The surprising European car that’s replacing the Australian-made Holden Commodores for the police force’s highway patrol – and it only has four cylinders
- Western Australia Police have ordered 55 Skoda Superb cars for patrol
- The two-liter four-cylinder turbos replace the six-cylinder Holden Commodores
- Australia stopped producing cars in October 2017 – the police are reconsidering their decisions
- NSW and Victoria Police Forces have purchased BMW 530d diesel sedans
A lesser-known Czech four-cylinder car replaces the Australian-made Holden Commodores as the police’s highway patrol car.
Skoda has confirmed that West Australian Police have ordered 55 Superb cars, making it the largest single order by Australian law enforcement for a European make.
The Sportline Turbo model was slightly modified for police use, removing a standard subwoofer to accommodate a dual police specification battery.
Skoda first came to Australia in 1965 when old Czechoslovakia was under communist rule.
A lesser-known Czech four-cylinder car replaces the Australian-made Holden Commodores as the police highway’s patrol car. Skoda has confirmed that West Australian Police have ordered 55 Superb cars (pictured), making it the largest single order by Australian law enforcement for a European make
The marque left Australia in 1983 but returned in 2007 under German ownership by Volkswagen.
Since Holden stopped making cars in Australia in October 2017, police in every state have been looking for high-speed alternatives with plenty of space.
For decades, the Commodore and Ford Falcon, manufactured in Australia until October 2016, were the first choice for police highway patrol.
They had larger six-cylinder or V8 engines and rear-wheel drive.
With Australia no longer making cars, state police have turned to Germany with diesel-powered BMW 5 Series sedans to join police fleets in New South Wales and Victoria.
The Victoria Police ordered a fleet of BMW 530ds in September 2017 while the NSW Police Force did so in May 2018.
A BMW Group spokesman declined to confirm the exact number of luxury rear-wheel-drive cars ordered by state police.
Since Holden stopped making cars in Australia in October 2017, police in every state have been looking for high-speed alternatives with plenty of space (pictured is an Australian-made VE Commodore).
“We do not comment on the details of agreements with our customers,” he said.
Skoda said its order was the European brand’s “first major sale to an Australian law enforcement agency”.
A further 10 are expected in addition to the 55 already ordered.
The wagons have a two-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with an output of 206 kilowatts and accelerate to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.8 seconds.
The four-wheel drive wagons start at $57,990 for those not purchasing a fleet.
With Australia no longer making cars, the State Police have reached out to Germany with diesel-powered BMW 5 Series sedans to join police fleets in New South Wales and Victoria (pictured is a BMW 530d in the NSW Police Force’s motorway patrol fleet).
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