2020 Ford Explorer EcoBoost Rockets From 0-60 MPH In 5.8 Seconds In Police Guise

Ford recently bragged about the performance of the 2020 Police Interceptor Utility, but the company didn’t share much in terms of details.

While Ford is staying tight-lipped, the Michigan State Police has released an assortment of new details about the upcoming crossover. Among the highlights are the confirmation that the PIU will be offered with three different engines. This backs up an earlier leak which suggested the model would a 3.3-liter V6, hybridized 3.3-liter V6 and a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6.

While the MSP data doesn’t reveal horsepower or torque ratings, it shows an assortment of other information that Ford didn’t mention including acceleration times.

Models equipped with the 3.3-liter V6 engine can run from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 7.84 seconds before hitting a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/h).

Ford has high hopes for the hybrid variant and it slightly outperformed its more conventional counterpart. The dash to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) took 7.27 seconds, but its top speed was still 137 mph (220 km/h).

The 3.0-liter EcoBoost model was the real star of the test as the crossover rocketed from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.77 seconds and topped out at 150 mph (241 km/h). This means the PIU outperformed HEMI-powered versions of the Dodge Durango Pursuit and Dodge Charger Pursuit with all-wheel drive. The sedan took 5.87 seconds to hit 60 mph (0-96 km/h) and had a top speed of 149 mph (239 km/h).  Likewise, the Durango took 7.08 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) and it maxed out at 118 mph (190 km/h).

Another performance statistic that Ford didn’t talk about was braking. The Michigan State Police estimates the PIU will need between 131.5 and 133.5 feet (40-40.7 meters) to stop from 60 mph (0-96 km/h). This performance is roughly on par with the Durango Pursuit which has an estimated stopping distance of 128.8 feet (32.9 meters) and 132.7 feet (40.4 meters).

When it came to the track, the PIU EcoBoost had an average lap time of 01:36.47. The 3.3-liter V6 and 3.3-liter V6 Hybrid were virtually neck and neck as the standard model had an average lap time of 01:39.96. The hybrid variant was 0.23 seconds faster.

It’s too early to tell how well these numbers will translate to the 2020 Explorer, but at least we’re getting a better idea of what to expect.