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FEATURE The UK Police Fleet Manager's Conference S The latest Ford Focus is winning award after award. The revolutionary new 'EcoBoost' three cylinder engine is proving a winner with police fleet managers. power. The Farr variety of quads is a very reasonably priced alternative to Japanese rivals. FORD Ford had another large stand. They may be losing ground in some markets where the Focus is seeing keen competition from Vauxhall and Hyundai. Tis is soon to change with Ford unveiling a 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, making it 'king of the hill.' Its most interesting models are in a niche market where the C Max and Galaxy from Ford SVP have proved very popular in a variety of frontline policing duties and as covert vehicles. The evergreen Transit and Tourneo models were also on show. The former will soon be replaced by an all-new model to be built abroad as Ford leaves Southampton after many years. HONDA The Honda stand took a step back in time with an original hy- brid, its quirky two door Insight on show. This was the original car the Wiltshire force trialed and then purchased back in 2001 as the company pioneered hybrids in the U.K. The mid-sized CRV is still a popular choice with paramedic fleets while a small number of forces use Hondas in covert roles. HYUNDAI With impressive growth in the last five years, it is little wonder Hyundai has continued to earn its stripes with an increasing number of police forces. Proof positive of how it is gaining a reputation as a hard-working member of many fleets is the order 58 Police Fleet Manager Jul-Aug 2012 by forces like Lancashire and Merseyside in North England for the latest i30 range in hatch and estate form for a variety of roles. This follows its success in the London Met where it has beaten off cars like the respected Astra. Hyundai — part of the same group as Kia — has been allowed to take the spotlight in the 999 market and had a good array of cars and soft roaders at the event. JAGUAR The rise of Jaguar has been nothing short of spectacular since enterprising Indian businessman Ratan Tata bought Britain's premier luxury car manufacturer from Ford. But it's not faring as well as expected in the tough conditions prevalent now – al- though big things are expected of its new XF 2.2-D (diesel) with the PSA (French) sourced diesel engine. On display was a 3.0 XF-D (diesel) and armored XJ Long Wheel Base (LWB). The loss of the baby Jag, its X type will be remedied by 2015 as a new model is prepped to take on rivals BMW, Audi and Mercedes in the lucrative mid-range premium saloon market. 'Protection without compromise' was the no-nonsense claim of its specialist-armored vehicle brochure with the firm hoping to build on small but significant sales with its armored XJ range. LAND ROVER Along with Jaguar, Land Rover has also seen a resurgence in the last two years with product led recovery very much a reason for its growth. The new Discovery has taken the mantle of the big- ger and more expensive Range Rover, while the Defender – soon to be replaced in a groundbreaking move by Land Rover — is