Not all police officers need a speeding bullet to complete their daily chores, which is why Ford opened its ears and listened to the requests of a number of different law enforcement agencies looking to reduce fuel costs, and developed its first non-pursuit-rated “special service police” sedan based on the Taurus with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine.
Ford says the Taurus with the special service police designation was “designed to meet the needs of detectives, administrators, campus police and law enforcement agencies looking to maximize fuel efficiency.”
The turbocharged inline-four is rated at 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque, which is adequate to swiftly move the sedan if necessary, and less thirsty at the pump over the V6 engines (285hp flex-fuel 3.5-liter V6 with FWD, 305hp 3.7-liter with FWD or 365HP 3.5-liter Turbo / EcoBoost with AWD) used on the Taurus Interceptors.
In fact, while final EPA fuel economy certification is expected in December, the Blue Oval states that the 2.0-liter police sedan is expected to return 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined, making it the first law enforcement vehicle to achieve 30 mpg or better in EPA highway ratings. That compares to the old 4.6-liter V8 Crown Victoria’s 14 mpg city, 21 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined.
“When driven 30,000 miles per year – not atypical for police agency work – and with gas prices at $3.65 per gallon, the special service police package would save agencies $5,040.92 over three years,” said Ford in a statement comparing the 2.0L Taurus with the Crown Victoria. We hope that U.S. police forces are also taking into consideration other costs associated with up keeping a Taurus versus the Crown Victoria…
“As agencies look to replace older, V8-equipped cruisers with more efficient cars, Ford is at the ready with the most fuel-efficient – yet still very capable – full-size police vehicle,” stated Jonathan Honeycutt, Ford police marketing manager.
PHOTO GALLERY
