2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit

2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit - With Mopar Goodies - Revealed

The 2012 Charger Pursuit targets the 2011 Ford Police Interceptor, which is slated to go on sale in early 2012.

The 2012 Charger Pursuit can be equipped with either a 292-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 or a 370-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8. In comparison, the Taurus-based Ford Police Interceptor gets either the standard 263-hp 3.5-liter V6 or the optional 365-hp EcoBoost V6.

Dodge and Mopar are offering six new police-equipment packages for the 2012 Charger Pursuit. The packages feature emergency lighting, audible warning, communications and safety equipment. In addition to the packages, Mopar is offering 24 parts for the police vehicle, including a push bumper, trunk cooling fan and grille lights. Pricing has not been released.

"Our partnership with Mopar to produce these six police packages takes the car to the next level by allowing our customers to customize their cruisers to meet their specific needs," said Reid Bigland, Dodge Brand president and CEO in a statement.

The battle between Ford and Chrysler to provide the fleet for law enforcement may come down to fuel economy — not high performance -- in an era of financial cutbacks. Chrysler noted that the base 2012 Charger Pursuit returns 27 mpg on the highway. The EPA has yet to rate the car.

Ford said in a statement earlier this year that its new Interceptor "can save America's law enforcement agencies millions of dollars a year in fuel costs."

While Ford has yet to reveal fuel economy numbers on the Interceptor, it said that it expects a gain of "20 to 25 percent over the (outgoing) Ford Crown Victoria police car." That model, which is equipped with a 250-hp 4.6-liter V8, is rated at 14 mpg in city driving and 21 mpg on the highway.

The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge on Wednesday said the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline stood at $3.65 versus $2.68 a year ago.