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The Police force all around the world often use some of the most up to date technology when it comes to patrol vehicles. For many years the Police have used vehicles which are quick for those emergency calls and vehicles that are all round good for reliability. The very first police car to ever be in existence was recorded back in 1899 and was used in America in Akron Ohio. Today it has grown into a world wide investment by the Police. More often that now a police car is more common than seeing a police officer walking the beat. There are a number of different police vehicles which include unmarked cars,a traffic car,SUV's,dog unit vehicles and rapid response cars. We are today doing a countdown of five of the most commonly used rapid response cars on our roads here in the United Kingdom. Response cars are very similar to patrol vehicles and more often than not they consist of the same vehicle types as patrol versions.

 

The main difference of the rapid response car is that the specifications tend to be higher than standard versions of the car meaning they a lot more powerful,travel faster and are quicker to reach an emergency than that of a patrol car. We see that police cars of all varieties also benefit from new mechanical changes compared to that of the standard version of the car which means adding new specs such as altered suspension systems, air coolants,different tyres and a calibrated speedometer.

 

Many manufacturers are represented in our countdown here and every one of these vehicles which we are about to list have achieved a lot of success during their time on the markets here in the United Kingdom and are some of the most reliable vehicles available in this day and age.

 

Five of the most reliable and commonly used police vehicles

 

 

  1. The Ford Focus

 

So coming in at the top position today as one of the most commonly used police vehicles for this day and age, we see the welcome addition of one of Fords biggest selling cars to ever be released around the world and it comes to you in the manner of the Ford Focus. The Ford Focus has been used by the police force for many years now and has proven to be one of the most reliable cars around the world. For a number of years the Focus went on record as the best selling car in the United Kingdom alone. The very Focus was brought into the world back in 1998 and is currently enjoying its third life cycle. As of late the highest spec version of the car comes in the form of the ST which sees the fitting of a much more powerful engine than ever before which is a 2.0 litre, Turbocharged Ecoboost engine. In total we see a deliverance of 247 brake horse power come from the ST version of the car which is ideal for the police force reporting to emergencies.

 

The latest generation model of the Focus debuted on European markets from 2011. The Focus has a fine reputation for being tuned and tweaked adjustments over the years. The turbocharged version of the car is capable of hitting good all round speeds and is great in regards to handling. This special ability of the Focus was shown first back in 1999 at the Monte Carlo rally when the car was officially used in the World Rally Championship by the late Colin Mcrae. Success for the Focus is just as big today as ever with the first quarter of this year the car selling a total of 61,254 on European markets alone.

 

  1. The Vauxhall Astra

 

Next up in our list, we see the addition of the Astra from British manufacturer Vauxhall. The very first Astra model was put in production back in 1979 and is still being produced today. The latest version of the car to be launched was back in 2010 and marks the sixth generation of the car. The police force often use the Astra as both a patrol car and a rapid response vehicle also with the rapid response being finely tuned for better performance and speed limits. The most common Astra models used in the police are both the fourth and fifth generation versions of the car. The latest six generation model is slowly being introduced in Britain now though and can be seen on the streets on both patrols and rapid response calls. The sixth generation Astra has certainly made an impact around the world as in 2010 here in Britain it was stated to be the best selling vehicle for the month of June. During that month a recorded figure over 10,000 units of the car were sold which beat the number one spot Ford Focus by over fifty percent. A range of different Astra models for this generation line up have gone on sale over the years with additions such as the estate,SRI,ES and SE versions making their presence felt. The SE is the range topping vehicle in the line up. Although not confirmed as of yet, it has been rumoured that the seventh generation of Astra will being production at Vauxhalls Ellesmere Port factory throughout the course of 2015.

 

  1. Vauxhall Insignia

 

Vauxhall just go to show their reliable cars now coming in at the third position place in today's countdown. At our third spot here we see a vehicle that was first put into production during the year of 2008. The car is still being produced today and is still in it's first generation line up. This vehicle was introduced as the direct replacement for the companies former Vectra model which was not selling so good at the time but since the Insignia model replaced the Vectra,Vauxhall have seen a huge rise in both sales and popularity over the years and have been one of the most well known car manufacturers around the world due to the success that the Insignia has achieved. The Insignia is made available in three different formats which consist of a four door saloon design,a five door estate and finally a five door hatchback. One of the most common versions of the car to be used by the police force is the hatchback. The vehicle has also won many awards over the years which just adds to the excitement that surrounds the car. In 2009 the Insignia achieved the European car of the year award and was given a five star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

 

  1. The Ford Fiesta

 

With our next car to arrive in the line up today, it is no wonder that the police force use this vehicle as one of their most reliable and best cars for rapid response emergencies. The fourth position in our countdown today is the Fiesta model from American manufacturer Ford. The Fiesta just a number of months ago was named the United Kingdom's best selling vehicle of all time. The car has proven to be a massive success all around the world and is now in its seventh generation. Since the very first version of the Fiesta was launched back in 1976 a total of around sixteen million units of the car have been sold around the world making it one of the most purchased vehicles of all time. The Fiesta is offered in a total of ten different trim levels altogether with the highest spec version of the car being the range topping Titanium X. Each trim level of the car benefits from more additional equipment than the previous model. One of the reasons that the police force use the Fiesta is for some of the technology features that come along with the vehicle which include the likes of a built in entertainment system,electric power steering,a keyless entry system,a rake adjustable steering wheel and a USB port. A total of fifteen engine choices are made available across the Fiesta range with nine of these coming as petrol units. Many different variants of the Fiesta have gone on sale over the years with the latest version of the car receiving four different versions but only three are offered here in Europe. These are the five door hatchback,the three door hatchback and the three door van also.

 

  1. The Skoda Octavia

 

Our fifth and final addition to the most commonly used police vehicle list today is the Octavia model from the Czech Republican brand Skoda. The very first version of the Skoda Octavia debuted on European markets back in 1959 and was produced up until 1971. It was not until 1996 however when the car was re introduced to the world that it gained much more success than ever before. Over the past few years Skoda's success and brand recognition has climbed the ranks very quickly and thanks to vehicles like the Fabia and the Octavia they are now one of the most recognised companies around the world. The Octavia model benefits from a lot of power and interior space aswell as some of the latest in technological advancements which is why the car works for a perfect vehicle for the police force. A four door sedan and a five door estate version of the car is made available and along with these variants comes thirteen different choices of engine with twelve of these units being petrol and the alternative three being diesel units. A range of both automatic and manual transmission systems are also made available with the car too.

 

Some terrific gadgets also come along with the car and safety features too. Adaptive cruise control,rear side air bags,traffic sign recognition system,lane keeping assistance and a forward collision warning is also made available with Octavia.

 

How have these cars benefited the police force over the years ?

 

All of these cars that we have listed above have certainly made for some good reliable service cars for the police force and still are right now. Over the years we have seen the police force range their forms of transport from car to SUV vehicle,motorbike and helicopter but the car is one of the constants in the police force which continues to evolve with the times. In the future there is no telling which brand new vehicles will emerge to do their service on the streets of the United Kingdom but one thing is for sure and that is if all future vehicles prove to be just as good and reliable as these models have been then the future is very bright indeed as far as vehicles in the police force are concerned.