2012 Ford Police Interceptor Debuts

One market Ford has had a definite lock on for years has been the police sector. The aged Crown Victoria has been the dominant car in the field, and a larger percentage of them have been sold to police agencies then to private consumers in its waning years.

It wasn't always this way though - in the 1990's General Motors did very well with its body-on-frame rear-wheel drive Chevrolet Caprice. After GM discontinued that car, that cleared the way for Ford's dominance of the market.

GM recently introduced a new Chevrolet Caprice Interceptor, based on the Holden Statesman, to try and recapture the market. Ford isn't going down without a fight though, hence the new Police Interceptor revealed at an event today in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hello Taurus! Ford isn't calling it one, but that is what it is. One of the reasons the Crown Victoria was much loved by police fleets is the fact that it is body-on-frame.

They are easier to fix (swapping body panels, vehicle body straightening), work on and according to the police needs, more durable. The Taurus, like most modern cars, is a unibody however - and not to mention front-wheel drive. That brings a whole set of new challenges that Ford has to help agencies deal with before the Crown Victoria goes out of production in late 2011.

Ford says the car has been suitably upgraded, even changing things like a stability control system that has been calibrated to the specific driving needs of a police officer.

Also, the car's unibody is designed to withstand double the durability requirements of the Crown Victoria.  It meets a 75 mph rear crash requirement as well, the only car to do so other than the current Crown Victoria.

Brakes have been increased in size and performance and there is a new cooling package featuring a heavy-duty alternator and larger radiator, along with a honeycomb grille designed to offer more air flow throughout the vehicle. In addition,sits 18-inch steel wheels are vented, designed to work with the larger brakes.

The interior of the car is 90% redesigned, with new seats offering better comfort, easing egress with smaller lateral bolsters. In addition they have anti-stab plates to protect officers from the criminals behind them.

The console Taurus has a large center console that wouldn't work in a police vehicle, so Ford has moved the transmission shifter from the console to the steering column to make room for police gear.

The car even has the same width between the front seats, to allow equipment from Crown Victoria Interceptors to be used in these new vehicles.

The Police Interceptor's back seat has been redesigned with a roomier new bench to make it easier to get law-breaking passengers in and out quickly. The Rear door panels have also been slimmed for easier entry and exit, and they now swing out 71 degrees, 10 degrees more than a standard Taurus.

The engine lineup includes the 3.5-liter V-6 engine found in the base model Taurus, making 263 horsepower and offering E85 compatibility. In addition,  the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 twin-turbocharged, direct-injection engine from the SHO will make 365 horsepower and 350 ft.-lb. of torque. We're big fans of the EcoBoost engine at CarThrottle, and we bet the police will be as well. Don't want to get chased by that car!

The new cars will be available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Ford says the new Police Interceptor goes into production in late 2011, just in time for the Crown Victoria's discontinuation. We'll see how police agencies take to the new car. Given their loyalty to Ford for years it is likely that the car will do well, but the Caprice Interceptor represents a strong challenge.

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