New rear drive Chevrolet Caprice police patrol vehicles will be available again from April 2011 for the first time since GM discontinued its full-size body-on-frame Caprice in 1996. This time, the design is unibody and Holden will build the cars in Australia.
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General Motors last night announced order and first delivery dates, as well as final package specifications, for the 2011 Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) which joins the Canadian-built front wheel drive Impala and Tahoe PPV to make Chevrolet the only brand to offer a full line of police vehicles.
Holden, Australia’s equivalent of Chevrolet, has supplied local and New Zealand police forces with vehicles for decades and, more recently, left hand drive Chevrolet-branded versions to the Middle East. While current domestic and NZ export police vehicles are based on Holden’s staple Commodore, the US-bound Chevrolet PPVs are based on the longer wheelbase Caprice luxury model. Chevrolet will begin taking US orders for the Caprice PPV detective package (9C3) in October 2010 with first deliveries in April 2011. Ordering for the police package (9C1) will begin in January 2011 and the vehicles reach fleets next June.
“When we began designing our latest police vehicle, we went directly to our customers and found that they were looking for a rear-wheel, large sedan with a V8 engine,” said Brian Small, general manager of GM fleet and commercial operations.
“By announcing the available specs and ordering information now, we’re following through with our promise to provide them with the advanced technologies that best serve their needs for comfort, performance and safety.”
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By GlobalDataGM said the Caprice PPV has segment-leading interior volume (112 cu ft/3,172 litres) and specially designed front seats sculptured to allow for gun belts. The seats are made with high wear material and have a seat back security panel. There’s also an eight-way power driver’s seat with reclining back and lumbar control, featuring quick-adjust manual fore and aft movement.
Holden reserves six-litre V8s, imported from GM in the US, for its top sports versions of the domestic Commodore and Caprice. The US PPV specification is 355hp and 384lb ft of torque with fuel-saving active fuel management technology and E85 capability. It is expected to deliver best in class top speed and zero to 60mph acceleration in less than six seconds. A V6 engine (Holden has a local unit assembling these units) also will be available from the 2012 model year. The six-speed automatic transmission – also a GM US unit – has sport shift calibrations for performance driving and a 2.92 axle ratio with limited slip differential is standard.
The PPV has a standard full width prisoner partition and front seat head curtain and side impact airbags while rear seat curtain ‘bags are available. StabiliTrak electronic stability control technology includes a ‘police performance’ mode for enhanced stability during high-speed driving.
Wheels are 18-inch steel with bolt on centre caps and wheel covers.
The five-passenger cabin has an upper-centre section of the dashboard which can be used for mounting equipment that doesn’t get in the way air bag deployment, the speedometer is certified to 160mph and a driver information centre includes a ‘trap speed’ feature for use when tracking/pacing other vehicles.
Option include an auxiliary battery, full-size spare tyre under a flat load surface, vinyl rear seat and floor covering plus a 130mph electronic speed limiter.
“Chevrolet’s history with law enforcement spans across almost as many years as the brand itself and we’re ready to see the Caprice PPV report for active duty,” Small said.
Holden eyes North America’s police cruiser market
