Ford’s new 2013 Police Interceptor vehicle line-up led the pack in annual testing conducted by the Michigan State Police at Gratton Raceway in Michigan last week.
The powerful Ford EcoBoost power plant continues to outperform its competition in both consumer use and law enforcement/emergency services applications.
The Police Interceptor all-wheel drive (AWD) sedan equipped with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost® twin turbo charged V6 engine topped the acceleration competition in 0-60 mph (5.75 seconds), 0-80 mph (9.08 seconds) and 0-100 mph (13.77 seconds). It also led the way with a top speed of 150 mph.
Further, in the testing at Grattan Raceway, the Ford Police Interceptor with EcoBoost V6 engine and AWD posted the fastest single lap time of 134.6 mph for a single car and best average lap time of 134.98 for the EcoBoost equipped Police Interceptors being tested.
The Police Interceptor is the law enforcement high performance cousin to the Taurus Performance SHO which we drove at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year. The car we drove was the 3.5 liter EcoBoost equipped model configured “almost” like the Police Interceptor. After running three hot laps of accelerating exhilaration in the non-police version, it is no wonder to me that the Ford Police Interceptor with the EcoBoost V6 twin turbo charged power plant ran in front of the competition in Michigan.
Competitors with larger V8 engines could not keep up with the high performing advanced turbo charged engineering of the Ford EcoBoost V6. The purpose-built (Taurus) Police Interceptor is designed to outperform the competition with optimized handling and control in combination with a high-torque engine and robust brakes.
For 2013, in addition to the EcoBoost twin turbo V6 for pursuit and the standard naturally aspirated 3.5 liter V6 for law enforcement patrol applications, Ford added another V6 power plant option to the Police Interceptor Sedan.
A 3.7-liter V6, is now also available on the Police Interceptor sedan. It delivers a performance increase to 305 horsepower and 279 lb.-ft. of torque while also achieving increased fuel economy of 25 mpg on the highway, 18 mpg in the city and 21 mpg combined. The horsepower and torque ratings are the highest of any naturally aspirated V6 engine offered for pursuit-rated sedans.
This new 3.7 liter power plant equipped Ford Police Interceptor was a winner also. The 3.7-liter V6 all-wheel-drive sedan boasted the shortest stopping distance from 60 mph of 128.2 feet for all police vehicles tested.
The Police Interceptor all-wheel-drive utility vehicle posted top 0-60 mph (7.96 seconds) and 0-80 mph (12.74 seconds) times in the acceleration tests and also achieved the quickest lap times (fastest lap time of 1:40.1 and fastest average time of 1:40.6) versus competing police utility vehicles.
As with the design for the purpose built Taurus based Police Interceptor, the Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle combines the performance and features of the sedan with a larger interior package from the Ford Explorer utility vehicle for agencies that require increased cargo capacity.
“We are very proud of the test results,” said Bill Gubing, Ford Police Interceptor chief engineer.
“During post-event inspection, the vehicles show proof of purpose-built durability,” he adds. “The status of the tires and brake pads still show useful life, and are ready for more grueling testing.”
Ford’s Police Interceptor engine strategy provides a V6 lineup that performs better than V8 engines of years past. The Police Interceptor sedan lineup now comes with three power train options, allowing police to choose the engine that best meets their patrol requirements. The sedan is available with a standard 3.5-liter V6, the new 3.7-liter V6 and the performance powerhouse 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost – all paired with all-wheel drive as standard equipment.
The 3.7-liter V6 engine with 305 horsepower is now available on the all-wheel-drive Police Interceptor sedan and is common with the Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle.
A high-capacity six-speed automatic transmission is uniquely calibrated and adapts to pursuit mode for responsiveness to an officer’s demands. All-wheel drive is standard on both sedan and utility vehicle Police Interceptors to optimize handling and control, which is important to meet the needs of first responders in their daily environment.
The all-new Police Interceptor sedan shares a number of control and performance features with the Taurus Performance SHO. These include not only the all-wheel drive which directs traction power to wheels as needed, but also Torque Vectoring Control which uses braking to adjust the speed between front wheels while accelerating through corners which forces the Police Interceptor to hug the inside of the curve and a companion Curve Control that can assist slowing the speed when entering a curve at high speed,
To develop the all-new Police Interceptor, Ford engineers worked hand-in-hand with Ford’s Police Advisory Board of law enforcement professionals, who provided input on key vehicle attributes such as safety, performance, durability, driver comfort and functionality.
To meet the rigors of durability testing, the unique police brakes have been increased in size and performance for confidence. The cooling package is purpose-built as well, featuring a heavy-duty alternator and larger radiator. Its honeycomb grille is designed to work in harmony with the interior components, offering more airflow throughout the vehicle. Plus, the standard 18-inch steel wheels are vented, designed to work in concert with the enhanced brake system.
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 optimized to address police-specific needs. The vinyl seats are specially sculpted and set back to improve second-row space and maximize 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 specifically designed so the console area is free for the ever-increasing amounts of aftermarket police equipment necessary for officers to do their jobs.
Building on Ford’s safety leadership, the Police Interceptor is engineered to pass 75-mph rear-end crash testing. Ford Police Interceptor sedan and utility vehicles recently earned top safety ratings in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration New Car Assessment Program testing, which combines vehicle performance in frontal and side-impact crash tests and resistance to rollover.
Competitors to Ford in the law enforcement vehicle market which were tested at Gratton Raceway were from Chevrolet, the 2013 Tahoe PPV utility, 2013 Caprice PPV sedan (special built) and the 2013 Impala PPV sedan. From Chrysler, the 2013 Dodge Charger Pursuit.
