Ford Police Interceptors Reporting For Duty in Michigan

Michigan outlaws beware: State Police is getting ready to add another weapon in its armory, or rather two: the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor Sedan and the Explorer Police Interceptor Utility, which today passed the two-day State Police tests and are ready to enter service.

Although the Taurus Interceptor was tested just as thoroughly, it was the Explorer SUV Utility version that received most of the attention.

According to Ford, not only did it outperform its direct rival, the Chevrolet Tahoe, but it also stood its ground among other saloon models in 0-60mph acceleration, handling and braking tests.

“We are pleased that the performance of the Police Interceptor Utility was validated because it provides more choice for law enforcement agencies,” said Police Interceptors’ marketing manager Lisa Teed. “They can be assured that whether in slippery conditions like snow or in pursuit situations the purpose-built Utility will deliver.”

Both vehicles come equipped with four-wheel drive as standard. The Explorer is powered by a 3.5-liter flex-fuel V6 with 300HP and the Crown Victoria-replacing Taurus sedan with either a flex-fuel 3.5-liter V6 or a 365HP twin-turbocharged V6.

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Dodge Takes a Stab on the 2011 Ford Explorer with New Durango Ads

Dodge

The Chrysler Group continues to aggressively market the newcomers in its vehicle lineup with new advertisements. This time the automaker has released numerous television and online spots to tout the new generation of the Dodge Durango SUV, all of which will begin airing this week.

While you can check out all the ads in the videos after the break, we must say that four commercials captured our attention including one that refers to Ferrari to show off the Durango's leather interior, another one that depicts seven Stig-lookalikes running to get into Dodge's SUV, and two spots featuring the 2011 Ford Explorer.

For the latter commercials, Dodge used Ford's SUV to demonstrate the new Durango's best-in-class towing capacity. In particular, the Durango V6 can tow up to 6,200 lbs (2,812 kg) while the V8 model up to 7,400 lbs (3,357 kg). That's compared to the Ford Explorer 3.5L V6's max loaded trailer weight of 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg).