DEARBORN, Mich., July 8, 2009 – Lon Zaback gets vaguely uneasy when something is out of place. His interior design work reflects this sensitivity. When Zaback works through this unease, the customer invariably wins.
The 2010 Taurus – and specifically the interior space – is a mobile manifestation of the balance and harmony this centered designer strives to deliver.
“Regardless of the project, my objective is a reduction of visual clutter,” said Zaback, Ford Taurus interior design manager. “My design aesthetic is to create a space that makes drivers and passengers at ease inside the interior of their vehicle. They might not notice the details – or even care – but they know they feel comfortable there. These are very subtle touches.”
The 2010 Taurus interior has five attributes that reflect “Zaback Zen,” which include:
Flowing Sculptural Surfaces
“The Taurus interior design theme was the integration of flowing, seamless quality with recognizable Ford design cues,” said Zaback. “Flowing surfaces provide a sense of continuous motion, especially when expressed in soft materials with minimal gaps and cut-lines between interior components.”
The forward-leaning centerstack – home to audio and interior climate controls – flows gracefully from the instrument panel, directly into the integrated center console. The entire unit is assembled inside the vehicle during the production process, as opposed to the installation of a previously completed subassembly. This drastically reduces visible seams and imparts both tactile and visual reflections of quality.
Instrument Panel Symmetry
“The new Taurus reflects Ford design DNA with instrument panel symmetry,” said Zaback. “The shapes and character lines are a mirror image, side to side. This provides senses of order and visual balance to the driver, and it prevents the first-row passenger from feeling subconsciously short-changed.”
This symmetry also provides Taurus with a common, recognizable link to other vehicles in the Ford product portfolio. The “dual brow” forms are a visual cue from Mustang and heritage Thunderbird models.
Door Panel Detailing
“The door panels in the new Taurus are a real point of pride,” offered Zaback. “From design, process, quality and manufacturing perspectives, they represent across-the-board wins.”
Following the established theme of integration of flowing, sculptural surfaces with recognizable Ford DNA design cues, the 2010 Taurus combines visual appeal, soft surfaces and a sense of hand craftsmanship.
Through an innovative process, soft, foam-backed door panels feature mass-produced stitching that replicates hand craftsmanship and is designed to help reduce noise. The door surfaces feature details molded and reproduced from actual cut, stitched and hand-wrapped leather originals.
“The human imperfection inherent in the stitching process gives the door panels a sense of hand-crafted quality not available in this class of vehicle,” added Zaback. “Run your fingertips over the stitching in the door panel and you would bet that it was sewn by hand. The quality and appearance are a revelation.”
Pebble Patterns
“The rubber mats in the storage compartments have a pebble-in-pond water droplet pattern,” said Zaback. “It’s a Zen detail that imparts a sense of harmony and well-being. It really shows the distance we’ll go to impress a customer with our attention to the most minute detail.”
A similar Zen “wave” pattern also is repeated in the pads in the base of the center console.
Ambient Lighting
“The ambient lighting allows a driver to choose among seven colors with five intensity settings for interior accent lighting,” said Zaback. “This flexibility allows customers to set – or reinforce – a mood within the Taurus interior.”
The lighting highlights the interior details but also creates a sense of equilibrium and comfort at night by softly illuminating and defining the complete interior environment. Cup holders, center console and foot wells can be highlighted with ambient lighting, adjustable in intensity to reflect – or soothe – any mood or moment.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 205,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.