Who thought we’d ever be scanning and braking for Ford Explorers, the darling mommymobiles of the 1990s and 2000s? Nowadays, this still-popular family SUV is the bestselling new police vehicle—yes, more even than the Taurus Interceptor, Dodge’s Charger Pursuit, and Chevrolet’s Caprice/Tahoe PPVs. Ford recentlybrought the Explorer in for a comprehensive 2016 update, and so we’re going to have to re-train ourselves to look for a fresh set of headlamps.
The 2016 Police Interceptor Utility—a fun way to say “Explorer with fancy lights and steelies”—arrives this summer with the civilian model’s updated front and rear fascias, instrument panel, and engines.
A 3.7-liter 305-hp V-6 is standard, with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter 365-hp V-6 available as an option (much needed to lug around the heavy Explorer). All cop Explorers get all-wheel drive, 18-inch steel wheels, larger brakes, beefed-up springs, heavier-duty engine cooling, reinforced subframe and engine mounts, and a self-cleaning backup camera. Blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, and bullet-resistant front doors are among the finer extras.
Among other cop-specific powertrain calibrations is Pursuit Mode, which makes the Interceptor Utility drive angry. Really, it’s a sport mode for the six-speed automatic that activates when an officer floors the throttle, jams the brakes, or takes a hard corner. Plus, it’s programmed to handle flawlessly executed 180-degree reverse J-turns like you see in the movies. No, really, it is—we’re not lying. Can we get a little bit of that action on the regular Explorer, too?
Then there’s the stuff only officers in the field would ask for, such as a tailgate that stays unlocked for 45 seconds while the rest of the doors are kept bolted shut. Ford’s Surveillance Mode uses the optional rear parking sensors to detect anything, such as criminals, raccoons, and Rod Farva, that may creep up behind the vehicle; it then closes all windows and locks the doors.
The award for best-named automotive feature goes to the Interceptor’s “wig wag” lights, which alternate the high beams left and right like proper, old-school Crown Vics. Bloop bloop.
All of this frankly sounds awesome. And it’s incredibly out of reach for most of us who aren’t eligible to buy or drive a 2016 Police Interceptor Utility, so do yourself a favor and study the following photos very carefully. Just don’t forget what the2012–2014 models look like in the process.
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