Queensland Police have unveiled their latest road safety weapon, the V6 Kia Stinger.
A new fleet of 50 Stinger 330 V6 models are set to begin service between now and December with the Road Policing Command as they replace the aging Holden and Ford pursuit vehicles.
The new Stingers will be fitted with extensive high-tech equipment used for modern policing.
Queensland Police Minister, Mark Ryan, said “Reading what the experts had to say, and seeing how efficiently the Stinger was changing minds and perceptions once people had been exposed to it … it was not a difficult decision [to invest in Stingers].”
“You often hear Police Ministers talking about providing the best equipment for those at the coal face. In this case, I truly believe we have been able to do that.”
The process to select the Stinger as the replacement for the outgoing fleet was not a quick one and involved a desktop evaluation, track performance evaluation as well as an operational evaluation.
Assistant Commissioner (Road Policing Command) Mike Keating said “The final overall evaluation and review included the very important aspect of maintenance and cost. The Stinger performed very well in all areas and we had nothing but top reports from all the field officers.”
“The result is a road policing first for us, the first foreign car to perform these duties” he added.
Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer, Damien Meredith, said the policing role for the Stinger was an excellent outcome for Kia and a watershed moment for the brand image.
“This level of public exposure and endorsement from a high profile government utility is something which wouldn’t have been on the radar just a few years ago,” Mr Meredith said.
Kia report that other Australian police forces are continuing to evaluate the Stinger as well as other Kia models, including the Sorento, for their suitability to perform a range of duties meaning we could see more Kia’s joining the force in the future.
This is not the first time we have seen an Australian Police Force look for new vehicle options over the traditional Holden and Ford offerings as the New South Wales Police Force opted to include BMW 530d models in their new fleet.
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