Ford presses Taurus into police service

Ford has reconfirmed a commitment to police fleets throughout North America. While arch-enemy GM has been cutting Ford's lunch, flogging the Holden-built Caprice as an alternative for police fleet application in North America, the blue oval brand was left flat-footed, if you'll pardon the expression. Now however, Dearborn has come back with a vengeance, last week unveiling a replacement for the geriatric Crown Victoria sedan, a staple of American police fleets for decades.

The full-chassis design of the Crown Victoria, with rear-wheel drive and live axle rear end, has made it the darling of police forces across the US and Canada, for being so robust -- as amply demonstrated by 'PIT' manoeuvres on late-night television.

Ford's replacement for the CV is the 'Police Interceptor' sedan, which is based on the current front-wheel drive Taurus, as we predicted previously. The PI will be offered to fleet buyers with a choice of two engine options and all-wheel drive, although front-wheel drive will be the default configuration.

According to Ford's PR people, the PI has been designed from the ground up as a dedicated vehicle for use by law enforcement officers. The new car will commence production immediately following the cessation of CV manufacture at the end of 2011.

Ford unveiled the PI for the first time in Las Vegas last week. The company also hinted at a 'utility vehicle' which will be revealed in the third quarter of this year. There's little information on what this vehicle will be; whether it will remain based on the Taurus and the newly-debuted PI -- or what 'utility' constitutes, for that matter.

"Police nationwide asked for a new kind of weapon in the battle for public safety, and Ford is answering the call with a purpose-built vehicle -- engineered and built in America -- that's as dynamic as it is durable," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas.

In developing the new vehicle, Ford drew upon its own in-house expertise from years of Crown Victoria R&D, as well as feedback from 'law enforcement professionals' on the company's Police Advisory Board.

"Their feedback mattered to us," said Scott Tobin, Ford vehicle line director for cars and crossovers. "Safety and durability were at the top of their list. So safety and durability were at the top of ours."

The PI will roll out with an E85 'flex-fuel' V6 or an EcoBoost twin-turbo V6. Both engines displace 3.5 litres and the EcoBoost powerplant is effectively an equivalent to the 4.6-litre SOHC modular V8 that powers the CV and will handle high-speed interception duties.

"We have an extremely powerful standard engine, and to top that off, we also offer our exclusive EcoBoost technology," said Tobin. "Both are designed for the severe-duty cycle that police engage in on a daily basis."

The EcoBoost PI will feature a six-speed automatic transmission and drive to all four wheels.

Inside, the PI has custom-designed seats with the lower bolster section removed to accommodate occupants' utility belts. There are anti-stab plates fitted within the backrest of the front seats, to provide protection for those in front from the bad guys being transported. A column shifter for the transmission frees up room in the centre console area for additional storage space. The rear seat has been revised for optimum legroom and the door hinges provide 10 degrees further swing for easier access.

Ford will equip the PI with safety features such as Blind Spot Information System (radar sensors located in the rear quarter panels) which also alerts the driver to crossing traffic behind the vehicle as it backs out of a driveway. There's also a rear-view camera and reverse parking sensors.

Ford will build the new car in Chicago and plainly intends to stay sales conquests by the Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Impala and the Holden Caprice-based Chevrolet Caprice.

We'll have an in-depth analysis of Ford's announcement later today.

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