The Explorer-based Police Interceptor utility vehicle joins the Taurus-based sedan in Ford's police car arsenal.

(Credit: Ford)

Last March, Ford announced that, with the discontinuation of its Crown Victoria, its new Police Interceptor vehicle would be based on the Taurus. Now, Ford announces a similarly outfitted police vehicle based on the new Explorer.

The Ford Police Interceptor utility offers the same sort of heavy duty brakes, suspension, and engine cooling equipment as the Taurus-based sedan, designed to handle the rigorous duty of police work. The Interceptor utility comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 producing 280 horsepower.

Similar to the sedan, the Interceptor utility gets the Ford Sync system, along with safety features such as blind-spot detection. Unlike the sedan, the utility offers 800 pounds of cargo-carrying capacity.