BMW X5 earns its stripes as NSW Police highway patrol vehicle, as the V8’s time is up

It's the beginning of the end for V8 highway patrol police cars in Australia, as the first batch of BMW X5 SUVs earns its stripes to replace the ageing fleet of Chrysler SRT sedans.

The BMW X5 has turbocharged six-cylinder petrol power – but V8-like performance – and has the benefit of all-wheel-drive grip.

It will serve alongside high performance versions of the BMW 5 Series sedan which have turbocharged six-cylinder diesel power.

The addition of the BMW X5 SUV to supplement the BMW 5 Series sedan as part of the NSW Police fleet brings the jurisdiction in line with Victoria, where this combination of highway patrol cars has been in service for several years.

The Chrysler SRT V8 sedan accounts for about one-third of the NSW Police highway patrol fleet, but has been plagued by mechanical faults from day one.

Highway patrol officers have nicknamed the vehicle "The Valiant", a nod to its Chrysler heritage and sketchy reliability.

Drive understands at least a dozen different brands and types of vehicles were considered to replace the Chrysler SRT V8 sedan – including an electric car.

However no other vehicles tested to date have been able to meet the demands of daily highway patrol work.

The special 'police pack' BMW vehicles come from the factory ready to have emergency equipment installed – and have an electrical system upgrade and are equipped with high performance brakes.

Equally important as acceleration is the stringent series of brake tests that prospective NSW Police highway patrol vehicles must pass.

The BMW X5 also gives officers a better vantage point of the traffic ahead, and will make it easier to spot drivers using a mobile phone or vehicle occupants not wearing seatbelts.

The higher seating position in the BMW X5 also gives officers improved safety should their car be T-boned by a red-light runner, for example, as they're sitting taller than they would in a low-slung sedan.

The first of what is expected to be more than 100 examples of the BMW X5 for NSW Police has been deployed to the Snowy Mountains region in the state's south where its all-wheel-drive grip will be well suited to slippery alpine roads.

The BMW X5 has been in the planning for more than a year. Eagle-eyed car enthusiasts spotted the vehicle a few weeks ago in a secure compound where it was undergoing speedometer calibration tests (pictured above).

Drive understands the BMW X5 will gradually replace the remaining Chrysler SRT V8 sedans across the state, of which approximately 150 remain.

Once the final Chrysler hands in its stripes a year or two from now, it will be the last V8 highway patrol car in Australia.

After decades of Australian-made V8-powered Holden and Ford pursuit cars – which were discontinued when local manufacturing ended in 2017 and 2016 respectively – police have had to search far and wide for suitable replacements that offer the same performance, roominess and braking capability.

South Korean car maker Kia was holding out some hope that NSW might add the twin-turbo V6 Stinger to its fleet – joining Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

However, the Kia Stinger was dropped from the list after it became apparent the vehicle's manufacturing cycle would be cut short due to waning demand for the car globally.

Photo credit: NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Facebook page and Victoria Police Vehicles Facebook page.