Ford Police Interceptor Set for 2011 Debut

DEARBORN, Michigan — The Ford Motor Company isn't leaving police agencies in the lurch when production of the Ford Crown Victoria ends in late 2011. The automaker has confirmed that it will build a new Police Interceptor to replace the Crown Vic.

The Police Interceptor is expected to be based on the new Ford Taurus, as this is the only vehicle large enough in the current Ford fleet for such an application. The automaker said it will reveal the new police car and provide full vehicle specifications in the first quarter of 2010, such that law enforcement agencies, police equipment manufacturers and upfitters will have ample time to develop "a transition plan from the Crown Victoria to the new product.

"We have heard repeated requests from the law enforcement community to continue uninterrupted support," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas, in a statement.

Ford's 2009 Police Interceptor is equipped with a standard 4.6-liter SOHC V8 that delivers 250 horsepower and 297 pound-feet of torque. The automaker said it has ballistic front door panels that can shield "against most Type III rounds." Other details include a fire suppression system and a full-size spare tire.

Ford is promising better fuel economy, quality and durability on the 2011 Police Interceptor.

Currently, Ford claims "approximately 75 percent of the police pursuit vehicle business in the U.S." But the company should get a run for its money from General Motors, which announced in October that it will roll out the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, or Police Pursuit Vehicle, in 2011.

Ford said it sells about 45,000 police vehicles per year.

Inside Line says: If all goes according to Ford's plan, you'll be watching for the Taurus instead of the Crown Vic in your rearview mirror in a couple years. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent