New Volvo V70 Police Car debuts in UK
click above image for high-res gallery
While Michigan cops are switching over from Crown Vics to Impalas, the UK police are holding fast with their police cruisers and have debuted the redesigned Volvo V70 in police spec with a new livery. Volvo touts the V70's interior space and increased payload capacity of 724kg (up from 539kg in a standard model) as reasons why bobbies in the UK favor the V70, telling us that these features "ensure that the vehicle can safely transport all the equipment necessary for modern policing, including heavy firearms when the situation demands." Boo-yah. So don't go approaching any V70s that look like this in the UK if you're itching for a fight. Chances are they're packing a lot of heat in their rear underfloor lockable storage area.
[Source: Volvo]
Gallery: Volvo V70 UK Police Car
PRESS RELEASE:
NEW VOLVO V70 POLICE CAR DEBUTS AT POLICE FLEET MANAGERS EXHIBITION
The all-new Volvo V70, the next generation of one of the police force's most popular vehicles, makes its UK debut in full police specification and livery at the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) conference and exhibition at Wroughton on 14 and 15 August.
The all new V70 police car will be unveiled by Lennart Stegland, President of Volvo Special Vehicles, at 13:30 on 14 August, allowing guests the opportunity to see the car fully prepared for police use ahead of its official production in November 2007.
With over 40 years experience, the new Volvo police specification model maintains the current V70's reputation for strength and reliability but also offers an improved chassis to enhance driving characteristics as well as introducing more benefits for police use such as an increased payload, more legroom and a reduced turning circle.
Sarah Tottle, Special Vehicles Manager, Volvo Car UK, said: "The Volvo V70 has always been much in demand by police forces across the UK, particularly among road policing units. The new model can only enhance its reputation as an essential police vehicle."
One of the key benefits of the new police vehicle is its impressive payload of 724kg (modified from the 539kg for standard production) in the D5 diesel model. This, combined with a larger load space in the rear and a clever underfloor lockable storage area, ensures that the vehicle can safely transport all the equipment necessary for modern policing, including heavy firearms when the situation demands.
Its intelligent cabin design allows more leg and shoulder room and also provides optimum comfort for road policing officers who spend long hours in the driving seat, often wearing heavy and bulky body armour. The new Volvo V70 also benefits from a reduced turning circle (from 11.9m to 11.2m), improving manoeuvrability in the tightest of spaces.
Volvo will also present its new Swedish police V70 "Turnkey" solution – a car built and equipped in the Volvo factory to Swedish police specification. Volvo Special Vehicles is currently working with Fleet Managers to create a similar "Turnkey" solution for the UK police, which can produce a road policing car fitted out ready for service in around eight weeks.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
500 3:44PM (8/14/2007)
I went to high school in Topsham, Maine, and for years the police there used Volvos. The local Volvo dealer in Topsham was very influential, and even campaigned a Volvo WAGON at the racetrack!
I drove through the town recently and sadly, they've switched to the much more conventional Crown Vic.
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Rambo 3:49PM (8/14/2007)
Sadly? I would rather the state and local governments spend my tax dollars on a more affordable domestic police cars. Something about cops driving around in $50K Swedish luxury cars that I pay for makes me angry!
Devs1980 4:21PM (8/14/2007)
Rambo: $50K Swedish luxury cars? What kind of car could UK police that's of a similar size? A Crown Vic? Don't have em. I think a Volvo's a good choice...
Rambo 4:31PM (8/14/2007)
I was replying to 500 (Maine is a state in America).
500 3:21AM (8/15/2007)
Well Rambo, they were mostly Volvo 240's as I recall, not even close to $50,000. More expensive than a domestic cruiser, yes, but the word in town was that they were great winter cars and lasted longer.
Now when I visited Ireland about seven years ago, I saw FORD ESCORT police cars. That was an odd sight to my American eyes...
beaker 3:58PM (8/14/2007)
I do wish we had some fugly checker-board paint jobs on American cop cars, though!
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db25 4:18PM (8/14/2007)
It is weird for me as an American to see anything but a crown vic, impala, or charger being used as a police vehicle.
aaron 4:28PM (8/14/2007)
Soon enough, they won't have decals at all. Unmarked cars are everywhere, and they're primary mission is to pull over speeders. Seriously, that's all they do. They can't even respond to accidents (safety reasons).
