Auto Car | Chrysler's Charger Pursuit to challenge Ford's police car dominance | The cop car wars heated up Tuesday, when Chrysler Group LLC offered the first official look at its all-new 2011 Dodge Charger Pursuit.
The Pursuit, available for delivery later this year, features a redesigned suspension tuned for performance, and specially calibrated electronic stability control to make it a pursuit vehicle. Inside, a mobile command center integrates police communications.
Under the hood is Chrysler's new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, or the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8.
Chrysler, which starts taking Pursuit orders next month, is pitting the police Charger in a battle against Ford Motor Co., which has had a stranglehold on the police car market for years with its Crown Victoria Police Inceptor.
Ford, which became champion of the police car segment when General Motors discontinued the Chevrolet Caprice in 1996, has traditionally captured more than 70 percent of police car sales.
Chrysler had 18 percent of the segment in 2009, up from 14 percent in 2007, when the Auburn Hills automaker introduced the Charger police package.
But the police car market, which accounted for about 40,000 vehicle sales last year, faces upheaval.
Ford will discontinue the full-size Crown Vic for police use in September 2011 and replace it with an Interceptor based on the new Ford Taurus. A second vehicle, based on the Ford Explorer, will follow.
GM is introducing a rear-drive Chevrolet Caprice police car for 2011. Other 2011 model year choices for police vehicles include a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and versions of the Chevrolet Impala.
Many police departments and municipalities will base their ordering on data gathered during testing in September by the Michigan State Police Precision Driving Unit.
Testing will be conducted from Sept. 18-21 at the Chrysler test track in Chelsea, as well as at the Grattan Raceway in Belding, Mich.
Many police departments prefer rear-drive cars that provide more even weight distribution, better traction under acceleration and crisper handling on dry roads.
The Crown Vic was rear-drive and so are the Charger and Caprice. The Taurus-based replacement is front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The Charger Pursuit has heavy-duty, anti-lock vented-disc brakes, front- and rear-stabilizer bars and performance tires. Interior features include a column-mounted automatic transmission to make room for equipment in the center console; special interior lighting for night-vision equipment; and an extensive array of air bags.
Chrysler was a big player in the police car market in the 1960s with the Plymouth Grand Fury and several of its models have been used by law enforcement over the years.
Chrysler re-entered the market in 2004 with a Dodge Magnum wagon powered by a Hemi V-8 engine. The Magnum has since been discontinued.
(www.detnews.com)
The Pursuit, available for delivery later this year, features a redesigned suspension tuned for performance, and specially calibrated electronic stability control to make it a pursuit vehicle. Inside, a mobile command center integrates police communications.
Under the hood is Chrysler's new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine, or the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8.
Chrysler, which starts taking Pursuit orders next month, is pitting the police Charger in a battle against Ford Motor Co., which has had a stranglehold on the police car market for years with its Crown Victoria Police Inceptor.
Ford, which became champion of the police car segment when General Motors discontinued the Chevrolet Caprice in 1996, has traditionally captured more than 70 percent of police car sales.
Chrysler had 18 percent of the segment in 2009, up from 14 percent in 2007, when the Auburn Hills automaker introduced the Charger police package.
But the police car market, which accounted for about 40,000 vehicle sales last year, faces upheaval.
Ford will discontinue the full-size Crown Vic for police use in September 2011 and replace it with an Interceptor based on the new Ford Taurus. A second vehicle, based on the Ford Explorer, will follow.
GM is introducing a rear-drive Chevrolet Caprice police car for 2011. Other 2011 model year choices for police vehicles include a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and versions of the Chevrolet Impala.
Many police departments and municipalities will base their ordering on data gathered during testing in September by the Michigan State Police Precision Driving Unit.
Testing will be conducted from Sept. 18-21 at the Chrysler test track in Chelsea, as well as at the Grattan Raceway in Belding, Mich.
Many police departments prefer rear-drive cars that provide more even weight distribution, better traction under acceleration and crisper handling on dry roads.
The Crown Vic was rear-drive and so are the Charger and Caprice. The Taurus-based replacement is front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The Charger Pursuit has heavy-duty, anti-lock vented-disc brakes, front- and rear-stabilizer bars and performance tires. Interior features include a column-mounted automatic transmission to make room for equipment in the center console; special interior lighting for night-vision equipment; and an extensive array of air bags.
Chrysler was a big player in the police car market in the 1960s with the Plymouth Grand Fury and several of its models have been used by law enforcement over the years.
Chrysler re-entered the market in 2004 with a Dodge Magnum wagon powered by a Hemi V-8 engine. The Magnum has since been discontinued.
(www.detnews.com)
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