When it comes to facelifts, the one given to the 2010 Ford Taurus is a winner.

That's the word from the editors at Kelley Blue Book, who named the car its 2010 Best Redesigned Vehicle.

Kelley Blue Book praised the Taurus for its sculpted sheet metal, modern interior and long list of available technologies.

"The 2010 Ford Taurus delivers an ideal balance of engaging performance and passenger comfort, as well as a feeling of quality that positively pervades the vehicle," said Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's Web site.

"The Taurus isn't just the new best bet in the segment; it's one of the most impressive vehicles on the road," Nerad added.

The award marks the second consecutive win for Ford, which saw its flagship pickup, the F-150, win the honor for 2009. It's also the fourth time in seven years the automaker has captured the award, with the Ford Mustang winning in 2005 and the F-150 also winning in 2004.

Honda broke Ford's initial streak in 2006 with the redesigned Civic coupe and sedan, and Chevrolet won back-to-back in 2007 and 2008 with the Silverado full-size pickup and Malibu sedan, respectively.

The Best Redesigned Vehicle accolade honors the vehicle that best demonstrates improvement and superiority relative to its predecessor and competitors. In judging, the Kelley Blue Book editors consider exterior and interior styling, technology, comfort and convenience features, performance/capability, driving dynamics, safety, fuel economy, overall refinement and value.

In addition to the Taurus, rounding out the top 10 finalists for the honor were (in alphabetical order) the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX, Chevy Equinox, Ford Fusion, Lexus RX, Mazda MAZDA3, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Subaru Legacy and Toyota Prius.