WA Police choose Kia Stinger

As the dust settles on Australia’s car manufacturing industry, the loss of the homegrown Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore has been a boon for car companies such as BMW, Chrysler and Kia.

Various state and federal police forces are either looking at or have already purchased new imported vehicles to replace their ageing Falcon and Commodore-based highway patrol and general policing vehicle fleets.

In NSW, the German-built BMW 5 Series and US-made Chrysler 300 SRT are now the pursuit vehicles of choice, while in Victoria the 5 Series has also been pressed into active duty alongside the Holden Colorado 'divvy van', and South Australian cops have chosen the new German-sourced ZB Holden Commodore.

Now, in a move that echoes that of the Queensland police force, the Western Australian Police Force has ordered a fleet of 50 Kia Stinger sedans, all of them powered by the Korean car-maker's potent 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 engine.

The vehicle the West Oz coppers will use to chase down crooks is the entry-level V6 model equipped with an eight-speed automatic. The Kia Stinger 330S is normally priced at $49,990 plus on-road costs, but the WA police force will pay significantly less.

According to Kia, the cars will be mechanically unmodified for WA police pursuit duty – unlike previous Falcons and Commodores – although they will be fitted with a suite of technology and the required wiring upgrade to support database access and communications systems.

The powerful large cars channel 272kW/510Nm to their rear wheels and offer a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds. The Stinger V6 managed the 100km/h sprint in 5.68sec when we tested it at Australia's Best Driver's Car, although that was on an airstrip with less than ideal surfacing.

Western Australia Police and Road Safety Minister, Michelle Roberts, said the investment in the Korean cars was sound.

"We continue to give the Western Australian Police Force the money they need to replace their fleet and to provide the best service they can for the community of Western Australia," said Roberts.

"These cars are fit for purpose and they are all five-star ANCAP rated which is important for our officer safety," she added.

As part of a six-month assessment program, several different vehicles were put through their paces before the Kia Stinger was given the nod in the West.

In a press release, Kia says the Stinger "met or exceeded key criteria in performance, safety, availability and cost effectiveness".