Sergeant James Post
Welcome to the latest installment of P&SN’s law enforcement vehicle review, aka cop car news. The last year certainly has been chaotic for the auto industry and whatever happens to the masses ultimately trickles downhill to the cruisers.
The 2024 election brought changes to the EV market with good and bad news. Tariffs and the elimination of tax incentives for EV buyers (ending September 30) are a concern to many, but we’re enjoying lower gas prices, too.
Other good news keeps coming as police and military recruitments are way up (replenishing vacancies caused by COVID). Salary increases for both groups are eminent, as well as income tax breaks for overtime. And, cops desiring a break from working in the rust belt, or sanctuary cities, can even earn a four figure bonus by putting on a badge in an oceanfront, beach bunny state! So, it’s not all doom and gloom in our thin blue line fraternity. In fact, more good news follows.
THE NEW CRUISERS
Stellantis – The HEMI® Lives!
Many of you commented (and agreed with me) on the HEMI obituary I wrote last year, but rest easy. I can now announce the HEMI V-8 is returning to light-duty Ram® 1500 pickups! This is due in part to a change in upper management at Stellantis and their showing good sense by once again listening to their loyal customers.
A June 5, 2025, announcement generated more than 10,000 HEMI Ram preorders in less than 24 hours! While the HEMI Ram will kick other pickups’ butts (with 395 hp and 410 ft-lbs torque ratings), their Hurricane Rams equipped with the (retro) twin-turbo, inline-six are even more impressive, packing 420-540 hp and 469-521 ft-lbs of torque. Despite these amazing numbers, you can bet some future Hurricane owner will lament, “Gee, I coulda had a V-8!” And, as if it’s even necessary to lure us gearheads back to HEMIs, “Mother Mopar” has added (as standard) a “GT Sport Exhaust” to the HEMIs (my apologies to my wife and her Mustang® GT). There is no word if there will be a LE package for the HEMI Ram, however.
Dodge Daytona Pursuit
There’s no official word if the HEMI will be an option in the eagerly anticipated Dodge Daytona Pursuit (production may begin in early 2026, not yet confirmed), but it’s pretty much guaranteed that electric power will be available in some form, as well as the proven 3.6L V-6. Three-dimensional renderings of the Daytona Pursuit are all over the Internet and they are truly exciting visually, with a retro ’70s appearance when dressed with all the cop goodies. While the civilian Charger Daytona is a two-door, the Pursuit will likely be a four-door with AWD standard and we can expect Dodge to come up with an entire pallet of both new and vintage colors besides black and white.
Dodge Durango Pursuit
However, you don’t have to wait for a HEMI police car as the 2026 Dodge Durango Pursuit is ready for action now and you can choose between the reliable 3.6L Pentastar V-6 or the 5.7L HEMI under the hood! The Durango Pursuit features standard AWD, a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission, a heavy-duty BR9 brake package, standard vinyl flooring, and a tri-zone climate control system designed for K-9 safety.
The Durango features a 130 mph top speed setting and optional features include a ZX2 package which provides a two inch lift for additional ground clearance and off-road performance while retaining Durango’s pursuit rating.
The newest addition to expanding LE vehicle choices is the Stellantis Jeep® Wagoneer Law Enforcement Edition SSV which is designed to compete with Chevy’s Suburban and Ford’s Expedition in the three row seat category. It is powered by the standard powerful 3.0L Hurricane Twin-Turbo inline six which develops 420 hp and 468 ft-lbs of torque, coupled to a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission with overdrive.
Safety features in the Wagoneer include a 360o Surround View Camera with washer functionality, Intersection Collision Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Drowsy Driver Detection, and Parallel/Perpendicular Park and Unpark Assist with Stop.
The vehicle seats up to nine passengers comfortably with generous headroom and legroom in the front, second and third rows if needed. The Wagoneer L SSV also has ample cargo space including 42.1 cubic feet behind the third-row seat.
You can save some time and money sourcing emergency equipment with the optional Jeep Law Enforcement Package, as the Wagoneer comes equipped with the following equipment: 1) Emergency lighting including deck, grille, quarter windows, and visor; 2) Siren and Speaker system; 3) Wiring harness and power distribution center; and 4) Rear gun vault.
General Motors
Back in 2023, GM renamed GM Fleet to GM Envolve to utilize customer feedback to focus on performance, safety, sustainability, and efficiency. Their roster of LE vehicles includes their pursuit-rated pickup, the Silverado Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV), Special Service Vehicles (SSVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Blazer EV PPV
This marks a milestone as the first all-electric, pursuit-rated police vehicle package. It comes in two configurations, including a duty-ready model featuring a cloth interior, with the center console removed, plus durable vinyl seating in the rear and vinyl flooring throughout. Other police-specific features include a dedicated 12V power module for aftermarket emergency equipment and a dedicated police-specific wiring harness.
Blazer EV SSV
This model was designed for undercover or administrative duties with an all-electric dual-motor AWD driveline and a civilian “city” brake package. It also includes interior updates for officer comfort, contoured cloth seats, a console, and carpeting.
Tahoe PPV
GM’s best-selling LE unit has undergone several interior and exterior enhancements to improve functionality and safety. Safety enhancements include Surround Vision which provides officers a bird’s-eye view of their surroundings, utilizing exterior mirrors and front cameras with alternative settings. An optional safety package allows officers to digitally see through prisoner partitions behind the driver’s seat. Functionality has been significantly enhanced by returning the shifter to the steering column, providing more space for radio equipment and controls.
