Jaguar XF police car hits Sydney streets

Rose Bay Local Area Command takes delivery of new Jaguar XF.

Not that long ago, police cars used to come in two flavours: Falcon and Commodore. 

These days you'll find vehicles as diverse as Mitsubishi Lancers and Hyundai i45s patrolling the streets, not to mention a growing number of premium and exotic models masquerading as police vehicles.

The latest marque to join this list is Jaguar, with officers from Rose Bay LAC in eastern Sydney taking delivery of a new XF luxury saloon.

The $125,000 Jag has been loaned to the police by Sydney dealership Trivett Jaguar, and replaces the Polestar blue Volvo S60 used by the station since 2013.

Trivett General Manager Garry Kelly says the relationship with the  eastern suburbs police support area brings benefits to both parties.

"We saw some vehicles out there doing the same thing and thought it would be a good opportunity to support the community and also be able to get the product out into the market place," he said.

The 202kW/600Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbodiesel XF can do 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds, but is unlikely to ever do that in anger while in the custody of the thin blue line.

Superintendent Brad Hodder from Rose Bay LAC says  the "community car"  won't see operational action.

"We use this for crime prevention and community engagement events where we can interact with the community," he said.

The stand-out car acts as a point of interest for the community.

"It's an attraction to the vehicle. They then start to engage with the police, and then we can talk to people about crime prevention and how we make them safe in the community," Hodder said.

Although it is decked out in police colours, the Rose Bay XF will otherwise remain standard, missing out on the lights and sirens usually seen on patrol cars.

There are police actually driving it so we do still have the power to pull people over

That said, if you do happen drive past at a speed somewhat higher than the posted limit, you may find yourself getting inadvertently acquainted with it.

"There are police actually driving it so we do still have the power to pull people over," Superintended Hodder said.

This isn't the first of its type to be handed over to the police. NSW Police already has an imported F150 Raptor truck, plus a Dick Johnson-tuned Ford Falcon GT-F and an HSV GTS in the garage.

Ford's new Mustang, which arrives later this year, might also find itself pursuing a career in law enforcement.

So is there a competition within NSW Police to get the most tricked-out car?

"Officially, I'd have to say no," said Superintendent Hodder. "But yes, there is."

"A few of the commands have their relevant vehicles, but I'm happy with the Jaguar. It fits right in with our local area command, and as a community engagement tool it's very positive."