The two Fords will be tested by the police forces of the UK to see if they are eligible to be a part of their fleet
The UK police are considering to make the Ford Focus ST and the Ranger Raptor their official cars. A few units of both have already been deployed over to the South Wales Police, who would be among the first to try out both the cars.
The vehicles were prepared by Ford’s Special Vehicle Preparation team in Essex, and get full blue and fluorescent police livery, along with emergency lights and sirens all around.
Ford believes that the Ranger Raptor is developed for high-speed off-roading, and “may prove to be the perfect tool to access some of the U.K.’s most rural locations”. The Ranger Raptor will make for an excellent off-road pursuit vehicle and Ford says that it will be “more than enough to keep up with criminals making a getaway across gravel, mud, and sand”.
Powering the Ranger Raptor is a 2.0-litre diesel engine, that has a top speed of 105 mph (169 kmph). However, it’s the Raptor’s unparalleled off-roading capability that fascinates many, including the UK police. The car comes equipped with Fox Pro shock absorbers, a Baja off-road mode, special off-roading tyres and underbody protection.
On the other hand, the Ford Focus ST seems to be the UK police’s choice for on-road pursuits. It comes with a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 276 hp of maximum power. The car is capable of doing 0-100 kmph in under 6 seconds and maxes out at 155 mph (250 kmph). The Ranger Raptor and the Focus ST will not be the first Ford cars to join the UK police fleet.
Ford has earlier provided the British police with its Escort, Capri, Focus and Transit van. In the US, Ford’s home country, the manufacturer used to supply its Crown Victoria sedan to the police departments. However, they have now been replaced by the Dodge Charger, Ford F-150 Responder pickup truck, Ford Interceptor SUV among others.
