to 30 percent earlier than a traditional air bag system that uses acceleration-based sensors. Pressure-based sensors help predict crash forces before the full impact occurs and more accurately measure crash severity to better differentiate between a potentially dangerous air bag-deployable crash and common, relatively harmless daily abuse that would not require air bag protection.

Other key safety features include:

• Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE®) Architecture is comprised of a hydroformed cross-car beam embedded in the floor between the door frames, providing additional strength in the side of the vehicle. In the event of a side impact, the beam helps divert crash forces away from the occupants. A strong roof crossmember and side-impact door beams work with the floor-mounted tube to further enhance side-impact protection. Ultra-high-strength boron steel has been added to the B-pillar as well.
• Trinity Front Crash Architecture is a body structure optimized for strength and stiffness. The energy-absorbing structure features octagonal front frame rails, engine cradle/front subframe and “shotgun” front structural members designed to absorb and redirect crash forces away from the passenger compartment.
• Personal Safety System™ is designed to help reduce the risk of injury to the driver and front seat passenger in the event of a moderate to severe frontal collision. Sensors note right front occupant weight, safety belt usage, outboard seat belt tension and seating position to optimize air bag deployment force for occupant safety.
• AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control constantly monitors road conditions and the driver’s responses, using sensors to detect and measure oversteer and yaw, while continuously monitoring vehicle speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When the system senses a loss of wheel traction, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied in conjunction with the standard Anti-Lock Braking (ABS). The system also incorporates traction control to aid drivers when operating the vehicle on loose or slippery surfaces.
• SOS Post-Crash Alert System™ is an integrated technology that automatically unlocks the doors and activates the emergency flashers in the event of air bag deployment.

More driver-aid and safety technologies
Tech-savvy customers will find plenty to like about the new 2010 Taurus. Its technologies enable customer connectivity, while fulfilling desires for personalization, customization and control. This list of driver-aid and safety features isn’t just technology for the sake of technology. These offerings have been selected and developed to provide the ultimate in comfort and convenience for the driver and all passengers:

• Adaptive Cruise Control allows the driver to set the vehicle cruising speed while using radar technology to monitor traffic traveling up to 600 feet ahead, automatically adjusting Taurus speed to help maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
• Collision Warning with Brake Support is a new active feature, enabled by Adaptive Cruise Control. This system uses a radar sensor to detect moving vehicles ahead and provides a visual “heads-up” warning signal transmitted across the base of the windshield and an audible warning when slower-moving traffic is detected ahead. The system also pre-charges the brakes and engages electronic brake assist to help the driver stop more quickly.
• SecuriCode™ Keyless Entry Keypad enables vehicle access by unlocking the driver’s door using a five-digit code on the new keypad system flush-mounted in the driver’s side B-pillar.
• MyKey™ allows parents or fleet administrators to activate a restricted driving mode. When enabled, MyKey features a Persistent Belt-Minder® with Audio Mute until safety belts are buckled, an earlier low-fuel warning and engaged AdvanceTrac® stability control, Blind Spot monitoring, Cross Traffic Alert and Forward Collision Warning. Additional programmability includes restrictions on audio volume, limiting top speed to 80 mph and speed chime warnings at 45, 55 or 65 mph.
• Auto High Beams/Rain-Sensing Wipers harness sensor technologies to switch headlights to high intensity when no other vehicles are detected, in a range of up to 500 feet for taillight detection and up to 2,000 feet for oncoming headlight detection. Rain-sensing wipers use an advanced optical sensor to detect the intensity of rain and/or snowfall to adjust wiper speed.
• Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) consists of two multiple beam radar modules, one each per rear quarter panel. When the sensors detect an approaching vehicle entering the defined blind spot zone, an indicator alert provides warning to the driver in the corresponding side-view mirror.
• Cross Traffic Alert uses the existing BLIS radar modules to sense oncoming traffic when slowly backing out of a parking spot. This industry-exclusive system functions only while the vehicle is in reverse and warns when cross-traffic is detected within three car widths.
• Ford SYNC® is the fully integrated, in-vehicle voice-activated communications and entertainment system, with 911 Assist™, Vehicle Health Report and GPS-based features including business search and call completion. SYNC connects to MP3 players, iPods, memory sticks and PDAs. SYNC’s 911 Assist will place a call to a local emergency operator in the event of air bag deployment when a cell phone is properly paired, turned on and connected to SYNC, and the vehicle has battery power. The latest version of SYNC adds Traffic, Directions & Information, providing turn-by-turn route guidance and the ability to access content by personalized favorites such as region, subject matter or sports team.
• Voice-Activated Navigation System with SIRIUS® Travel Link™ uses an eight-inch screen to present a bird’s-eye-view map with 3D landmarks. The system responds to voice commands for destination programming and route selection. In addition, it provides enhanced route guidance features such as street name announcements and detailed freeway exit, turn and ramp position lane guidance. The screen can be personalized with up to 32 pictures, sized up to 1.5 MB each. The system also incorporates the SIRIUS Travel Link, offering availability of current weather and ski conditions, a five-day forecast, local fuel pricing by cost per gallon and brand, sports scores and movie listings.

QUOTES:

“The new Taurus is Ford’s safety flagship with a Top Safety Pick, crash-protection and crash-avoidance features that you may not find in luxury vehicles that cost twice as much.”

– Sue Cischke,
Ford Group vice president of Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering

“A stiffer body structure and new crash-avoidance technologies make the Taurus – already named the safest full-size sedan – even safer.”

– Pete Reyes,
Chief engineer, Ford Taurus

“The new Taurus builds on the 2009 model’s tremendous safety record by adding even more state-of-the-art crash-avoidance and crash-protection technologies. You would be hard pressed to find a better-equipped driver aid and safety package in a full-size sedan.”

– Steve Kozak,
Chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems

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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.