'Police dog' unveils Ford's new cop SUV cruiser

Chris Woodyard | USA TODAY and Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption New Ford police SUV puts on the dog at Chicago Auto Show The Police Interceptor, based on Ford’s Explorer, receives new looks as it becomes America’s top cop vehicle.

CHICAGO -- Ford gave its new 2016 Ford Police Interceptor SUV a fitting introduction here Thursday by having its own K9 unit, a Belgian shepherd dog, pull off the sheet.

Keegan the Malinois played the role of police dog at the press preview of the Chicago Auto Show by running up to the Police Interceptor SUV, grabbing the sheet in its teeth and revealing the menacing vehicle underneath.

The SUV that Ford says has become the nation's most popular police vehicle has its formal unveiling Thursday at the Chicago Auto Show, the vehicle's hometown. The Ford Explorer SUV and Taurus sedan — on which Ford's Police Intercepter are based — are built at Ford's Chicago plant.

Along with the civilian Explorer that has been refreshed for 2016, the new Police Interceptor utility gets new front and rear fascias, headlights and instrument panel.

From there, Ford says the vehicle is significantly changed for the police model. For instance, 90% of the interior is specific to the Interceptor.

Ford says the 2016 update incorporates a load of tips from cops, and has new features that can come in handy when busting bad guys:

•Liftgate. Officers can now push a button to unlock the rear liftgate mechanism, just like on the consumer version of the Explorer. Until now, they've had to use a key. Now, with the push of a button, the liftgate will remain unlocked for 45 seconds, enough time for officers to access the cargo area, then relock itself.

•Rear camera. The new model gets a rear camera with a washer mechanism. The view can seen from a 4-inch screen in the center stack. Or, if police agencies prefer, they can see the view displayed on the rear-view mirror as an option.

•Emergency lights. There are 25 different light-blinking patterns. The lights are now better integrated into the new front and rear fascia, Ford says, "allowing for a more seamless design and a stealthier look for patrol duty." The wig-wag high-beam lights are incandescents.

•Electrical. The electric system has been beefed up.

• Available Surveillance Mode. Technology detects if someone approaches the vehicle from behind and automatically raises the windows and locks the doors.

Equipment decisions are made with input from Ford's Police Advisory Board of 25 law enforcement professionals. The rotating panel acts as a pilot group for new products, programs and services.

"Our Police Interceptor Utility is the best-selling police vehicle in America because we have a unique relationship with our customers," said Jonathan Honeycutt, Ford North American marketing manager for Police Vehicles, in a release. "By listening to the Ford Police Advisory Board, we have engineered a vehicle that officers love."

As before, the Ford Police Interceptor SUV, which was added to the line in 2012, is "pursuit-rated" — capable of handling high-speed pursuit — which is harder to design in an SUV, with its generally higher center of gravity.

Ford says it has a 55% share of the police car market with the Taurus-based sedan and Explorer-based SUV. Ford has worked to hang on to its share since the demise of the Crown Victoria sedan, America's de facto police car and taxicab for a generation.

To outfit the police vehicles, they are taken from the Chicago assembly line to the nearby Troy Design and Manufacturing center where about 200 workers outfit them with a choice of 125 law enforcement equipment packages including 25 flashing light choices. Last year they worked on 36,000 vehicles.

Both the sedan and utility vehicles have standard all-wheel drive. The standard engine is a 3.7-liter V6, wiith a 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6 optional. The six-speed transmission has a Pursuit mode that changes the shifting for aggressive driving.

"From the heavy-duty suspension and powertrain offerings, to the unique steering and transmission calibrations, Ford Police Interceptor Utility is built to provide any law enforcement agency a vehicle ready to meet extremely demanding needs," said Arie Groeneveld, chief engineer for the SUV.