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DEARBORN, Mich. — After one year in service, the Ford Taurus is boasting a significant jump in resale value, the automaker announced Monday.

In fact, the 2010 Taurus is now commanding an average 39-percent increase in resale value, or $7,100 more than the 2009 model, according to Rose Peng, manager of Global Lifecycle Analytics Department.

"The successful product launch of the 2010 Ford Taurus, coupled with the vehicle's best-in-class quality, upscale design and state-of-the-art technology has resulted in a sharp improvement for the brand," said Peng.

She even claimed that resale value of the new Taurus after one year has now surpassed one of its closest competitor, the 2010 Toyota Avalon.

"The 2009 Taurus was selling at a significant discount compared with the 2009 Toyota Avalon," she highlighted. "Now the 2010 Ford Taurus is commanding a $2,500 premium over the 2010 Toyota Avalon."

Steve Ling, manager of Ford North American Car Marketing, pointed out that the improvements and strong word-of-mouth have also resulted in strong retail sales.

"In the first half of 2010, Taurus retail sales were up 154 percent over the first half of 2009, while incentives were reduced by more than $1,600 per unit," he said. "When you talk about quality, it's not just ‘Things Gone Wrong' but ‘Things Gone Right,'" Ling said. That's very important because ‘Things Gone Right' are what attract customers to the showroom."

The 2010 Ford Taurus has picked up several awards since its launch, including:

—Edmunds.com Technology Breakthrough Award

—2010 Best Redesigned Vehicle by Kbb.com

—International Car of the Year

—Kbb.com 2010 Best Resale Value Award in Full-Size Car Category