Ford Middle East has launched the all-new 2013 Ford Police Interceptor models, the only all-wheel-drive vehicles specifically built for law enforcement.

Ford introduced the all-new Police Interceptor sedan and Utility building on more than 15 years of experience in the police pursuit vehicle business, and working hand-in-hand with its Police Advisory Board of law enforcement professionals.

“We are really excited about the 2013 Police Interceptor vehicles,” said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East’s director of Sales.

“Ford has been the police segment leader for over a decade, and we’re raising the bar once again with the new generation Police Interceptor vehicles which have been specially designed and engineered to handle the rigors of police work, providing more performance, outstanding handling and fuel economy.”

“We’re confident that the region’s Police authorities who have experienced the legendary Crown Victoria Police Interceptor will see in the new generation models the key attributes that made the CVPI the leading law enforcement vehicle, coupled with the latest technologies that enhance handling and performance.

“The new Police Interceptor Sedan and Utility are truly purpose-built to meet the requirements of this demanding industry,” Murad added.

The Police Advisory Board consisted of law enforcement professionals from the US and Canada who provided feedback on attributes such as safety, performance, durability, driver comfort and functionality. Input was also received from police authorities from around the Middle East.

“Our experience with the Crown Victoria helped us develop the next generation of Police Interceptor vehicles that serve as tools for public safety officials to do their jobs safely, efficiently and effectively,” said Lisa Teed, Ford marketing manager for the Police Interceptor products.

The Ford Police Interceptors are the only vehicles certified to pass 75 mph (120 kmph) rear collisions. Ballistic door panels to protect from gunshots are available on the driver or passenger doors.

Both models feature a unibody platform designed to meet NHTSA’s 5-star requirements and current IIHS Top Safety Pick standards. Safety cell construction also helps direct the force of a collision around the occupant compartment, while crumple zones help absorb and dissipate the energy of a crash.

Ford’s Police Interceptor engine strategy provides a V6 lineup that performs equal to or better than V8 engines. The lineup features efficient powertrain packages that provide more performance and better fuel economy, and are paired with standard and exclusive all-wheel drive for optimised traction and control.

The base 3.5-liter V6 in the Police Interceptor sedan delivers 288 horsepower and EPA-certified fuel economy of 18 mpg city (13 L/100km), 26 mpg highway (9L/100km). Compared to the Crown Victoria, the Police Interceptor sedan offers an improvement of 4 mpg city and 5 mpg highway, and 38 more horsepower.

The Police Interceptor utility is built with a 3.7-liter V6 rated at 304 horsepower. The EPA rating of 16 mpg city (14.7 L/100km), 22 mpg highway (10.7 L/100km) is best in class, topping the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV.

The Police Interceptor utility easily out-accelerated the V8-powered Tahoe in the LASD tests, reaching 60 mph (96.5 kmph) in 8.4 seconds compared with 9.5 seconds for the Tahoe. The Utility Interceptor with a 181 kg payload handicap even beat both Gas-powered V8 police vehicles from Dodge and Chevrolet.

The pursuit-rated Ford Police Interceptors come standard with all-wheel-drive. Front-wheel-drive configuration is optional. The new Police Interceptor models also come with a 6-speed automatic transmission with calibrated shift points for maximum acceleration. – TradeArabia News Service