Ford’s new F-150 Police Respondent has an old-fashioned appeal with a quirk, as it were.
The chase-rated pickup truck can be equipped with conventional keys that can be removed from the vehicle while it is still running and locked in the parking lot to allow police officers to continue to use lights and motorized equipment without worrying about someone running away with their truck.
It is one of several law enforcement resources on the large truck that will enter service this fall.
The F-150 Police Responder will be available in a four-door SuperCrew configuration with a 3.5-liter 400 hp engine. Its four-wheel drive system has full-time automatic configuration that can be used on all surfaces and the truck comes standard with the F-150’s FX4 off-road package, which includes an updated suspension and lower body protection.
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Internal features include sturdy upholstery and steel intrusion plates on the backs of the front seats that can stop knives and other sharp objects. Trucks can be ordered without a center console to allow installation of department-specific equipment or with a factory configuration that incorporates a work surface.
Ford says the aluminum body truck has a payload capacity of 2,030 pounds and a standard trailer rating of 7,000 pounds that can be increased to 11,200 pounds with a towing package that includes a backup assistance feature controlled by button.
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All three major automakers offer police versions of their pickup trucks, but the F-150 is currently the only model with a chase rating.
Ford has not announced plans to offer any of the F-150’s other powertrains, including the hybrid that can function as a 7.2 kilowatt-hour generator.