2014 Ford E150 Cargo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford announces first non-pursuit-rated police car ever

Ford announced its first non-pursuit-rated Police Interceptor ever, based on the Taurus, which employs the smaller 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine in place of similar pursuit-rated Police Interceptors powered by naturally aspirated 3.5-liter and 3.7-liter V6s and the top-spec 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Officially called the Special Service Police sedan, the car was commissioned at the request of law-enforcement agencies that desire a more fuel-efficient vehicle for detectives, administrators and campus police, who don't necessarily need pursuit-rated vehicles.
The 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine produces 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, but more importantly, it allows the SSP sedan to achieve somewhere in the neighborhood of 22 miles per gallon city and 32 mpg highway, which are the civilian 2.0-liter Taurus' official EPA ratings. Ford estimates that the SSP sedan will get 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined, with the help of Active Grille Shutters that open to allow more cooling air through to the radiator, or close to optimize aerodynamics and fuel economy. Those numbers compare favorably to the discontinued Crown Victoria-based Interceptor's 14 mpg city and 21 mpg highway and the newer Taurus-based cars equipped with V6s, the most fuel efficient of which gets 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.
If it was driven 90,000 miles over the course of three years, a 2.0-liter SSP sedan would save law enforcement agencies $5,042.92 versus the Crown Vic, Ford estimates. The EPA is expected to post official fuel-economy numbers for the SSP sedan in December. Until then, read the press release below for more information.

New GMC Canyon, Ford Bronco Heritage Editions and Nissan Z | Autoblog Podcast #743

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Producer Christopher McGraw. They kick off the podcast with news. Ford launched retro-themed Heritage Editions for its 2023 Bronco and Bronco Sport lineup. GMC unveiled the 2023 Canyon, complete with a ZR2-based AT4X trim. Some rare, vintage American cars were stolen and destroyed in England. Chris loves sleeping in cars, and tells us how to turn a car into a camper for less than $100. Next, our hosts talk about what they've been driving from the Autoblog test fleet, including the new Nissan Z (which Chris slept in), Mercedes EQS 450 and VW Atlas. Finally, they reference a recent Autoblog Reddit AMA for a unique "Spend My Money" format. They help one participant pick a sub-$40,000 sports car, and another choose a JDM sports car to import to the U.S. when they move back from Japan. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #743 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Heritage Editions join 2023 Bronco, Bronco Sport lineups 2023 GMC Canyon revealed with new ZR2-based AT4X trim Thieves steal and demolish two classic American cars in the U.K. Turn your car into a comfortable camper for less than $100 Cars we're driving 2023 Nissan Z ... Can you catch some z's in it? 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+ 2022 Volkswagen Atlas Spend My Money: Reddit edition Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Question of the Day: Worst year of the Malaise Era?

The Malaise Era for cars in the United States spanned the 1973 through 1983 model years, and featured such abominations as a Corvette with just 205 horsepower (from the optional engine!) and MGBs with suspensions jacked way up to meet new headlight-height requirements. There were many low points throughout this gloomy period, of course. The horrifyingly low power and fuel-economy numbers for big V8s during the middle years of the Malaise Era make a strong case for 1974 or 1975— the years of Nixon's resignation and the Fall of Saigon, respectively— as the most Malaisey years. But then the GM-pummeling debacles of the Chevy Citation and Cadillac Cimarron could make an early-1980s year the low point. 1979, the year of the ignominious Chrysler bailout? You choose! Related Video: