The 2008 Ford Taurus is very significant to Ford’s current and future success. Every new Ford product is essential to its North American “Way Forward” turnaround plan. During the heyday of the original Taurus, Ford had the best-selling family sedan in the United States. But Japanese competition marginalized the Taurus, which ceased production in the fall of 2006. It is the job of this new version, along with the smaller Fusion, to regain the sales volumes of the once-iconic Taurus.