UK police trial Ford Ranger Raptor
Ford’s convict colony developed Ranger could be servicing justice in the UK soon.
Ford’s desert-busting Ranger Raptor ute could be the latest recruit to chase crooks across the cold, grey countryside of the UK.
On trial initially by the South Wales police force before being evaluated by the UK’s 47 other police departments, the Ford Ranger Raptor, which was majorly developed by convict Australia, could be chasing crooks in the heart of the British Empire.
The Raptor has been kitted out by Ford UK’s Special Vehicle Preparation in Essex, consisting of standard UK Police livery, lights, and emergency vehicle kit. It will be available for all police forces in the UK to trial.
Though the 157kW/500Nm 2.0L diesel twin-turbo ute isn’t best suited to catching fast cars on the road, it “may prove to be the perfect tool to access some of the UK’s most rural locations,” according to Ford Performance, and ““more than enough to keep up with criminals across gravel, mud, and sand.”
Joining the Raptor on trial is the Ford Focus ST wagon, which will land in Australia next year but in hatchback guise only (at least, for now).
READ MORE: Ford Focus ST first drive review
That car is far better equipped for highway patrol duties, producing 206kW and 420Nm from its 2.3-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine. If it passes muster, the Ford Performance duo will join a fleet of predominately BMW and Volvo service vehicles.
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