New Police SUV and 2019 Ford Transit Connect Taxi Diesel: Times Are Changing!

All-new Ford Police Interceptor Utility

Ford recently two vehicles that are sure to raise some eyebrows. It’s what they call an all-new Police SUV (Interceptor Utility) with a gas/electric hybrid powertrain. The obscured image of this police cruiser looks like a Ford Explorer at first, but closer inspection reveals new headlights and other new design elements. Does it mean this is what the next all-new rear-wheel-drive chassis Explorer will look like? There are still many unknowns about this new Interceptor. Ford says that the new hybrid power system could save up to 40% in fuel usage with an estimated 24 MPG combined number. Ford did not release any power numbers or other specifications.

2019 ford transit connect taxi
New Transit Connect Taxi

The second vehicle is the 2019 Transit Connect Taxi with a diesel engine. We know a bit more about the power under the hood of this new people carrier. It’s a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel that is connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The estimated highway fuel efficiency is set at 30 MPG. This van is setup for five people in total with a cavernous 60 cu-ft cargo compartment behind the rear seats. This is more cargo volume than a Nissan NV200 Taxi van.

The interesting part about these two commercial grade vehicles is that they continue the usage of alternative powertrain options: hybrids and turbo-diesels. The age of all gasoline-powered police and taxi vehicles is far behind us. Gas/electric hybrid power is the current favorite for many commercial vehicle manufacturers. It’s interesting to see that Ford is also bringing out a turbo-diesel into a climate that does not look very favorably on diesels. Perhaps, full-electric power is where the step will take these runabouts that endure mostly stop-n-go city driving.

Here is a first detailed look at the updated 2019 Ford Transit Connect.