And in the spacious trunk of the revised Taurus, an emergency trunk release mechanism glows in the dark as a guide to enable anyone trapped inside to pop the trunk lid quickly and escape. Beginning with spatial and comfort considerations for the individual passenger in each seat, the design progressed from inside the passenger compartment outward, as confirmed by Marinaro. Front seats were revamped for comfort and to accommodate the optional side air bags. The dash holds a new center panel which clusters controls for audio and climate systems, with various switch buttons arranged in linear grids for easy reach. A new instrument panel applies analog gauges including speedometer and tachometer.
Occupants gain headroom in the new design due to the raised height of the roof.
In front, there s an inch more space available, with almost two inches more in back. The higher roof position builds height into the wrap of window glass surrounding the Taurus cabin, with a bold new raked windshield in front and a rectangular rear light which seems to increase outward visibility for the driver. Other structural elements of Taurus were modified for functional reasons. The front hood was raised to create larger air intake ports for more efficient engine cooling, and the tail deck, four inches taller than the previous design, expands the trunk volume to 17 cubic feet. Exterior styling evolved from these structural changes.