GM Priming Pump for Police Sector

MILFORD - General Motors aims to take a bigger bite out of the U.S. law enforcement sector in '12 by making its new Chevy Caprice available to more customers and enhancing its warhorse Chevy Impala with a more powerful and efficient high-feature V-6 engine.

GM's fleet operations began offering the Caprice, a rear-wheel-drive sedan based on the Zeta platform used for the Chevy Camaro, to governments and municipalities in June.

Chevy Caprice police car sales expanding.

About 400 units of the 6.0L V-8-equipped Caprice have been delivered, says Dana Hammer, manager of GM's law-enforcement program.

“We're pretty much where we wanted to be,” Hammer tells WardsAuto during an event at GM's proving grounds here showcasing the auto maker's '12 lineup for the sector. “We knew it would be a slow ramp-up.”

GM in 2009 announced plans to bring the 5-passenger Caprice to the U.S. as a law-enforcement product shortly after Ford announced it was ending the Ford Crown Victoria's lengthy run in the segment.

The Crown Victoria's sales dominance in recent years has made it difficult for GM and other auto makers without big RWD sedans to break into Ford's 70% share of the sector, given law enforcement's affinity for longitudinal powertrains.

Ford quickly shifted gears after GM made its move with the Caprice, offering all-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive versions of the Ford Taurus as its new Police Interceptor beginning this year.

Ford also will offer a law-enforcement version of its new Explorer, a CUV based on the Taurus platform designed to compete against GM's body-on-frame Chevy Tahoe SUV.

“It's a big change for people from the Crown Vic,” Hammer says.

He says buyers have been warming up to the Caprice, purchasing the vehicles in small batches, and he predicts sales will gain momentum in coming weeks as GM offers patrol cars in addition to detective cars.

Hammer knows customers will not arrive overnight, though.

Municipalities left short of cash by the recession are keeping their current police fleets in operation longer. Others are reluctant to switch brands, given all the Crown Victoria parts on their garage shelves.

But GM is fielding a solid competitor in the sector with the Caprice, which at $31,495 before aftermarket add-ons boasts a 6.0L V-8 engine making 355 hp. A 301-hp 3.6L V-6 comes standard.

GM mates both engines to a 6-speed transmission. But the V-8 model receives software tuning borrowed from the former Pontiac G8 GXP, another Zeta-platform car, which while in “sport” mode automatically downshifts two gears with a tap of the brake pedal.

That means when officers in a high-speed chase enter a turn, they'll have lots of the Caprice's 384 lb.-ft. (521 Nm) of torque available to exit quickly.

The newly available patrol models feature specially designed equipment, such as a console-mounted shifter set a few inches closer to the driver to accommodate the cop-car computer hardware positioned between the driver and passenger.

Specially designed seats make room in the bolster for an officer's sidearm, and foam inserts on the seatback allow items on their utility belts, such as handcuffs, to sink into seats for extra comfort.

GM also extends legroom for the patrol team by setting the prisoner partition farther back than normal, giving driver and passenger more rearward range on the seat adjuster.

The auto maker's share of the law-enforcement sector stands at about 25%, Hammer says. “But it is going to grow over the next two or three years.”

Caprice sales might be slowed in the near term by Ford's recent “close-out sale” of its remaining Crown Victorias. However, he says, “We're getting on their shopping lists right now.”

Hammer thinks the Caprice could have a halo effect at municipalities that might also buy the car for other departments, such as fire and parks and recreation.

GM imports the Caprice from its GM Holden subsidiary and its operations in Elizabeth, Australia.

The Caprice will not be made available at retail, despite some dealers' best efforts to sell them outside of their fleet operations to customers seeking a fullsize, high-horsepower, RWD sedan.

“We had an issue with that,” Hammer says. “We've corrected it.”

Everyday consumers must wait a few years, when the cars hit public auction after their duty cycle finishes. Hammer does not expect them to come cheaply, though, given the limited production numbers.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the V-8 Caprice gets fuel economy of 15-24 mpg (15.7-9.8 L/100 km) city/highway. The V-6 model has not yet been rated. The V-8 model weighs 4,160 lbs. (1,887 kg), while the V-6 variant tips the scales at 4,043 lbs. (1,834 kg).

New additions to the Impala police car for '12 include the 3.6L V-6 making 302 hp, which offers a 31% power increase over the 3.9L V-6 it replaces.

Although the 3.6L V-6 has not been rated by the EPA, GM expects a boost in overall fuel economy of about 3 mpg (1.3 L/100 km).

GM will continue to offer the Tahoe to law enforcement in '12, which Hammer says is the only police-rated fullsize SUV in the segment.

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