Ford Taurus

Ford today revealed its all-new Taurus sedan at the 2009 NAIAS, with a design that is decidedly more upmarket than its 500 precursor.

"Lightning can strike twice," said Peter Horbury, executive director of Design for The Americas. "Like the 1986 original, the new 2010 Taurus differentiates by combining style with substance."

The shift starts with the vision for Taurus itself. It debuted as a family sedan, but with the advent of crossovers, the new Taurus is aimed at drivers who might place more of a premium on the driving experience than outright practicality.

"Taurus is more of a 'me' sedan now, and we've delivered with this buyer in mind," said Moray Callum, director of Ford's Car and Crossover Design.

Check out the photo gallery of Ford's new mid-size contender and read our opinions of the design in our 2009 Detroit Auto Show Highlights.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Ford Taurus

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Buick LaCrosse

GM's Buick division will debut the all-new LaCrosse luxury sedan at the NAIAS in Detroit. With a ‘sculpted design' faithful to the Invicta concept unveiled at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show, the second-generation car was a collaboration between designers in the US and China (in partnership with PATAC) as well as European-based chassis and body engineers. It is the first GM vehicle to be created on three continents.

"The new LaCrosse is intended to represent modern elegance," says GM's Vice President of Global Design, Ed Welburn. "It is instantly recognizable as a Buick, with its signature 'sweep spear' bodyside styling, portholes inside the character line on the hood, and waterfall grille." Inside, the two-tone interior is defined by a flowing, uninterrupted design theme that wraps around the instruments and door panels. Blue ambient lighting is featured throughout the cabin to create an inviting environment.

Three models - CX, CXL and CXS - will be offered, with powerplants ranging from the 3.0-liter 255hp V6 to a 3.6-liter 280hp variant. Both will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Production will begin this summer at the Fairfax assembly facility in Kansas City, Kansas.

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