The
new Taurus is seen by Ford as a premium sedan for discerning Chinese business
customers. Perhaps significantly, it is powered by the new 2.7-litre EcoBoost
turbocharged gasoline engine that features in the new aluminium-intensive F-150 pick-up truck.
Ford unveiled the new Ford
Taurus in Shanghai alongside the new Ford Tourneo MPV and the Ford GT pictured below.
The Taurus is designed
especially to meet the needs of the Chinese market and brings the nameplate to
China for the first time.
Ford made full use of its
global design and development resources to create the Taurus. Early in the
design process, designers and engineers from around the world immersed
themselves in China to gain a deeper understanding of the market and key
cultural factors influencing design and vehicle preferences. In-depth research of
target customers – accomplished, respected professionals – helped to fine-tune
design and engineering targets to create an exceptional new vehicle.
The spacious feel is
justified by an exceptionally roomy cabin, which takes full advantage of the vehicle’s
5m length and 2.95m wheelbase.
In a first for a Ford vehicle
in China, the Taurus has power-reclining rear seats with optional adjustable
lumbar support and a massage function.
Powered by Ford’s new
high-output, twin-turbo 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 engine, the Taurus has the
effortless power to match its elegant appearance. Ford says lightweight
materials and advanced controls help the engine to set a new standard for power
density and efficiency. This EcoBoost has a compacted graphite iron (CGI)
cylinder block and further use in Taurus will help boost output at Ford's Lima Engine Plant, Ohio..
Taurus will be manufactured
at the recently opened Changan Ford Hangzhou Plant. Representing a US$760
million investment, the plant is the sixth assembly plant producing Ford
vehicles in China. The facility uses Ford’s latest manufacturing technologies
and is capable of producing up to 250,000 vehicles a year on a flexible
production line.
The new Ford Tourneo for
China’s premium MPV market is the result of Ford engineers in Europe working
with their counterparts at Jiangling Motors Co., one of Ford’s investments in
China, to make the most of Ford’s global product development expertise. The
Tourneo arrives in China in 2016 as a seven-seat MPV.
Tourneo will be powered by
Ford’s 2-litre twin-scroll EcoBoost engine, which Ford will make available on
the MPV exclusively in China. Offering more power than a conventional 3.5-litre
V6 engine, the advanced direct-injection turbocharged engine is designed to
provide smooth and refined power delivery with high efficiency and low
emissions.
Next generation 3.5-litre
V6 EcoBoost
The Ford GT likewise made its Chinese debut, giving
visitors to Auto Shanghai 2015 a rare chance to see Ford’s ultra-high
performance car in the flesh.
A technology showcase for
Ford Performance innovation and the technology and engineering expertise that
goes into all Ford vehicles, the GT is one of more than 12 new Ford Performance
vehicles coming by 2020.
“The Ford GT highlights the
very best of what Ford can accomplish using our global expertise in design and
engineering, and we’re thrilled to bring it to Shanghai,” said John Lawler,
chairman and chief executive officer, Ford China. “It’s more than just a halo
car. It’s a showcase of how the technologies and engineering approaches we use
in all of our vehicles can come together to create the ultimate, no-compromise
ultra-high performance car.”
The all-new GT supercar
features rear-wheel drive, a mid-mounted engine, and a sleek, aerodynamic,
two-door coupe body shell. It is propelled by the most powerful EcoBoost
production engine ever – a next-generation twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 producing
more than 600bhp. This engine has an aluminium vee cylinder block and the engine can deliver 171bhp/litre.
The GT makes extensive use of
lightweight materials, including carbon fibre and aluminium – enabling
outstanding acceleration and handling with improved efficiency.
Ford’s commitment to and
capability in delivering technologies that typically are offered only in elite
vehicles is evident in the GT. These include advanced active aerodynamics, such
as a deployable rear spoiler, and a host of material and technology innovations
to help better serve the driver.
“What’s most exciting about
the GT is how you can find the roots of the technologies and engineering
expertise it displays in our existing product line-up, just taken to an
extreme,” said Trevor Worthington, vice president, product development, Ford
Asia Pacific. “Whether it is advanced connectivity in the new Ford Focus or the
painstaking aerodynamic work that went into the front undershield on the new
Everest, all of our vehicles display something of the GT in them.
Few innovations provide a
more wide-ranging performance and efficiency advantage than reducing weight.
All factors of a vehicle’s capabilities – acceleration, handling, braking,
safety, efficiency – can improve through the use of advanced, lighter
materials, which is why Ford continues to implement the use of lightweight
materials like ultra-high-strength steels across its product range.
Using a broad application of
structural carbon fibre elements, the GT will exhibit one of the best
power-to-weight ratios of any production car.
Anchored by a carbon fibre
passenger cell, the GT features aluminium front and rear subframes encapsulated
in structural carbon fibre body panels. Carbon fibre is one of the world’s
strongest materials for its mass – enabling an ultra-stiff foundation for
chassis components, while creating a lighter overall package for increased
dynamic performance and efficiency.
Ford EcoBoost technology,
available in Ford vehicles across Asia Pacific, uses direct fuel injection,
variable valve timing and turbocharging to delivers the power of a larger, naturally
aspirated engine, with improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
Based on race-proven engine
architecture serving Ford’s endurance racing efforts, the next-generation
twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 in the GT features a wide power band.
No comments:
Post a Comment