Though never branded as an official successor to the Mercury Grand Marquis, the sixth-generation Taurus superseded it as Ford matched it against the full-size competitors of its predecessors.

Despite the mid-cycle facelift of the Five Hundred for MY 2008, simultaneous with its rebranding as the Taurus and a gained 60 hp increase, the styling of its predecessor largely remained[4] and its handling trailed its competitors.

[5] In January 2008, Alan Mulally said a sixth generation of the Ford Taurus was in development as a planned 2010 model, calling it "the one we should have built originally".

One test video suggested the paint coat of the Taurus was more resistant to gravel chips than a Lexus LS460 while another highlighted the blind-spot detection sensor system unavailable on an Infiniti M45x.

As with all other D3 sedans, the Ford Taurus used four-wheel independent suspension, featuring MacPherson struts and rearward-facing lower L-arms with a stabilizer bar in the front and a multilink coilover shock setup with stamped steel lower control arms and cast upper control arms in the rear — and four-wheel antilock disc brakes.

Safety innovations included BLIS, Adaptive cruise control, Forward Collision Warning with Brake Support, and Lane keeping assist.

The bottom cushion features Active Motion technology, which provides a subtle continuous massage, designed to lessen back pain on long trips.

While the roofline and side panels remained, the Taurus was given a new front fascia with a trapezoidal upper grille (emphasized on the SHO and Police Interceptor) and restyled headlamps.

The sixth generation Ford Taurus was sold to the public in the base SE, mid-trim SEL, and luxury Limited trims.

Alongside the Limited trim, the high-performance Taurus SHO (Super High Output) served as the flagship model.

[19] The base SE model, designed for rental and fleet use, came stock with a 3.5 L 24-valve DOHC Duratec V6 engine, six-speed automatic transmission, manual tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and cruise control functions, an AM/FM stereo with a single CD player, clock, MP3 capability, and six speakers, Ford's MyKey system, and AdvanceTrac electronic stability control.

[19][20] The mid-range SEL trim level had the same engine, with a six-speed SelectShift automatic transmission featuring paddle activation, optional all wheel drive, dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, Sirius satellite radio, and a perimeter anti-theft alarm.

The top-of-the-line Limited model featured perforated heated and cooled leather-trim bucket seats, ambient lighting with choices of seven different colors, SYNC voice-activated communication and entertainment system, a premium AM/FM radio with a six-disc in-dash CD changer, chrome-accenting, heated mirrors with memory and security approach lamps, a reverse sensing system and rear view camera.

The SHO Performance Package includes upgraded brake pads, recalibrated electronic power-assisted steering for improved responsiveness, a "Sport Mode" setting for the Electronic Stability Control, ability to turn off the AdvanceTrac stability control system, 27mm front anti-roll bar instead of the standard 29mm front anti-roll bar for more neutral turn-in, vented front brake dust shields from the Police Interceptor, cooling package from the Police Interceptor (engine oil, transmission oil, and power transfer unit), a shorter 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio for faster acceleration, and summer-compound 20" Goodyear Eagle F1 performance tires with premium painted wheels.

Co-developed and tested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Michigan State Police, the FPIS was a specially-designed variant of the sixth-generation Taurus.

[23] From its release in 2013 to its discontinuation in 2019, the EcoBoost FPIS was ranked as the fastest police car in the U.S., with a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h).

[26] The entire FPIS line was equipped with a long list of standard features tailored to law-enforcement and severe-duty use, such as 75 mph (121 km/h) rear-impact protection; a police calibrated ECM for high performance driving and long idling; a heavy-duty cooling system that included an enlarged radiator, an engine oil cooler, transmission cooler, power transfer unit (PTU) cooler, and police-calibrated radiator fan settings; a 220-ampere alternator; heavy-duty 13-inch (330 mm) brake rotors with special ventilation and 18-inch (460 mm) five-spoke steel wheels; a police-tuned suspension with upsized sway bars and premium wheel hubs; steel deflector plates along the underbody; reinforced frame points; reinforced front door hinges with large tethers, and a specially tuned electronic stability control system set up for emergency-style driving.

Like the outgoing CVPI, Ford offered hubcaps, additional colors, and the option to delete the model badge in order to give the vehicle a more civilian-like appearance for unmarked use.

[30] Ford Police Interceptor Sedan Performance Specs (based on Michigan State Police testing):[31] The Ford scored well in test drives, and the media were pleased with some of the new features,[32] including cross traffic alert, collision warning, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.

[35] Motor Trend said "its broad stance, high sill line, slit headlamps, and technical grille give it a leopard look.

[33][35][37] Edmunds noted that the eighth-generation Honda Accord (which competes in the mid-size category) had superior driving dynamics and a more efficient design that yielded almost as much interior space as the larger Taurus.

[38] Car and Driver described the Taurus as overweight and underpowered, with unresponsive braking and steering, while Motor Trend criticized a few aspects of the interior as evidently cost-cutting.

[39][40][41] Water pumps on 2008-2019 Taurus and 2013-2019 Police Interceptor models equipped with the 3.5L Ford Cyclone V6, 3.5L EcoBoost V6, and 3.7L V6 have a tendency to fail, potentially ruining the engine.

On failure, antifreeze may be dumped directly into the crankcase; mixing with engine oil and potentially damaging the head gaskets and connecting rod bearings.

These failures may occur without warning, requiring extensive repairs, as the engine may need to be disassembled or removed from the vehicle to access the water pump.

[45] The announcement was part of a plan by Ford to cut costs and increase profits in response to perceived consumer shift to SUVs and pickup trucks, away from sedans.