The front seat of the new Ford Taurus

The Ford Taurus is coming out for 2010 in an all- new form. In fact, Ford calls it the company's new flagship vehicle. To introduce the Chicago- made marque, Ford began its 100- city tour in Columbia at Classic Ford on Greystone Blvd.

Classic Ford, however, was almost unapproachable with road work and barrier signs, so instead of bringing The Columbia Star to the Ford Taurus, Ford brought the Taurus to The

 

Columbia Star at its Queen Street address.

With recognizable design elements that began a few years ago on the Bentley and came forward through the Chrysler 300, the Ford Taurus takes advantage of the full- sized shape that allows for a huge trunk and comfortable seating for two in front and three in back, all under a high headliner for tall people.

The basic model, the 263hp one with a six- speed automatic transmission delivered to The Columbia

Photos by Mimi M. Maddock David Bass of the Alliance Group of Richmond, Virginia, brought the Ford Taurus by The Columbia Star during its tour in Columbia.

Star, lists for $25,995. The luxury model, the Limited, sells for almost $32,000. And the souped- up version, the 365hp SHO, goes for about $38,000, a bit pricey, but it has all the geegaws. The SHO comes with all- wheel drive and a paddle- shift six- speed gearbox, a feature found on the new exotics like Ferrari and Aston Martin.

A front view of the new Ford Taurus