The Toyota Corolla is a proud new recruit to the UK’s police – tailor-made and ready for duty as a reliable and durable patrol car that also offers the fuel and emissions efficiency benefits of hybrid power.
A dedicated team at Toyota’s Special Vehicle Operations Division in Burnaston, Derbyshire carried out the conversion work on the Touring Sports hybrid model.
To ensure the finished vehicle is fit for the job, the Police Authority Specification Corolla was subjected to extensive testing, including the Metropolitan Police’s own rigorous test programme, which it passed with flying colours.
The British-built vehicle is now available to police forces across the UK and two versions are offered – the 1.8-litre Active and the 2.0-litre Icon.
Key features of the police-specification vehicle include: –
- Enhanced safety: built-in satellite navigation, parking sensors and a dog guard for the load compartment
- Roof-mounted lightbar, exterior and interior illumination
- Secondary battery equipment and control systems built to withstand impact forces
- Additional features include siren, radio system support and livery options
Richard Kenworthy, TMUK Managing Director, said: “We have worked with all divisions of Toyota in the UK and various constabularies, which has enabled us to build on their feedback and requirements.
“Ensuring that we applied standard Toyota practices for the work means we have been able to deliver a vehicle that meets the police forces’ stringent requirements.
“The adoption of Corolla by the police is testament to the efforts our employees invest in every vehicle that comes off our production line. We are proud that our Corolla is now one of the vehicles of choice for the police.”
