10 decades ago the first SUV was made. While Sport Utility Vehicles are arguably the fastest growing car segment, they’re certainly one of the best cars made in 1935

SUVs are one of the few categories of cars that offer the finest of different flair. They have a nice build-up combining both characteristics and capabilities of a pickup truck, family sedan, wagon, and minivan.

Today, the body-on-frame design has become a common choice for the black-on-black government Ninjas.

Police SUVs

In the United State and Canada, there are three broad types of cars used by the police.

  • The Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV)
  • Special Service Vehicles (SSV)
  • Special Service Package (SSP)

While they’re all made by several manufacturers, the Police Pursuit Vehicles (PPV) are the most common of the three categories. They are built for the chase. PPV is designed to handle high-speed response calls, pursuits, and a lot more tasks.

SUVs and sports cars are used as Special Service Vehicles and Special Service Package because they come with specialized option packages for specific security tasks.

The nature of the job demands the use of some of the best cars.

Obviously, what better vehicle will provide plenty of space for the driver, front-seat passengers, personal equipment, and detainees. If not a Sport Utility Vehicle?

Although a few years ago, Sport Utility Vehicles were not the kind of vehicles the Police used.

What car did the police use before?

The majority of police vehicles were rear-wheel-drive sedans, most often the venerable Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.

What SUV do police use today?

The sheer utility of Sport Utility Vehicles has proven capable of handling a variety of police operational functions.

If you’ve been observant, you’ll notice that SUVs have become the dominant patrol vehicle in the U.S.

So, what are the SUVs used by the police?

First on our list is the first-ever pursuit-rated hybrid police SUV.

1. The Ford Police Interceptor® Utility

The new Ford Police Interceptor Utility is the fastest police pursuit vehicle in the U.S.A.

How fast is the Ford Police Interceptor utility?

Talk about speed and acceleration. The Ford Police Interceptor Utility sprints up to 150 mph and lunges from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 5.77 seconds. Making it both the fastest-accelerating and overall fastest police car in America.

The Interceptor Utility is truly a beast! It boasts of officers protection with a 75-MPH rear-impact crash rating.

Compared to traditional police vehicles, its hybrid powertrain can offer significant potential fuel savings. When considering the unique idling demand of dad-to-day police use, its lithium-ion hybrid battery becomes an added advantage.

The Ford Police Interceptor Utility isn’t just rugged alone, it offers capability and flexibility to officers and feet officers.

2. Chevrolet Tahoe

In North America, the Tahoe is used by many law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and EMS agencies.

Everyone knows the similarities between Chevrolet and GMC Share. Since time immemorial, they both share the same platform for their vehicles. Although GMC is positioned as a premium offering to the mainstream Chevrolet brand.

The Chevrolet Tahoe and its counterpart, GMC Yukon are both full-size SUVs belonging to the American parent automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM).

The name Tahoe refers to the rugged and scenic area surrounding Lake Tahoe in the western United State.

At the moment, Chevrolet offers just two versions of the police package Tahoe; a four-wheel-drive version and a two-wheel-drive version

The four-wheel-drive version (4WD) which has the 5W4 code is preferred by agencies where snow, ice, rough terrain, flooding, and ground clearance are common issues

The Tahoe is a “Special Service Vehicle” (SSV) for all purposes except pursuits and high-speed responses.

Using this as a pursuit vehicle is a bad idea. Manufacturers discourage this! There’s a higher probability of these heavy-duty vehicles rolling over at high speeds.

This version is preferred by agencies where snow, ice, flooding, rough terrain, and ground clearance are common issues.

The two-wheel-drive (2WD) version also referred to as the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) version is an idea “Police Pursuit Vehicle” (PPV).

Highway patrol agencies prefer the two-wheel-drive version because it’s all-purpose – great for both pursuits and high-speed responses.

3. Dodge Durango

Built with directives from the Police Advisory Board and officers themselves, the Durango is one of the more stylish police SUVs out of the bunch.

Key Specification

  • 3.6-Liter V6 / 5.7-Liter V8
  • 293 hp (218 kW) or 295 hp (219 kW), 260 lb-ft (352 Nm) / 360 hp (268 kW), 390 lb-ft (528 Nm)
  • AWD
  • SUV

Having a top speed of 130 mph, the Dodge’s fleet of pursuit vehicles is claimed to be technologically advanced and packed full of law enforcement-friendly features.

It also boasts of high-performance brakes that stop the SUV from 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) to zero in 132 feet.

4. Ford Expedition

The Ford Expedition is the Explorer’s larger police sibling, though it’s not seen as often. The larger footprint makes the Expedition versatile for tactical work, off-road duty, or any combination of both.

The Expedition Special Service Vehicle (SSV) brings the capacity of a full-size body-on-frame SUV to bear, giving police the option of converting the third-row seats into cargo space.

  • 3.5-liter V6
  • 375 hp (279 kW), 470 lb-ft (637 Nm)
  • RWD/AWD
  • SUV

Although the Ford Expedition is not pursuit-rated, it still remains a preferred choice for many law enforcement and EMS agencies.

So, can these badass police SUVs take hit from the bad guys?

Are police cars bulletproof?

Generally, Police cars in the U.S are bullet-proof.

While there are some police car models older than 2015 that are not bullet-proof, newer ones today are bullet-proof.

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Are you a proud SUV owner, or are you also crazy about SUVs as I am? If you are then you definitely don’t want to miss this giveaway.

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The inner circle is a community of proud SUV owners who share their knowledge of Sport Utility Vehicles.

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About the Author

Larry Cruise

Editor

I know a lot about cars, man. I can look at any car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming.

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