Police to get new Holden divvy vans

"You're going home in the back of a divvy van!" But at least this time you'll be treated to added air-conditioning and extra camera monitors...

That's right, drunk and disorderly individuals, petty criminals and hardened thugs will now be hauled away in brand-new Holden Colorado utes, as the Victorian Police force updates its divisional van fleet with 290 Holden utes with upgraded prisoner pods.

There are currently more than 2000 vehicles in the Victoria Police fleet and the current/previous divvy vans were pressed into service in 2009 and now require replacing.

As local manufacturing comes to an end, police forces across the nation are trialling new vehicles to replace Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons, with the high-performance Chrysler 300 SRT V8 about to be rolled into service in NSW, the BMW 5 Series slotting into highway patrol duties in Victoria and the Hyundai Genesis getting a guernsey in West Australia.

The rear-drive twin-turbo V6 Kia Stinger is also high on the list for many state police forces.

But those cars are for chasing down law breakers on two and four wheels and collecting revenue from speeding motorists.

Street thugs, trouble-makers, thieves and general riff-raff require a different vehicle and Holden has managed to seal a significantly lucrative deal with VicPol.

In total, 250 Colorado Space Cab 4x2 utes will be rolled into operation from February 2018, fitted with two-person 'custody compartments' equipped with 360-degree camera observation and air-conditioning.

There's no mention of leather-accented bench seats but the utes will get a boosted ride height "to improve visibility and create a better vantage point for police to patrol the streets," according to Holden.

Other upgrades include better cabin storage for police equipment, updated LED light bars and an upgraded digital siren which is louder than previously and can be operated by honking the horn.

Another 40 four-door 4x4 dual-cab utes will be pressed into service, fitted with the bull bars and winches, for regional and country areas.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane called divvy vans the "the heart and soul of what police do on the frontline" and said they had to be "durable, agile and equipped for modern policing".

"These vehicles have undergone rigorous performance and handling testing to ensure they are able to meet our needs," added AC Leane.

From the Holden camp, executive director of sales Michael Filazzola said: "Holden's Australian engineers have worked collaboratively with Victoria Police to create a vehicle that is not only designed specifically for Australian conditions but is the safest vehicle possible to protect their frontline members.

"We're excited to see the new 'divvy vans' out on the road and we're sure Victorian police officers will enjoy driving them," he said.

In our latest dual-cab ute comparison involving seven vehicles, motoring.com.au rated the Colorado second last.

What do you think – should the cops have gone with a Ford Ranger or perhaps a Toyota HiLux instead? Have your say in the comments below.