Dodge’s recently unveiled 2016 Charger Pursuit, a car made for law enforcement officials, is receiving a lot of good reviews and praise.
The new touchscreen system will be able to replace the laptops that police officers have in their patrol cars.
The 12 inch Uconnect touchscreen system streamlines a law enforcement officer’s computer system with Dodge’s Uconnect system, providing police officers with a mobile command center.
The touchscreen system, which is located in the center console of the car, also frees up much-needed space for police officers.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Tim Kuniskis, CEO of the Dodge brand, said that his company designed the touchscreen system based on feedback that they received from police officers.
The police officers told the company that they needed more space in their patrol cars, so the Dodge engineers designed the system to accommodate their request. The new interface also lets officers quickly switch between vehicle controls.
“It’s all their idea,” Kuniskis said. “The idea came from them; the development was driven by them.”
The Ford Crown Victoria was the most popular police vehicle for 30 years, but that model was phased out in 2011. Ford replaced the Crown Victoria with the Ford Taurus Police Interceptor.
At the peak of the Crown Victoria’s popularity, Ford sales accounted for about 70% of the 70,000 or so police cars sold annually.
Since then, Ford, General Motors, and Dodge have been competing to win over police departments across the country.
According to Kuniskis, Dodge views the police cars as a way of drawing attention to their brand.
“Think about it, when you are on the street, what car gets more attention? Nothing,” he said. “You pretend you are not looking at the police when you drive by, but you are looking.”
Kuniskis also said that in 2006, the company’s share of police sedans sold was between 2 and 3 percent. Today, he claims the company’s market share in that department has risen to 43 percent in 2014.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said he had been a big fan of Charger police cars for years.
“I am just a big believer in this brand and what it can provide to the police in the future,” Craig said.
