Kia Stinger sworn in as Western Australian Police pursuit car

The Western Australian Police Department has added a sting in the tail of its traffic law enforcement team with the decision to roll out 50 Kia Stingers over the next 12 months.

The decision makes WA the second police jurisdiction in Australia, after Queensland, to embrace the Stinger as a replacement for the outgoing Commodore and Falcon pursuit vehicles.

“We continue to give the Western Australian Police Force the money they need to replace their fleet and to provide the best service they can for the community of Western Australia,” said WA Police and Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts at a road safety campaign targeting safe driving.

“These cars are fit for purpose and they are all 5-star ANCAP rated which is important for our officer safety.”

According to WA Police, the Stinger was selected after an extensive six-month assessment program during which the car met, or exceeded, key criteria in performance, safety, availability and cost effectiveness.

As with Queensland, the WA fleet will be the entry-level twin-turbo V6 models with 272kW of power and 510Nm of torque, providing out-of-the-box performance of 4.9 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint.

The cars join the force unmodified except for a plug-and-play wiring loom to manage the additional demands of multiple operational equipment systems.

The Stinger is still be assessed by other states as an operational option to replace the superseded Highway Patrol fleets.

Read More: Kia Stinger GT Review

Check Also

2021 Kia Stonic GT-Line Review

The already saturated city crossover segment has welcomed yet another player. Arriving fashionably late, literally, …