Rambo, if you drive a piece of shit, why don't you just say it? Volvo's that go to police depts. in some cities are not luxury cars. They're basic (no leather, no amenities), well made machines. Germany uses BMW's, they are not luxury cars. What if American cities used basic, lower rung bimmers? Heaven forbid they are slightly more expensive and more fuel efficient than large SUV's. Are they automatically luxury because they are European-made and more expensive?
Rambo 6:08PM (8/14/2007)
Breaker, not everyone is a traitorous as you. National pride plays a role in what vehicles our gorvenment purchases with our tax dollars.
In Sweden they have Volvo cop cars because (NEWSFLASH) they are swedish! In Germany they have BMWs because (NEWSFLASH) they are German! Now maybe you can put two and two together and complete this next one... In America they should have _____ because they are _____!
Not even John Kerry drives to the Capital with a Prius. He has enough brains to drive a Ford Escape Hybrid.
Speaking of 'Escape', why don't you make a 'Break' for Sweden, traitor!
Paul 4:43PM (8/16/2007)
Aaron, Here is Washington State the State Patrol seems to be about 80% unmarked these days and they respond to accidents and I assume any another emergency call they may recieve. With modern LED lighting they manage to make them light up just as well as their overhead light-bar counterparts.
What agency is going to tell it's officers "Sorry, you can't go help the people injured a car accident because your car dosen't have a huge POLICE billboard accross the side"?
MH 5:00PM (8/14/2007)
Nothing strange about this.
Volvo has been doing good business over the years by building cop cars.
Virtually all police cars over here in Sweden are Volvo's. Taxi's are usually Volvo's or Mercedes E-class'.
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Cam 5:54PM (8/14/2007)
Yep, they're not bad cars either the V70's. Bloody fast too.
Not to mention the UK has a whole host of different cop cars for different purposes. Usually Vauxhall Corsa's and Vauxhall Astra's for the domestic copper, while traffic police can get the Volvo's and high performance cars such as the Mitsubishi Evo and Subaru Impreza. While motorway patrols tend to get fully equipped Range Rovers :P
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Paul Aka Shibby 6:42AM (8/15/2007)
Cam you hit the nail on the head.
They use normal Vauxhalls for the normal policing work.
Land Rovers for motorway safety tasks.
Volvos and BMWs for fast pursuit cars *MARKED*
Then a whole host of different cars for motorway driving. Such as the Subaru's, Evo's
They even have unmarked Skodas! You can spot these people, look out for strange stuff sticking on the car or in the back window.
Also I should add the medical cars that work with the Land Rovers on safety dutys are most likey to be Volvos.
iamhoff 7:16PM (8/14/2007)
I'm sure the V70 makes a fine police cruiser, but those damn colors remind me of horseracing at Del Mar!
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whofan 9:51PM (8/14/2007)
When I was in Germany 88-90 they used Ford Sierras.
This cas was knowen as the Mercur XR4TI over here.
Volvo,Bmw and Mercedes are common cars in Europe!
70-80s BMW 320s bleched blue smoke all over the place. Much like the old Vega.
One guy I knew had an Audi. His parents wrote him and said that he had a fancy car when they found out it was an Audi. In truth it was an old beater that was just a common car in its day. I took a Taxi once it was a Mercedes.
These companies sell their high end cars here.
Our perception is greater than what the cars really are.
I remember some GI had a red 1977 Corvette parked off base. There were five German guys standing around it in amazement.
The securty police got a new Impala. The German mechanics were really checking it out. They liked the RWD V8. But all said it was too big and thirsty . They did like the car though.
Opel had a Manta GTE that the Germans loved like our Camero here. It was a fast car.
We all think what don`t have is better than what we have.
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Mark 3:57AM (8/15/2007)
police get some nice cars in the UK, devon & cornwall police have started to ditch the volvos and are using BMW 535d estates (wagon, for american ears) for traffic duties, at least one is unmarked. they also have a couple of unmarked ford focus ST's (a silver one and a black one, for anyone who's in the area), a skoda octavia VRS (unmarked, black), and one or two decaled up subaru impretzas. for general patrol cars they usually use ford focuses though
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mj 7:33PM (8/15/2007)
Ow! My EYES!!!! It's burning MY EYES!!!!
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Bill 11:58AM (8/16/2007)
Color scheme only the Partridge family could love.
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