Ford Taurus SHO 2010

The auto journalists on hand for the launch of the all-new 2010 Ford Taurus really did their homework. They attended the whole program, were all ears during the various speeches and drove this great American sedan over hundreds of kilometres while paying attention to every little detail. However, on the second day of the event, a little more action was necessary to maintain the attention of children… er, I mean journalists. That’s precisely when the automaker decided to put the new Taurus SHO at their disposal. It’s the first-ever application of Ford’s Ecoboost powertrain technology and quite possibly the ultimate sleeper on the road right now.If the introduction of the Taurus delivered a solid blow to other entry-level full-size sedans, the SHO (pronounced S-H-O and not as a single word, otherwise some people will get really angry…) is probably the knock-out punch.

Few changes
Looking at the Ford Taurus SHO is like looking at the regular model. From a design standpoint, there are few changes to report about. The front grille is somewhat different, the wheels are hand-painted and stand 20 inches in size, a rear spoiler sits on top of the trunk and chrome exhaust tips complete the new package.Inside, it’s easier to spot the differences and upgrades, starting with the seats which are trimmed in suede with embroidered "SHO" logos. The rest is basic copy-paste, however.

A beast under the hood
Under the hood is where you’ll find the heart and soul of the SHO. Ford is finally introducing its highly-promising Ecoboost technology, which consists in direct injection and dual turbochargers. The compact yet fearsome unit generates no less than 365 horsepower and -- here's the real kicker -- no turbo lag is felt under acceleration unlike virtually all other turbos. The torque curve starts with a bang and peaks fairly early to make the engine extremely potent and flexible. Filling this side of the equation are a 6-speed SelectShift autobox delivering quicker shifts than that of the naturally-aspirated sedan as well as a competent all-wheel drive system. In the end, you get a fine-looking four-door machine with deceptive power, speed and aggressiveness… not to mention a loving mom’s smile instead of a tough gangster’s big evil smirk.Of course, the Taurus is now larger and heavier than it’s ever been, but the combination of beefed-up powertrain components and upgraded suspension makes for amazing feistiness on the open road.

Corners? What corners?
For the test part of the media launch, Ford had planned a drive in a remote area of the State where sharp corners and clean straightaways abound. Through each of the two rounds, the nose-heavy Taurus SHO displayed nice agility (despite a certain amount of understeer) and never showed signs of hesitation. Even when pushed, body roll was almost inexistent. On the flip side, the power steering felt a bit overly assisted at times, preventing us from fully appreciating every turn of the wheel. In normal driving conditions, that’s no longer a problem, though. The brakes, which are larger than on previous generations, also proved quite effective and delivered fade-free performance over repeated emergency stops. However, we did notice tiny clouds of smoke coming from the front wheels, suggesting that the brakes were getting seriously hot.

Plenty of amenities
Similar to the regular Taurus, the SHO variant boasts extremely-competitive equipment, including adaptive cruise control, SYNC entertainment, Blind Spot Alert and a rearview camera along with many other accessories and options that enhance the comfort levels of this sports sedan. Thusly equipped, the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is most certainly a giant sleeper. It will astound drivers with its sporty dynamics, uncompromised comfort and SHO tradition, and especially outsiders who happen to watch this seemingly-inoffensive sedan coming and get overwhelmed by its bad-ass attitude as it roars past them.