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Among the signs of the Zodiac, the Taurus is the sign of the bull. At Ford Motor Co., the Taurus is the sign of a pretty slick set of wheels.

For 1996, Ford has developed a totally new Taurus, with a striking aerodynamic shape, increased length and width, more interior room, and the availability of an all-new double overhead cam V-6.

When you get all these features packaged, you’re driving a combination of family sedan and sports car at prices that begin at $20,980.

Exterior and interior styling motifs revolve around the famed Ford oval insignia. On the outside, the lights have a Ford oval configuration. Inside, the control panel, instrument panel, transmission shifter quadrant, and door handle recesses adopt a semblance of oval shape.

The exterior styling configuration is either something you like or you don’t.

With the ’96 Taurus LX sedan that Ford’s Joe Koenig provided for a test car, the consensus ran strongly in favor of the four-door being an attractive automobile. There was some dissent about the front end, but it was in the minority.

There was no arguing with the fact that the body constituted a true study of aerodynamics, or that it was larger. The body is 5 inches longer and nearly 2 inches wider than the previous model.

It also is stronger in torsional rigidity by some 87 percent. This is central in providing a smooth ride and quiet operation over virtually all road surfaces.

The first and almost immediate impression was how smooth the ride was. This was fitting testimony to the designers who put cross beams and panel reinforcements throughout the integral body/chassis construction.

Also making its contribution was a substantially reworked suspension system. A MacPherson strut system is used up front and quadralink in the rear, with much effort being made to improve the ride, control, and steering wheel response.

Engineering did a good job, as we almost had to go across a trench to induce vibration into the passenger cabin. At speed, steering was dead-on. And in taking corners at a pace designed to provide a little excitement in your life, the test car would stick to a given line without any indication it was going to play tricks on you.

The new Taurus is offered in GL and in upscale LX series in both sedan and wagon models, with the LX preferred by driving enthusiasts. This is because the LX is available with a new 3.0-liter (181-cubic-inch) four cam, four valves-per- cylinder V-6 Duratec.

Horsepower is 200, with torque being the same number, far above the standard 3.0-liter overhead valve V-6, which puts out 145-horsepower.

Courtesy of its four overhead cams, the Duratec immediately gets with the program. The engine revs quickly, and gets up on the cams to give a four-door sedan some sparkling acceleration characteristics.

Zero to 60 miles per hour comes in at a little more than 8 seconds. Despite putting out more than 1-horsepower per cubic inch, fuel mileage still is a quite respectable 20 miles per gall on city and 29 mpg highway.

It’s safe to say there is nothing tricky about driving any of today’s mass production sedans. With the new Taurus, there are some innovative touches that make the car a little more user-friendly.

A unique oval-shaped integrated control panel, which Ford says is an industry first, groups all climate control and audio system switches within the oval.

Night driving was equally easy, as the jewel-like complex reflectors of the headlights virtually turned the darkness into day.

About the only gremlin we found was that, when the defroster was turned on with a cold engine, it tended to fog the windshield. We got around that problem by turning off the system for a couple of minutes until the engine picked up a little heat. Then, the glass stayed clear.