History

The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Automotive Industries page on X February 2025, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Following the end of production of the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI) in 2011, Ford developed two new models to replace it, as part of their Ford Police Interceptor range. For the 2013 model year, Ford introduced the Taurus-based Ford Police Interceptor Sedan (FPIS) and Explorer-based Ford Police Interceptor Utility (FPIU). Both models were designed & assembled alongside each other and were platform mates. As such, many mechanical parts, repair techniques, specifications, and vehicle interfaces were intentionally the same between the two vehicles to facilitate easier repairs and user familiarity. Like the CVPI, the Ford Expedition SSV, and the Taurus-based FPIS, the FPIU was not made available for retail sale.

Unlike the outgoing CVPI and the Expedition SSV, the FPIU was unavailable with a V8 engine. Instead, it was equipped with a 3.7 L Cyclone V6 used in the Ford Mustang, but in a transverse arrangement as the standard engine. It made 304 hp (227 kW; 308 PS) and 279 lb⋅ft (378 N⋅m) of torque, and was flex fuel capable. Permanent torque-vectoring all-wheel drive was standard across the line. For the 2014 model year, a 3.5 L twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, shared with the Explorer Sport, Taurus SHO, and FPIS was added to the lineup making 365 hp (272 kW; 370 PS) and 350 lb⋅ft (470 N-m) of torque. All iterations of the FPIU used a variant of Ford's 6F six-speed automatic transmission.

Visually, the FPIU could be easily told apart from a standard Ford Explorer. It featured a black front grille with black exterior trim, black steel wheels with chrome center caps or plastic hubcaps, a keyhole on the trunk door, Police Interceptor badging on the trunk door, and no roof rails. The EcoBoost FPIU featured several distinct visual cues that set it apart from its non-turbocharged counterpart. The EcoBoost variant featured a different grille, similar to that of the FPIS, large INTERCEPTOR badging across the hood lip, and an EcoBoost badge on the trunk. The daytime running lamps on the Explorer were removed for FPIUs and the turn signals act in place of them.

Bibliography