Cut to the chase: all-new 2013 Ford police interceptor ModelsPull in to the Middle East, delivering more performance, handling and fuel economy

Ford Middle East today brought forward its latest introductions in law enforcement vehicles with the regional launch of the all-new 2013 Police Interceptor Sedan and Utility. Building on more than 15 years of undisputed leadership in the police pursuit vehicle business,and working hand-in-hand with its Police Advisory Board of law enforcement professionals, Ford introduced the all-new Police Interceptor sedan and utility to further grow its legacy of leadership in this segment.

“We are really excited about the 2013 Police Interceptor vehicles,” said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East’s director of Sales. “Ford has been the police segment leader for over a decade, and we’re raising the bar once again with the new generation Police Interceptor vehicles which have been specially designed and engineered to handle the rigors of police work, providing more performance, outstanding handling and fuel economy.

“We’re confident that the region’s Police authorities who have experienced the legendary Crown Victoria Police Interceptor will see in the new generation models the key attributes that made the CVPI the leading law enforcement vehicle, coupled with the latest technologies that enhance handling and performance. The new Police Interceptor Sedan and Utility are truly purpose-built to meet the requirements of this demanding industry,” Murad added.

Ford specially engineered and designed the new Police Interceptor Sedan and Utility working with its 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. Input was also received from Police authorities from around the Middle East.

Key product attributes from the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor were taken and increased the next-generation products' capabilities including offering the first and only pursuit-rated all-wheel-drive police vehicles. Police departments and other law enforcement agencies now can get an all-new vehicle with the same durability of the popular Crown Victoria.

“Our experience with the Crown Victoria helped us develop the next generation of Police Interceptor vehicles that serve as tools for public safety officials to do their jobs safely, efficiently and effectively,” said Lisa Teed, Ford marketing manager for the Police Interceptor products.

Safety First:

Officer protection is the first priority. The Ford Police Interceptors are the only vehicles certified to pass 75 mph (120 kph) rear collisions. Ballistic door panels to protect from gunshots are available on the driver or passenger doors.

Both models feature a unibody platform designed to meet NHTSA’s 5-star requirements and current IIHS Top Safety Pick standards. Safety cell construction also helps direct the force of a collision around the occupant compartment, while crumple zones help absorb and dissipate the energy of a crash.

The standard Ford Personal Safety System and the Safety Canopy System provide much needed protection to the vehicle occupants as they employ a network of sophisticated and specifically programmed sensors that control the operation of the airbags and front seat belts in the event of a collision.

Enhanced Power and Performance:

Ford’s Police Interceptor engine strategy provides a V6 lineup that performs equal to or better than V8 engines. The lineup features efficient powertrain packages that provide more performance and better fuel economy, and are paired with standard and exclusive all-wheel drive for optimised traction and control.

The base 3.5-liter V6 in the Police Interceptor sedan delivers 288 horsepower and EPA-certified fuel economy of 18 mpg city (13 L/100km), 26 mpg highway (9L/100km). Compared to the Crown Victoria, the Police Interceptor sedan offers an improvement of 4 mpg city and 5 mpg highway, and 38 more horsepower

The optional EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 in the all-wheel-drive Police Interceptor sedan is rated at 365 horsepower and is EPA-certified at 16 mpg city (14.7 L/100km), 23 mpg highway (10.2 L/100km). In recent Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department testing, the EcoBoost Police Interceptor beat all competitive police cars from General Motors and Chrysler in 0-60 mph acceleration tests and 0-100 mph (161 kph) acceleration tests, and City Pursuit and High Speed Handling lap times.

The Police Interceptor utility is built with a 3.7-liter V6 rated at 304 horsepower. The EPA rating of 16 mpg city (14.7 L/100km), 22 mpg highway (10.7 L/100km) is best in class, topping the Chevrolet Tahoe PPV. The Police Interceptor utility easily out-accelerated the V8-powered Tahoe in the LASD tests, reaching 60 mph (96.5 kph) in 8.4 seconds compared with 9.5 seconds for the Tahoe. The Utility Interceptor with a 181 kg payload handicap even beat both Gas-powered V8 police vehicles from Dodge and Chevrolet.

The pursuit-rated Ford Police Interceptors come standard with all-wheel-drive. Front-wheel-drive configuration is optional. The new Police Interceptor models also come with a 6-speed automatic transmission with calibrated shift points for maximum acceleration.

Rigorously tested, police-tuned:

Throughout its development, Ford’s new Police Interceptor has been put through the paces, undergoing a battery of torture tests to ensure its individual components can hold up to the rigorous driving styles of police professionals.

Certification testing designed by the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department evaluated the durability and capability of the vehicle through a variety of tests where its systems are pushed to the limits for nearly an hour and a half – tests designed to duplicate the most demanding pursuit conditions.

To meet the rigors of the durability testing, the brakes have been increased in size and performance. Plus, the standard 18-inch steel wheels are vented, designed to work in concert with the enhanced brake system. The cooling package is purpose-built as well, featuring a 50% higher-capacity radiator.

The Police Interceptor's large honeycomb grille is designed to work in harmony with lower fascia components, providing more airflow for the brakes and cooling system.

Functional, inside and out:

Front seats have been specially designed, with a lower bolster removed to better accommodate officers’ utility belts. Inserted into the seatback are anti-stab plates, designed to protect front-seat occupants.

The Police Interceptor second row also has been optimised to address police-specific needs. The vinyl seats are specially sculpted and set back to improve second-row space and maximise legroom. The back door hinges are modified to open up another 10 degrees versus traditional rear doors.

The Ford Police Interceptor also is equipped with a column shift specially designed so the console area is free for the ever-increasing amounts of aftermarket police equipment necessary for officers to do their jobs.

New Technologies:

The new Police Interceptor vehicles feature the following Ford technologies:

BLIS (Blind Spot Information System): The system uses two radar sensors in the rear quarter panels to detect vehicles in surrounding lanes. If a vehicle enters the driver’s blind-spot zones, the system alerts the driver with a warning light in the sideview mirror

Cross-traffic alert: This system uses the existing BLIS radar modules to sense oncoming traffic when slowly backing out of a parking spot. This industry-exclusive system functions only while the vehicle is in reverse and warns when cross-traffic appears within three car-widths

Rear view camera: When the vehicle is in rear camera mode, a color image with guidance markers on the rearview mirror will assist the driver in backing up

Reverse Sensing System: An audible tone will alert the driver to certain objects up to 6 feet behind the vehicle

Standard AdvanceTrac ESC (electronic stability control): This helps maintain the intended path by measuring side-to-side yaw, or skidding, by the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When wheel slip is sensed, AdvanceTrac reduces engine torque and applies selected brakes

Ford SYNC: The Ford-exclusive, hands-free information system has the potential to be customised and remapped to work specifically with police aftermarket equipment such as lights and sirens, allowing officers to focus on the task at hand.