Ford Still Makes a Sedan — And There’s No Chance of It Coming to the US

The Fateful Announcement

We get it – crossovers, SUVs, and pickups sell, and sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons aren’t as profitable anymore. Ford took that to heart in 2018 by saying it would be axing its lower-riding vehicles that aren’t badged as Mustangs. We can only imagine the riot if Ford even hinted at killing off its pony car.

The last Focus just rolled off the assembly line, effectively ending Ford’s mainstream passenger-car lineage. Granted, SUVs and pickups are now the lifeblood of Ford, but that’s left customers looking for more traditional body styles looking elsewhere. An opportunity cost of sorts.

However, there is still a Ford sedan hanging on for dear life outside of the US and Europe.

A Familiar Name for Americans and Europeans

If you check out Ford’s Middle Eastern and Chinese website (or live over there), you’ll be glad to know that there’s still a good ol’ sedan in the mix. In China, there’s the Mondeo, a nameplate that’s very familiar to Europeans, particularly the British. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, there’s the Taurus, which we’re sure everyone here knows.

But regardless of the name, it’s essentially the same car. Okay, it’s a bit smaller than the last Taurus, and it’s more in line with the European Mondeo. Still, it’s about the same size as a Camry and an Accord, so it’s midsize by American standards and large by European measurements. It’s actually been around since 2022 and landed in the Middle East in 2023, and you can think of this more as a successor to the Fusion.

The Spec Sheet

The Taurus/Mondeo measures 194.3 inches long, 73.8 inches wide, 59 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 115.9 inches. While generally smaller than the American Taurus, it does ride on a longer wheelbase, so we reckon there’s pretty good legroom in there. It also has a trunk capacity of 18.36 cu. ft.

For powertrain options, there are three to choose from. It starts with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost, followed by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost and a 1.5-liter hybrid. The 1.5-liter turbo makes 188 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, while the boosted 2.0-liter is good for 251 horsepower and 291 lb-ft.

The Middle East-spec 2.0-liter is slightly detuned with 239 hp and 282 lb-ft. As for the hybrid, it has a combined output of 205 hp with the electric motor producing 173 lb-ft. Sadly, there’s no SHO version, or even an ST.

Design

We can see hints of the Fusion in the new Taurus and Mondeo, particularly with its roof line. There’s also a nod to the Mustang over at the back, and the front is, well, distinct with that split headlight arrangement everyone’s doing nowadays.

The Chinese Mondeo has a wide variety of trims, namely (and we’re directly translating from Mandarin here) the Fashion, Comfort, Luxury, Supreme, and ST-Line. It’s a simpler arrangement for the Taurus with Ambiente, Trend, and Titanium.

Inside, the dash is dominated by screens. Lower trims get an 8-inch digital gauge cluster complemented by a 13.2-inch touchscreen. But go for the higher-spec models, and that becomes a 13.2-inch gauge cluster plus a 27-inch 4K infotainment display that gets rid of most buttons. It’s worth pointing out that the Taurus doesn’t get the 27-inch screen option, and it’s only for the Mondeo.

Not Coming to the US

While there is no official word, this Taurus won’t be for us. The chances of it, Taurus, staging an American comeback are slim to none. If anything, Ford is doubling down on SUVs and trucks, pulling in record numbers, which has led to more shifts being added to its assembly lines. Fusion sales were down to a trickle, leaving Ford with little incentive to reintroduce a midsize sedan in the US. The same could be said about the Mondeo over in Europe.

Meanwhile, the sedan market in China is alive and kicking. To some extent, it’s even thriving over there. The Middle East also remains a strong sedan market despite its affinity for full-size SUVs like the (real) Toyota Land Cruiser. Truth be told, we’re glad Ford still makes a sedan even for limited markets, but even we know it won’t last forever, given global market trends.