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ONE TICKET BOOK REVIEW Ford���s NextGen Police Interceptor Sedan...First Impressions p u AWD is standard with all three PI Sedan engines. AWD makes an average driver better. Utility is the obvious answer. Te ingress/egress measurement from the steering wheel to the B-pillar, and from the seat bottom to headliner, is 2 inches smaller on the PI Sedan than the CVPI. One way to mitigate this smaller entry/exit window would be the use of the ���Easy Exit��� feature on the retail Taurus that automatically pushes the seat back and the steering wheel forward upon putting the vehicle in park. Police-Spec Seats Te police package seats were a major complaint in the Ford CVPI. A great deal of engineering efort and police ofcer input went into the design of the seats in the PI Sedan. Compared to the CVPI, the front seat back may appear to be slightly behind the B-pillar, meaning the ofcer may have to slightly move around the B-pillar to enter and exit. However, this front seat location allows more front legroom and provides the ofcer with more side impact protection. Same with the rear seat. To gain more rear legroom, the rear seat back is slightly behind the C-pillar. Te hip point (H-point) of the rear seat is actually 2.5 inches farther to the rear on the Police Interceptor Sedan than the retail Taurus. Te front seat is a powered, six-way adjustable seat with a manual lumbar adjustment. Te police-spec seats have two kinds of seat fabric balancing wear, entry-exit and day-long comfort. Te seat back foam has been contoured specifcally for the police duty belt: left 50 Police Fleet Manager Jan-Feb 2013 bolster, lumbar area and right bolster. Te side bolster height was designed for easy entry and exit. Te head restraints are four-way adjustable. One thing that was mentioned by other ofcers working in a two-person unit is the need for a power passenger seat. While it is an option right now, the range of today���s offcer is vast and a smaller ofcer needs to be able to make those seat adjustments (including height) that only a power seat can provide. Ultimately, it is how each agency designs and sets up its mobile computing solution that will determine how well ofcers ft inside. a slightly wider door opening. Te front door panel is deeply recessed at the elbow level, resulting in a less crowded feel. At the rear, Ford increased the door opening arc by designing wide-opening hinges. Te rear door panels on the police version are almost smooth side, i.e., no map pockets, speakers or drink holders. Both the wider opening door and the slick side door panels make it easier to place prisoners in the back seat. In fact, the rear doors are so wide, you may have to step back a bit when it swings open. Patrol-Oriented Doors One of the key diferences from the retail products is the gearshift. Ford went to considerable expense to ensure their two Police Interceptors had the gear shifter on the steering column instead of the center console. Even though it is mounted on the steering column, the shift lever length is an issue. Some ofcers think the shift lever is too long and it needs to be shortened back 1 to 1.5 inches in order to facilitate better mobile computing ergonomics. (If you remember, the CVPI shifter was shortened.) Tis change is presently being Ford has done its job on the doors for police work. Importantly, both the driver���s side and passenger���s side front doors have key cylinder locks. Te trunk also has a key cylinder lock. (Te release button for the trunk is centrally located on the instrument panel.) Te police-only front door nylon web tethers prevent the doors from springing from hyper-extension or jamming. As a running change in mid-model year, Ford increased the length of this nylon web tether to allow Column-Mounted Gear Selector