• Nearly everyone has seen a Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, but Ford builds several interceptors.marathon image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  Ford offers police a wide array of interceptor vehicles. Departments choose specific vehicles mostly due to their reliability and durability as opposed to pure speed. The Ford Crown Victoria remains the most common police interceptor on the road as of 2010, but many others are available. Beyond the Crown Victoria, Ford provides trucks, SUVs, vans and a new addition for 2012.
  
  

Crown Victoria

• According to Ford, the Crown Victoria is the "high-speed" interceptor. The Crown Victoria has remained a staple in police interceptors for several decades, but its run will stop in 2011, when Ford plans to eliminate the car from production. As of 2010, the latest model of Crown Victorias used by police comes equipped with a 4.6-liter, single overhead cam (SOHC) V-8 engine, which produces 250 horsepower and 297 foot-lbs. of torque. The vehicle has a top speed of 129 miles per hour (mph) with the 3.28 axle ratio and 119 mph with the 3.55 limited-slip axle.
  
  

Escape Hybrid

• In 2009, Ford introduced a hybrid to the mix of police interceptors as a special services vehicle. The Ford Escape Hybrid, powered by a 2-liter, double overhead cam (DOHC) I-4 engine, primarily serves as a parking enforcement and security patrol vehicle, according to Ford. Because this engine runs on both gas and electricity, it has three different horsepower (hp) ratings: 142 hp for the gasoline engine at 6,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) and 94 hp for the electric motor at 5,000 rpm for a net hp of 165. This engine produces 136 foot-lbs. of torque at 4,500 rpm.
  
  

Explorer XLT

• According to Ford, police departments primarily use the Ford Explorer XLT, a midsize SUV, for off-road interception and special investigations. It comes equipped with a 4-liter, SOHC V-6 engine that produces 210 hp at 5,100 rpm and 254 foot-lbs.of torque at 3,700 rpm. The Explorer also comes equipped with a Class II trailer tow hitch receiver, four-pin trailer wiring harness/connector and trailer sway control, allowing it to handle heavy towing.
  
  

Expedition

• Ford placed the Expedition in this group to provide police forces with a full-size SUV. This SUV comes equipped with a 5.4-liter, SOHC, three-valve V-8 engine, which produces 300 hp at 5,000 rpm and 365 foot-lbs. of torque at 3,750 rpm. The Expedition has a non-limited-slip rear axle with a 3.73 ratio. Per Ford, this truck specializes in tactical and off-road interception.
  
  

F-150

• Ford classifies the F-150 pickup truck as an all-duty vehicle. The F-150 comes equipped with a 4.6-liter, SOHC, two-valve V-8 engine that produces 248 hp at 4,750 rpm and 294 foot-lbs. of torque at 4,000 rpm. Ford makes the F-150 available in regular cab, SuperCab and SuperCrew layouts. These trucks have a payload capacity ranging from 1,480 to 3,010 lbs., depending on the layout and drivetrain.
  
  

Taurus

• When Ford eliminates the Crown Victoria from its production line in 2011, it must fill the large void the discontinuation will create in the automaker's police fleet. With the redesign of the Ford Taurus into a legitimate "high-performance" vehicle, Ford has earmarked this model to fill the void. While Ford has yet to make the details completely available as of October 2010, the base -model will include the 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which creates 263 hp. Ford will reportedly also equip some vehicles with the upgraded 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which has twin turbos and direct fuel injection. This engine produces 365 hp and 350 foot-lbs. of torque. Both engines will work with either a front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive platform.