Silverado PPV
The Silverado PPV celebrates its third model year with power and performance as it comes standard with a 5.3L V-8 engine, 220 amp alternator and the Z71 off-road package for diverse terrains and conditions. It adds the carrying capacity of a pickup bed for departments which need it.
Ford® Motor Company
Four years ago, Ford Fleet changed their name to Ford Pro™ and this is where you can find their LE vehicles.
Late last year, Ford introduced the Expedition® Special Service Vehicle (SSV) to meet the needs of those who require a larger platform. It comes in two versions with either two or three rows of seating of durable cloth upholstery, vinyl floors and power points in all areas. Both include the new Ford Split Tailgate for access to the cargo area and Independent Timed-Release Output to prevent unauthorized access. They also feature Pre-Collision Assist, Emergency Braking and Intersection Assist, and also feature a 24 inch Panoramic Display and Dark Car Mode.
The standard powertrain is a 3.5L EcoBoost® V-6, rated at 400 ft-lbs of torque in 4WD with a new two-speed transfer case. The SSV has a 9600 pound towing capacity enhanced by Trailer Hitch and Backup Assist and Cross-Traffic Alert.
Ford Pro also offers two F-150® pickup trucks, the pursuit-rated Police Responder® and the electric Lightning® Pro Special Service Vehicle (SSV). The Responder is America’s first purpose-built, pursuit-rated pickup and develops a top speed of 120 mph; an automatic in 4WD; a Touch-on-Demand transfer case; and police-specific features such as Police Perimeter Alert, Police Engine Idle and Dark Car Mode.
The Lightning Pro combines the benefits of an electric powertrain with a law enforcement-specific interior with heavy-duty cloth seats and built-in intrusion plates.
Police Interceptor® Utility (PIU)
Ford’s PIU is the best-selling police vehicle in the United States and the only police-rated hybrid LE unit. Its 75 mph rear-impact crash test rating earned the vehicle’s pursuit-rated, pursuit-tested distinction.
The Utility powertrain consists of three choices: First is the standard hybrid 3.3L direct-injected V-6 with a lithium-ion hybrid battery which meets the idling demands of day-to-day police use. It provides 318 hp and 322 ft-lbs of torque. The hybrid system powers onboard equipment even when the gas engine is off.
Next, a 3.3L gas engine produces 285 hp with 260 ft-lbs of torque.
Third, the record-setting performance choice for the PIU is the 400 hp 3.0L V-6 EcoBoost producing 415 ft-lbs of torque and the MSP currently rates it the fastest police vehicle in the US.
The cops (and upfitters) favorite PIU improvement is the relocation of the gear shift to the steering column which makes gear changes easier and quicker while clearing up the console for more police tech.
All three PIU choices are AWD.
Mustang GT
I know; I can hear all of you out there, “Wait, Sarge, Ford don’t make no Mustang police cars!” Well, technically, they don’t, but fearing the demise of the HEMI Pursuit Chargers, that hasn’t stopped at least six states from buying them, lighting and striping them, and adding them to their interstates. Likely, there will be more by the time you read this, but, as of this writing, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have all added new Mustang GTs to their fleets. Powered by the 486 hp Coyote 5.0L V-8s, most are backed up by auto transmissions and feature rowdy exhausts by Borla.
Troopers lucky enough to be assigned one can now be seen grinning from ear to ear! I know the thrill because I’ve owned two of the original Fox-Body Mustang cop cars after they were retired. They were designated SSP (Special Service Package) and also powered by 5.0L V-8s and at least 26 states used them at one time. Some 15,000 were built in the 11 year run (1982-1993) and equipped with either auto transmission or five-speed sticks. Most states north of I-40 grounded them in the winter because those lightweight coupes were simply too dangerous. Most used ones were modified into drag racers, so the few unmolested units which remain are quite valuable now. I miss my pocket rocket SSPs, but because I lead a couple dozen parades a year in my (tourist town) mountain home, those beefy clutches became a chore for my tired old cop’s left knee.
The Recalls Just Keep Coming
Through no fault of American consumers, automobile recalls continue at an alarming rate. We’ll continue to report recalls because LE vehicles are often not singled out in generic reports or you could easily miss a notification because your business card has fallen off the dealer’s Rolodex.
The shocking news is that Ford has now issued more recalls than ANY carmaker ever in a single year and we’re only in the third quarter! They recalled 274,000 SUVs – 2022-2024 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigator®s due to a potential brake fluid leak caused by improperly routed front brake lines. However, it is estimated that only about one percent of those vehicles might actually have the defect. Sometimes, fleet vehicle owners are the last to get recall reports so, as always, if you haven’t been notified by Ford, call your LE sales rep.
To add to their woes, in early August, Ford issued a separate recall affecting 312,120 vehicles – including 2025 models of the Ford Bronco, Expedition, F‑150, Ranger®, and Lincoln Navigator – over a faulty Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module which can fail during driving, leading to loss of power brake assist.
It seems Tesla always shows up on our recall reports and this month is no different. They have reported the recall of more than 375,000 vehicles due to a power assisted steering issue.
Finally, Nissan is recalling nearly half a million cars and the flaw is so serious that some may need new engines.
That’s all for now – keep an eye out for “Transportation 2026,” my 27th annual report on the latest technical advances in police vehicles, components and aftermarket equipment, coming up in the November/December edition.
Sergeant Post always appreciates your comments and suggestions. A veteran of 27 years in a variety of police duties, he resides in the beautiful Ozark Hills of Arkansas and, when not under the hood of an old cruiser, he can be reached at kopkars@arkansas.net