Thousands of security experts head to Frankfurt, Germany, this week to attend the General Police Equipment Exhibition & Conference (GPEC). There, the long arms of numerous laws will get to sample practically the entire range of
Daimler vehicles pimped out for police duty, from a
Smart ForTwo Electric Drive to an eight-wheeled Acros transporter. In between those extremes,
Mercedes-Benz will fill the lineup with seven of its own creations, including an
X-Class pickup.
At the Barney Fife end of the spectrum, a Smart ForTwo ED and a ForFour ED wear the “police/public order authority look.” Although each boasts a range of 100 miles, they’re intended to be “special response vehicles” in urban centers. Smart will keep a convertible ForTwo ED at the acceleration track for seers who require a taste of electric giddy-up before believing.
A diesel,
E-Class wagon backstops the Mercedes range, the only car to make the fleet audition. On the next step up stands the
Mercedes GLC 350 e 4MATIC, Mercedes pointing out how frugal-yet-responsive a plug-in hybrid can be. The X-Class gets a mention for its functionality and all-wheel drive, and is sure to be a hit with LEOs who want to re-create a German version of
“Cops.” Two
Vito vans make the grade, one a Tourer set up as a radio patrol car, the other an all-wheel-drive version for customs departments. A
Sprinter team vehicle carries on the long line of personnel carriers we’ve been mesmerized by since spotting T1 vans in old European heist films.
At the
“Terminator” end of keeping the peace, showgoers can check out an eight-wheeled Arocs 3251 L 8×4 heavy-duty truck fit for duties from logistical assignments, placing protective barriers and dismantling obstacles, or launching heavy boats. It’s said to be good for high-altitude rescue, too, but it’s probably best to avoid the kind of mountaintop trouble that demands that kind of heavy cavalry.
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