Once a family favorite, the American full-size four-door sedan napped while the storm of imports, crossovers, and SUVs blew in. To revive its Taurus for life in the twenty-first century, Ford has endowed the 2010 edition with fresh thinking, modern engineering, and a wealth of contemporary content. Welcome aboard the recommissioned flagship of the Ford fleet.

Before we set sail, a quick recap of Taurus history might be helpful. With its debut in 1986, this nameplate brought aero design to the masses. The Taurus topped the car sales charts for five years starting in 1992, but the egg-shaped design that arrived for 1996 was less palatable. By the end of its second decade, Ford’s bull had lost its snort and was consigned to rental fleets. Following a brief hiatus, the nameplate resurfaced on face-lifted Five Hundred sedans and Freestyle crossovers for the 2008 model year. Finally getting its act together, Ford has buried the Taurus X (née Freestyle) and most of the baggage from the misbegotten Five Hundred era to launch the 2010 Taurus, which hits the streets late this summer, followed by a twin-turbo Taurus SHO.