Kia Stinger sworn in as Queensland police patrol car

The Queensland police force has signed off on Kia’s Stinger as its official new highway patrol car.

Fifty twin-turbocharged V6 Stingers will begin replacing locally-built versions of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon from this week, charged with everything from speed monitoring to pursuits and being the first on scene at accidents.

The Stinger, which produces a credible 272kW and offers performance features including launch control, got the nod after an extensive decision making process.

Whereas other states including Victoria and NSW have opted for European weaponry or American V8s, the Stinger won the final vote in Queensland after testing that included a track evaluation.

“It was not a big step at all once we had begun the investigation process,” said Queensland police minister Mark Ryan.

“Reading what the experts had to say and seeing how efficiently the Stinger was changing minds and perceptions once people had been exposed to it … it was not a difficult decision.

“You often hear police ministers talking about providing the best equipment for those at the coal face. In this case I truly believe we have been able to do that.”

To regular buyers, the V6-powered 330S Stinger starts from $48,990 and comes with a seven-year warranty and seven-year capped-price servicing. However, a considerable fleet discount would apply to the Queensland police, which ultimately intends on deploying 200 Stingers across its road network.

“The final overall evaluation and review included the very important aspect of maintenance and cost. The Stinger performed very well in all areas and we had nothing but top reports from all the field officers,” said assistant commissioner Mike Keating.

“The result is a road policing first for us, the first foreign car to perform these duties.”

Kia Motors Australia chief executive Damien Meredith described the outcome as a “watershed moment” for the marque in Australia.

“This level of public exposure and endorsement from a high profile government utility is something which wouldn’t have been on the radar just a few years ago,” said Meredith. “It is just a beginning, but a very important one for us.”

Along with the Stinger, BMW 5 Series and Chrysler 300 SRT, state forces have begun employing foreign general duties vehicles including the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota Camry.