GM Reveals More Powerful and Efficient 2012 Chevrolet Impala Police Car

There’s a new Impala in town, but it looks pretty much the same as the old one. Now we can show you what the version you see in your rear view mirror accompanied by flashing lights will look like as The General has revealed the police patrol version.

The big change announced for both the retail and police versions of the Impala is the introduction of GM’s new 3.6-liter V6 engine with direct-injection technology coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine provides a total of 302 hp, which translates into a 0-60 mph (98 km/h) sprint time of 6.6 seconds.

Despite adding 72 horsepower to the 2011 police Impala’s 230 hp (3.9-liter V6), the 2012 MY returns an estimated fuel economy of 17 mpg city and 27 mpg highway. GM said that these numbers translate to a 3 mpg improvement over previous Impala models, and a 28 percent improvements over the venerable Ford Crown Victoria.

"The enhancements to the 2012 Impala's powertrain, steering and suspension produce a new vehicle that has improved performance, handling and safety features for police and general consumers," said Darren Post, vehicle line director for Impala. "And they'll see a savings at the fuel pump."

It’s not just the limp under the bonnet that’s been changed, as the 2012 Impala police car will be the first of the series to adopt GM’s electronic stability control technology called StabilTrak. More power also bring more speed, so engineers have fitted upgrades to the brake system to shorten the vehicle's 60-0 mph stopping distance to 132 feet. GM has also fitted the police version with Goodyear’s Eagle RS-A all-season tires that have a W speed rating (good for speeds up to 140 mph).

The announcement of the police car means the retail version will soon be fully detailed as well, so expect the 2012 MY Impala to be unveiled in the next few weeks.