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Volvo XC70 Debut As Frontline Police Cars On The Isle Of Wight

31 May 2005

Three new Volvo XC70 AWD estate cars have been delivered to Hampshire Constabulary's Isle of Wight police force. The Volvos are the first of a new range of frontline police patrol cars for use by the Isle of Wight Basic Command Unit (BCU). The BCU now has four new Volvo XC70 AWD estate vehicles in its fleet.

Carrying the new 'Battenburg' style police livery, the XC70s are the latest police cars Volvo has supplied to Hampshire Constabulary during a 40 year relationship. The Isle of Wight police force also has two Volvo V70 estates currently on its Roads Policing Unit fleet.

The XC70s, which are all equipped with weapon containment storage facilities, are powered by Volvo's five cylinder, 163bhp D5 turbodiesel engine with All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and automatic transmission. They were specially chosen because of their ability to cope equally well with tarmac roads, motorways and off road farm tracks, which makes them perfectly versatile for the island's mix of town and rural areas.

Police officers from the Island and Hampshire Constabulary's Driver Training department have previously evaluated the cars to assess their handling and performance.

Hampshire Constabulary's Fleet Manager, John Bradley, says, "The new Volvo XC70 cars will provide Isle of Wight officers with an extremely versatile vehicle that is equally at home on motorways as it is traversing an off-road farm track.

"Our history with Volvo clearly shows that they are one of the major players in the police fleet business. Their products have evolved over many years and are robust and ideally suited to a policing environment.

"The Isle of Wight BCU has unique policing needs and is the first to be provided with this particular vehicle. There are however plans to introduce more XC70's across the force in the foreseeable future."

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