Standardizing Safety: 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Now Shipping

Ford Pro is now shipping its 2025 Police Interceptor Utility (PIU), standardizing safety features that were previously optional, keeping officer safety at the forefront.

Additionally, Ford added technology updates like driver assistance technology and the Vehicle Integration System 2.0 to ease the upfitting process.

Safety First: Protective Tech Comes Standard

The 2025 Ford PIU comes standard with features designed to help ensure officer safety and productivity.

The Police Perimeter Alert system detects moving threats around the vehicle, automatically activating the rear camera, sounding a chime, rolling up windows, and locking the doors, so that officers can monitor their surroundings at different sensitivity levels and complete tasks inside the vehicle.

When officers must exit the vehicle quickly, Police Engine Idle lets officers lock the vehicle and take the keys with them, but allows the engine to remain running to power the onboard equipment.

The Police Dark Car feature can help law enforcement remain discrete during stakeout. It allows officers to switch off all internal lights and dim the drive console to keep their vehicle safely hidden.

👀 Now we see you, now we don’t. Police Dark Car mode is standard in the new 2025 Ford Police Interceptor® Utility SUV. Effortlessly switch off all internal lights and dim the drive console to help keep you and your vehicle safely hidden. pic.twitter.com/FovQvc8dwG

— Ford Pro (@FordPro) February 26, 2024

Officers are more in control, with Manual Police Pursuit Mode. The steering wheel activation button allows officers to easily put the vehicle into a high-performance tuning configuration without taking their hands off the wheel.

All of these are features that were previously add-ons, but are now included on the PIU. These changes were made, in part, based on feedback from agencies, Ford Pro Police Vehicle Marketing Manager Lindsey Bertino told Government Fleet.

"We listened to what customers wanted — what do they value most? Officer safety, we know in this segment, is paramount. We wanted to make sure that when we standardized content on the vehicle, we put things that mattered to an officer," she added.

Additionally, newly standard Advanced Driver-Assist technology such as Automatic Emergency Braking, BLIS (Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross-traffic Alert), Rear Parking Sensors, Reverse Brake Assist, and Rear Cross-Traffic Braking provides driving assurance for officers in various scenarios.

Available ballistic panels can be added to the front door panels that provide level III+ or IV+ protection. Level III+ can help resist many handgun and non-armor-piercing bullets up to .30 caliber, while level IV+ panels provide protection against up to .30-caliber armor-piercing rifle ammunition.

Smoother Upfitting and Upkeep

Ford Pro's Vehicle Integration System 2.0, which debuted on the 2023 Super Duty, is standard on the PIU, for easier customization and upfitting. The system offers an interface where fleet managers and upfitters can collaborate.

Four remappable switches are integrated into the steering wheel and connect the driver with installed equipment the department needs so they can easily control lights, sirens, speakers, K-9 door releases, and other police applications.

There’s also an available lockable vault for convenient storage of weapons, ammunition, or critical evidence.

The PIU also comes standard with Police Accessory Independent Timed-Release Output (PAITRO), which is a two-part security system for the cargo area. A front seat occupant pushes the overhead release button and has 45 seconds to walk to the liftgate and press a second button to make it open. This prevents unauthorized access and maintains the security of the rear cargo area.

The police model now has an 8-in. screen vs. its previous 4-in. one, and has a standard 12.3-inch LCD digital instrument cluster with certified speedometer for clearer information display during operation.

The 2025 PIU has advanced over-the-air capabilities for seamless updates.

The 2025 PIU comes also standard with a Ford modem, with the option to subscribe to Ford Pro Telematics. This service provides real-time vehicle data on vehicle performance and service needs to help agency fleet managers anticipate and plan maintenance, helping increase uptime and productivity.

