Kia Stinger 2019 joins WA police pursuit fleet

Fifty examples of the rear-drive V6 Kia Stinger performance hatch will join the Western Australian Police force over the next 12 months, to replace outgoing Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons.

It’s another win for the 272kW/510Nm Stinger GT, with fifty cars also joining Queensland’s police fleet as announced back in July.

The Stinger was selected for WA police duties after an elongated evaluation process, in which the car “met, or exceeded key criteria in performance, safety, availability or cost-effectiveness.”

The Ford Mustang has been ruled out in some states due to its two-star ANCAP safety rating (which has since been boosted to three).

Unlike their Falcon and Commodore predecessors, the Stingers will join the pursuit fleet unmodified apart from a wiring loom specially fitted to support on-board Police equipment.

While the Stinger is reportedly still under the consideration of Police in the remaining Australian states, NSW has recently added a small fleet of Volvo XC60s as pursuit vehicles for regional areas, as well as an unspecified number of BMW 530ds and Chrysler 300C SRTs for highway patrol duties.

Meanwhile, in Victoria, the 530d joins the fleet for ‘general duties’ purposes, and in South Australia police will deploy around 100 examples of the new-generation Holden Commodore RS.

The ongoing troubles for police forces Australia-wide when replacing their fleets have included a tough set of specific requirements. 

Pursuit cars in particular need to carry a maximuim five-star ANCAP safety rating, be able to meet performance requirements without major modifications, come with suitable space inside for equipment, have a wide and affordable service network and a sensible up-front price.

There has also been a reluctance in the larger states to re-train officers to control front- or all-wheel drive vehicles under pursuit conditions, hence the focus on rear-drive sedans.

What do you think the ultimate pursuit vehicle for Australian police would be? Tell us in the comments below.