If you find yourself on the wrong side of the law it could soon be a Kia Sorento SUV with flashing lights that you see in your rear view mirror, the Korean car maker has revealed.
Kia Australia’s COO Damien Meredith confirmed Victoria and Queensland Police have approached Kia in their search to replace the now-discontinued Territory, and have the seven-seat Sorento in their sights.
“We’ve been in negotiations with them for about 12 months, but there’s a bit of work for us to do to get it across the line.” Meredith said.
Meredith said the police forces had been given an all-wheel drive Sorento SLi turbo-diesel to sample and the feedback was positive, with only a couple of modifications needed before thorough testing takes place.
“It’s not too complex, they just want stronger brakes and a bigger alternator,” Meredith said.
The brake upgrade would see the Sorento’s 320mm front and 305mm rear discs binned for larger and better ventilated brakes that will offer much better performance and higher tolerance for the punishment they'll get in chases and day to day duties.
A larger alternator would allow the police vehicle to run and charge the enormous array of tech equipment carried on board a patrol car.
Meredith said the police were happy with the engine’s performance. The 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 147kW of power and 441Nm of torque. In comparison the 2.7-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel in the Ford Territory makes 140kW and 440Nm.
The ball is now in Kia’s court as it works to make the changes – the tricky part now is ensuring the modifications meets the Australian Design Rules. Once this is done the Sorento SLi all-wheel drive will begin testing with the police forces.
We also understand sister company Hyundai is putting its Santa Fe forward for police use. "The pay-off for supplying a vehicle to the police is well worth jumping through the ADR hoops," Meredith added.
“It’s like anything, it’s super competitive, but you’ve got to make sure the homologation process is right. But the good thing is, once it’s done they’re pretty loyal and they keep buying your brand and product for quite a long time – we’re talking about 50 units a month.”
"Having one of your models plastered with blue and white checks and a light bar on the roof also has enormous benefits from a PR perspective," Kia Australia PR boss Kevin Hepworth said.
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s worth more to have police have the car or the thieves [referring to infamy of the first Subaru WRX that helped build its status]. Seriously though, it’s about exposure – it’s a recommendation of the vehicle because the police are using it and the government sees it as reasonable product – a safe performance car.”
While there have been many flashy examples of the police getting cosy with stickered-up exotic sportscars such as the BMW i8, Audi S7 and even a McLaren and a Bentley, the Sorento will be an actual working police vehicle and part of the forces' consideration comes down to budget. The SLi is all-wheel drive diesel lists at $49,490.
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