Powering the Ford PIU

Departments can choose from three powertrain options to fit the needs of their community, beat, and budget:

• 3.3L V6 gas engine (AWD): 285 hp, 260 lbs. ft. of torque
• 3.0L V6 EcoBoost engine (AWD): 400 hp, 415 lbs. ft. of torque
• 3.3-liter direct-injected V6 with hybrid system (AWD): 318 hp, 322 lb.-ft. of torque

With the standard hybrid powertrain option, agencies can see a potential savings of up to 838 gallons of fuel per year. This translates to projected cost reductions of approximately $17,500 over a 6-year ownership term with gas at $3.50 per gallon, according to Ford.

The hybrid system powers onboard equipment even when the gas engine is off.

"Officers often have long idle times when on patrol, so the hybrid powertrain is a popular choice,” Bertino said. “We’ve also standardized popular features like the Police Perimeter Alert, for more situational awareness and new officer safety features simplifying the ordering process for fleet managers.”

A Ford spokesperson previously told Government Fleet that to meet the demand for the Ford Police Interceptor Utility hybrid and other Ford hybrid vehicles, other Explorer models will not have a hybrid offering.

The PIU was designed and tested to pass the Ford 75-mph rear-impact crash test goals to help keep officers safe out on the highways, earning the vehicle’s pursuit-rated, pursuit-tested distinction.

The 2025 Ford Police Interceptor Utility is assembled at Chicago Assembly Plant. The automaker is in production for the 2025 model year vehicles now and is up to date on its orders, Bertino said.

What Else is in Ford's Police Lineup

Ford's police lineup is supported by over 700 commercial vehicle service centers across the U.S..

Also included in the police lineup is the pursuit-rated 2024 F-150 Police Responder, Expedition/MAX SSV, and Transit Prisoner Transport Vehicle models. 

While the Ford Mustang Mach-E is not in the police lineup, it is an option a number of law enforcement agencies looking to electrify have chosen. The police team at Ford recommends the GT model over the Select, because it allows for the most power draw from added upfitted equipment.

A Brief History of Ford's Police Lineup

Ford offered its first police package in 1950. While many agencies used Fords prior to this, the 1950 offering was the first official company police package.

The first vehicle utilizing the 'Interceptor' name was sold in 1954. Then in 1956, Ford began offering police cars with its new lifeguard features — including a recessed steering wheel, safety door latches, and optional seat belts.

By 1961, a survey by the Ford Division showed that 58% of the police cars operating in the U.S.' 50 largest cities were Fords. The following year, the automaker was offering 26 different police car models.

The newly-redesigned LTD Crown Victoria with police package, which would later become iconic in the industry, came out for agencies. It featured an optional 351-cu.-in. 5.8-liter high-output V8, which helped make it the preferred choice of municipalities across North America for decades.

In 1992, the Crown Victoria became its own model, with a police package continuing to be offered.

In 2002, the Ford Interceptor concept debuted at the New York International Auto Show. The following year, Ford announced a plan to offer a fire-suppressionsystem as a factory option on the 2005 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. This was an industry first, according to Ford.

In 2009, Ford announced it would produce an all-new purpose-built Police Interceptor specially designed and engineered to replace the Ford Crown Victoria law enforcement vehicle. The Crown Vic had its end-of-watch in 2011.

In 2012, the 2013 Ford Police Interceptor Sedan and Utility passed Michigan State Police tests. They then went on sale.

In 2017, Ford revealed the industry’s first pursuit-rated hybrid police car in New York and Los Angeles – the Police Responder Hybrid Sedan. The same year, Ford revealed the industry’s first police pursuit-rated pickup truck – the F-150 Police Responder.

In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up, Ford designed a heated software enhancement to pilot with its Police Interceptor Utility – one that law enforcement agencies across the country could utilize to help reduce the footprint of the virus.

The software solution was made available immediately on all 2013-19 Police Interceptor Utility vehicles in the United States, Canada, and other countries around the world.

Ford introduced a hybrid powertrain for its Police Interceptor Utility with the 2020 model year.

In 2022, the Ford F-150 Lightning Pro Special Service Vehicle was introduced to provide law enforcement and first responders with an all-electric option.