Dodge offers 2014 Durango for police, fire use

James R. Healey | USA TODAY

Ford Motor's move is symbolic: Discontinuing the venerable Crown Victoria used by so many police agencies that it's an icon.

Now, though, the Detroit Three offer police and fire departments an array of models, from high-speed sedans to SUVs and pickups.

Once a dusty corner of the car business, automakers now hype the police models heavily with media announcements and flashy photos, as if they're new mainstream products.

Illustrating how hip cop cars have become, a customized Ford Taurus tabbed the Ultimate Stealth Police Interceptor Concept was among the stars at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in 2010, looking more like a drug-dealer's ride than a cop car.

Lately, Ford's found traction with the EcoBoost V-6 Taurus Interceptor. Police haven't taken the old front-drive Chevrolet Impala very seriously, so Chevy's now selling them an Australian rear-drive big sedan it markets as the Caprice.

Chrysler Group's successful with the rear-drive Dodge Charger Pursuit sedan with Hemi V-8, and a non-pursuit but beefed-up Ram pickup.

Newest is the 2014 Dodge Durango Special Service Vehicle. Police and fire departments, and other fleet buyers, can order now and get the beefed-up Durango late this year or early next. The special-service Durango is not, however, "pursuit rated," so won't be the main ride in most police departments.

"It would need further chassis tuning" to be certified as a high-speed pursuit vehicle, says Durango spokesman Patrick Hespen.

SUVs aren't inherently unsuited to high-speed pursuit and interceptor work. Ford has managed a pursuit-rated Explorer SUV and Chevy, a pursuit-rated Tahoe SUV.

So, the Durango wouldn't pass the full test elaborated by Elwood Blues (Dan Akroyd) in the 1980 film classic, 'Blues Brothers,' when he described his band's latest Bluesmobile: "It's got a cop motor…it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks."

Still, the Durango Special Service Vehicle hardly is weak in the knees, equipped with heavy-duty brakes, battery, alternator, water pump and engine oil cooler. Fleet use often involves the opposite of pursuit – long sittings idling to keep the communications gear powered up and, in foul weather, give the user a temperature-controlled haven.

Not a "cop motor" indeed. Standard: 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 rated 290 horsepower, 260 pounds-feet of torque. But it's rated up to 25 miles per gallon on the highway, meaning it's able to go up to 600 miles between fill-ups. That's key in cases where a vehicle's well away from service stations on assignment.

More relevant for such special-use vehicles and the kind of driving they do, the 3.6-liter Durango has government ratings of 18 mpg in the city, 20 in combined city/highway use with rear-wheel drive, and 17/24/19 with all-wheel drive.

There is s version with the "cop motor." Optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 rated 360 hp, 390 lbs.-ft. and able to tow up to 7,400 lbs. Dodge notes that it's rated 23 mpg on the highway. City and combined ratings are 14 and 17 mpg for rear-drive models, 14/22/16 for all-wheel drive.