At the request of law enforcement agencies, Ford has announced its first-ever non-pursuit rated Police Interceptor. The new “special service police” sedan will be geared towards administrators, detectives and campus police who aren’t likely to be engaged in high speed pursuits.
The request comes as part of an effort to reduce costs through greater fuel efficiency as law enforcement agencies aim to replace aging vehicles in their fleets. The new special service police Interceptor will be based on the Ford Taurus with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine. Pursuit-rated Police Interceptors have naturally aspirated 3.5-liter and 3.7-liter V6 engines and the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6.
The smaller engine will still produce 240 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque and Ford estimates it will average around 20 city and 30 highway for a combined 23 miles per gallon. This is just a little lower than the civlian 2.0-liter Taurus which is EPA rated at 22 city and 32 highway and will make it the first law enforcement vehicle to achieve 30 MPG.
One of the features on the special service police Interceptor that is designed to improve efficiency is Active Grille Shutters. They will open for better airflow to the radiator and close for better aerodynamics to increase fuel efficiency. Despite not being rated for pursuits, these cars will still have the essential DNA of a police car in terms of safety and durability.
The fuel savings achieved with the special service police Interceptor are significant compared to the outgoing 4.6-liter V8 Crown Victoria. That vehicle gets a much lower 14 city and 21 highway for a combined rating of just 17 miles per gallon.
The cost savings estimates, based on a not atypical 30,000 miles per year, could save over $5,000 over the course of three years. This is with gas prices around $3.85 a gallon, so if they go up that savings gets even bigger.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.
