- Ford’s next-generation Police Interceptor® vehicles eclipsed the competition in acceleration, braking, high-speed pursuit and city pursuit testing by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
- The all-new Ford Police Interceptor vehicles benchmark the industry standard, Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, while delivering better performance, handling and fuel economy
- Now police departments and other law enforcement agencies can purchase an all-new, American-made vehicle with the proven durability and price range of the popular Crown Victoria. Police agencies can currently place orders through dealerships
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 23, 2011 – The all-new Ford Police Interceptor® sedan and utility vehicle posted class-leading figures in the complete series of performance tests conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
The entire portfolio of Police Interceptor vehicles passed the extreme testing conducted by the LASD and proved to the public and the law enforcement industry that Ford delivers purpose-built, pursuit-rated Police Interceptor vehicles.
The annual test to validate pursuit performance on police vehicles is a joint evaluation conducted by the LASD with the support of the L.A. Police Department. To match real-world patrol conditions, emphasis is placed on a semi-continuous run of 32 high-speed pursuit laps to test for brake and tire durability, powertrain robustness and high vehicle temperature driveability.
“Our experience with the Crown Victoria helped us develop the next generation of Police Interceptor vehicles that serve as tools for the law enforcement community to do their jobs safely, efficiently and effectively,” said Lisa Teed, Ford marketing manager for the Police Interceptor products. “The LASD testing proves the durability of Ford’s latest generation of police vehicles.”
Leading the competition
The 3.5-liter EcoBoost® all-wheel-drive sedan posted the fastest acceleration times of the event.
“EcoBoost powertrain performance is optimized for closing speed and maximizing takedowns, thus preventing high-speed pursuits from even forming,” said Bill Gubing, chief engineer for the Police Interceptors.
The EcoBoost-equipped Police Interceptor sedan completed the 32-lap, high-speed pursuit test posting the fastest average lap time, which was roughly two seconds faster than the V8 competitors.
Not to be outdone, the 3.7-liter Police Interceptor utilities completed the grueling 32-lap tests, and the all-wheel-drive variants all posted faster times than their competitors by roughly two seconds per lap. The Police Interceptor utilities also performed well in the braking event by stopping eight feet better than direct competitors.
The 3.5-liter Ti-VCT sedans completed the 32-lap high-speed pursuit test, outperforming the outgoing Crown Victoria. The Ti-VCT sedans also shined in the city pursuit test, posting times better than the V8 competitors. The city pursuit testing is a series of short straights and quick turns to simulate a tight, city-style pursuit. The event tests the vehicle’s driving dynamics and ease of pursuit driving in urban environments.
Experience counts
Building on more than 15 years of leadership, Ford took the key product attributes that made Crown Victoria Police Interceptor the leading law enforcement vehicle and increased the next-generation product’s capabilities including the first and only pursuit-rated all-wheel-drive police vehicles. Now police departments and other law enforcement agencies can get an all-new, American-made vehicle with the same durability and price range as the popular Crown Victoria. The new Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicle will be built at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant.
Working with Ford’s Police Advisory Board consisting of law enforcement professionals from the United States and Canada who provided feedback on attributes such as safety, performance, durability, driver comfort and functionality, the new Police Interceptor vehicles are purpose-built to meet the requirements of this demanding industry.
