The all-new Ford Taurus has endured tortuous testing conditions in the Middle East ahead of its imminent arrival, though remains safely under wraps for now. Despite soaring mercury outside, Ford Taurus’ cabin will remain a comfortable place to be, thanks to the rigorous scrutiny the vehicle is put under before arriving to market.
“It’s crucial to the comfort of our customers, and the integrity of the all-new Taurus, that we test in such extreme climes,” said Ziyad Dallalah, Product Development General Manager, Ford International Markets Group. “Dust and sand can play havoc on engine internals and suspension components by accelerating wear on moving parts. Add that to the searing heat, and you are faced with a vehicle that has to work much harder than it might have to in more favourable conditions. Our testing ensures Taurus’ engine, transmission, driveline- and cooling systems can handle the demands of the region.”
Ford has a comprehensive lineup of testing facilities around the world, which put vehicles through conditions from the extreme to the mundane. In Thailand and India, Australia and China – where the all-new Taurus is built – Ford’s vehicles are put through their paces to ensure they’re built to the Blue Oval’s exacting world-class standards.
More specifically for the Middle East’s often grueling heat, however, the engineering team at Ford’s Product Development base in Dubai are afforded the luxury of ambient temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius, in which they can hot-weather test Taurus under real world conditions quite unlike anywhere else on the planet.
Taurus popularity in the Middle East
Ford’s flagship sedan has enjoyed unprecedented popularity in recent years – being the brand’s best-selling nameplate in the region for half a decade – with a bold new design expected to continue that success. At a regional level last year, Taurus performed particularly well in the UAE’s Mid-Size Saloon category, with a remarkable 527 per cent year-on-year growth for the nameplate. In Saudi Arabia, sales were up more than 73 per cent across the kingdom, while Kuwait saw numbers up 125 per cent. Meanwhile, Oman (63 per cent) and Bahrain (42 per cent) all recorded positive figures.
From a panoramic sunroof and three alloy wheel size options to its powerful and efficient 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine with eight-speed automatic transmission – operated by a contemporary rotary gear shifter on the centre console – Taurus delivers more of what large sedan buyers. Driver assist technologies include adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation system and blind spot intervention (BLIS), while on the inside, wireless charging and an impressive 13.2-inch centre screen with Apple Car Play and Android Auto compatibility, along with an 8-eight-inch digital cluster display, ensuring the technophiles are catered to.
The all-new segment-leader Ford Taurus will arrive to Middle East showrooms soon with its all-new modern design, powerful turbocharged engine, unique regional premium touches, and highly-desired technologies.
