Ford introduced its all-new Police Interceptor to a crowd of law enforcement officials today at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas and said it is developing a new sport utility-based police vehicle that it will unveil later this year.

The new Police Interceptor that Ford introduced today will replace the company’s iconic Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, which has dominated police car sales for years.

Ford said the new vehicle is more durable and performs better than the outgoing Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. The new car is based on the same structure as the Ford Taurus full-size sedan and will be built at Ford’s Chicago assembly plant.

Ford is offering the car with two different engines. The first is a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 263 horsepower and the second is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine with 365 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.

In addition to better performance, the new vehicle’s interior is designed specifically for use by police officers. The seats have areas cut out to make way for utility belts and the interior has space for standard police equipment.

Comfort is less of a priority for the back seat passengers. Both the back seats and floors are vinyl. Sometimes, police officers need to hose out the back seats of their police cars, said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president of U.S. sales and marketing.

Last year Ford sold between 40,000 and 50,000 police cars, or about 75% of the market, and Ford intends to maintain that position, Czubay said.

Ford declined to provide any additional details about the second police vehicle that it is developing. The company said it plans to unveil it by the end of September and said it will be a utility vehicle.

(Source:  http://www.freep.com/)