STONEHAM, Mass. --The snow has arrived and Massachusetts car buyers serious about crash protection in dangerous driving conditions can visit their local Ford dealer and take a look at the 2011 Ford Taurus. Recently named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the fifth year in a row, the Taurus is the only American vehicle in the “Large Car” class to have earned the distinction for as many consecutive years. The Volvo S80 is the only other car globally that has equaled this achievement.
Determined through extensive testing, the IIHS 2011 Top Safety Picks recognize those vehicles that provide high quality protection to their occupants during crashes. The vehicles tested received a “good,” “acceptable,” “marginal,” or “poor” rating in each of four tests, including a front crash test, a side crash test, a rollover test and an analysis of neck protection during rear impacts. In order to be called a Top Safety Pick, the 2011 Ford Taurus and the other winners had to receive a “good” rating in all four tests and include electronic stability control.
“Consistency is never more important than when it comes to safety, and that’s why the engineers at Ford have ensured that every new Ford Taurus continues to provide excellent crash protection year after year,” said Alan Melkonian, general manager of Greater Boston Ford dealer Stoneham Ford. “Customers shouldn’t have to worry about whether a 2007 model had an ‘off-year’ for safety. With a Taurus they know that, regardless of any external design changes, they’ll be getting the same dedication to safety with every model.
The 2011 Ford Taurus also has a wide-ranging list of safety features that help to prevent or reduce the impact of crashes, including dual-stage driver and front passenger air bags with the Personal Safety System, which optimizes bag deployment based on passenger weight and position. The vehicle also features a state-of-the-art side air bag system that can release its air bags up to 30 percent faster than traditional air bags.
Additional safety features that contribute to the Taurus’ impressive IIHS ratings include SPACE, or Side Protection and Cabin Enhancement Architecture, which adds significant strength to the side portion of the vehicle; the Trinity Front Crash Architecture, which provides an energy-absorbing, strength-optimized frame; AdvanceTrac electronic stability control, which automatically adjusts for oversteering and loss of wheel traction; and the SOS Post-Crash Alert System, which automatically unlocks doors and turns on emergency lights after a crash. Plus, the 2011 Taurus has available All-Wheel Drive, a perfect feature to help maintain control in slippery winter weather.
Several of these safety features are available across the entire line of Ford vehicles, a major reason why four other models were named 2011 Top Safety Picks, including the Explorer, Fusion and Flex, as well as the Ford Fiesta, the first “minicar” to ever be chosen.
“Ford has strengthened the structure of many of its vehicles in recent years, and their innovation has resulted in these Top Safety Picks, including the first ever for the redesigned Ford Explorer,” Melkonian added. “We expect these new Ford models to stay on the IIHS list for a long time to come, joining mainstays like the Taurus that have become synonymous with safety.”
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