The Chevrolet SS sedan is dead. The unloved sport sedan exited production earlier this year and the SS sedans remaining on dealership lots remain the last of the breed. The Holden VF Commodore has awhile longer, but not by much—the locally assembled Commodore will exit production this October.
With its demise, Australian police forces, which have used locally-built Commodores and the already extinct Ford Falcon for decades, need to replace their aging police vehicles. The Chrysler 300 SRT is tipped to be a frontrunner.
Previously, the BMW 5-Series, Kia Stinger and Volvo were said to be under consideration by Australian police, but Drive reports Fiat Chrysler is gunning hard for the contract. The Dodge Charger, after all, has become a very popular option with police departments across the United States. So, FCA knows a thing about building police cruisers.
What about Holden? GM’s Australian subsidiary has gone on the record to state it will build the Opel Insignia Grand Sport-based Commodore in police guise, but it appears to have gone unloved by departments, per this new report.
Police in New South Wales, Australia have taken delivery of a Chrysler 300 SRT police cruiser, though, it’s simply a show vehicle—for now. A source has told Drive it’s “a done deal” with regards to the 300 SRT becoming the defacto police cruiser.
The 300 SRT is no longer available in the U.S., but it has soldiered on in Australia. Down under, it’s powered by a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine producing 469 horsepower. Should the deal officially be inked, the 300 SRT will become the most powerful patrol vehicle ever employed by Australian police.
Comments
Another FCA fleet sale.
I hope they can deal with the recalls.
A car over a decade old built on an even older Mercedes platform. The Aussies don’t need to kick themselves when they’re down.
Very unlikely to become the default general duties patrol vehicle – it’s a big thirsty V8 after all. If it does come onboard, it’s most likely to be specialist vehicle reserved for Highways use only. With the bulk of the current fleet being V6s, it is most likely to be more of the same, or a slight downgrade to (almost as powerful) I4 turbos.
GM must build the next Impala on the next Alpha with the Lacrosse and next Holden Commodore.
Holden are dreaming if they think the imported Commodore will be used as a pursuit vehicle. The Holden brand is worth little these days. Many states are already on Toyota and Hyundai. They are still buying the Commodore SS so those later buys will be good for another year or two.
The US might have thought the the SS Commodore was not worth the effort but in AU they are much loved.
The Opel (Holden Commodore) will be fitted with a V6 for Police, so no issues. Subject to drive evaluations they may go down the I4 petrol turbo route, being that the Opel Commodore is some 500lb lighter than the outgoing VF2/3.0V6/Auto.
Highways are looking to other V8 brands only because they currently use VF2 SS V8s – it’s a like for like comparo. However you don’t have to use a V8 when turbo-ed V6s leave most production V8s for dead these days (in the price bracket Police are prepared to pay).