The new Subarus will replace the aging Kia Stingers and Volkswagen Passats.
Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) is upgrading its police fleet to Subaru WRXs. The Northern Territory Police, Fire, and Emergency Services (NTPFES) has acquired 13 new Subaru WRXs for its Traffic Police Unit, which will be distributed territory-wide in the coming weeks. The first of these purpose-built patrol units debuted in the capital city of Darwin.
These aren’t standard Subarus. The patrol cars are equipped with emergency lights, a dual-battery system, a rifle mount with an electronic release, automatic license plate recognition software, advanced speed radar, and a lightbar with a messaging board. The police-spec WRXs can reach speeds of up to 155 mph, compared to the standard WRX’s top speed of 134 mph, according to Car and Driver. Each police WRX costs around $45,000 USD ($70,000 AUD), while a new WRX RS in Australia starts at about $38,000 USD ($58,534 AUD).
“Designed by Police themselves, this latest addition to the Force’s arsenal of resources is another example of Police and the Lawler Labor Government working hand in hand to lower crime,” said Brent Potter, Minister for Police, in a press release. “These vehicles have been designed to have everything an officer could want or need to do their job efficiently and safely.”
The NT covers more than half a million square miles, making it the third-largest federal division in Australia. Despite the vast territory, the area is sparsely populated, with more than half of the population living in Darwin.
The new WRXs will replace the aging Kia Stingers and Volkswagen Passats in the high-performance fleet. The fleet will total 29 vehicles once the Subarus are added. The Stingers themselves had replaced the outgoing Holden Commodore SS. There is no information on the specific WRX trim or any additional engine or tech modifications. This leaves one wondering about the other half of the police units, perhaps featuring sensible hot hatches like the Hyundai i30 N.
