GM is getting back into the police vehicle market that has long been dominated by Ford’s Crown Vic, and more recently the Dodge Charger. The General knew it had to bring a great vehicle to the American market if it wanted to convince officers across the country that a Chevy was up to the task. So they are importing a long wheelbase Holden Statesmen and calling it the Caprice Police Pursuit Vehicle.
Except they did a lot more than that. They have transformed the Caprice into a purpose-built police vehicle that, as this video shows, officers really seem to appreciate.
In fairness, it could be the 355 horsepower 6.0 liter V8 engine that had something to do with many of those smiles. But the officers also seemed rather impressed with some of the smaller features, like a space for the gun holster on the side of the seat, and the seat itself has special foam inserts to conform to the rest of the equipment belt. Another nice feature for the officers comfort is that the barrier between the front and rear seats will be placed further back than either Ford or Dodge’s police offerings, allowing a full run of seat travel.
This is a car that is being designed for the officers, and they seem to appreciate it. Officer Brian Hanania of the Phoenix Police Department said, “I like the pickup, the handling, the braking, the transmission in and out of the corners, it finds the gears real nice, it gets up and goes so, so far, no issues.”
These officers all worked the Caprice hard, and walked away impressed. If being a police officer is what it takes to get behind the wheel of the Chevy Caprice, then sign us up.