Dodge Reveals New Charger Pursuit Vehicle and Ford Still Has No Answer

Wild_Seager image via Shutterstock
Wild_Seager image via Shutterstock

Dodge shelved the last Hemi V8 police Charger back in 2023.

Three years and one Ford refusal later, Dodge just rolled a very different Charger onto the Daytona show floor.

That new Charger swaps the Hemi for something cops have never had under the hood before.

Dodge Was the Last Automaker Standing in the Police Sedan Business

The 2027 Dodge Charger PPV broke cover on the track at Daytona International Speedway during Police Fleet Expo's ride-and-drive day on August 10, 2026.

Dodge Law rolled the prototype out for law enforcement agencies to walk around, sit in, and pepper with questions.

Nobody else showed up with anything like it.

Ford stopped building its Taurus-based Police Interceptor sedan back in 2019.

General Motors killed the Caprice PPV back in 2017.

CarBuzz has asked Ford directly whether a factory Mustang pursuit car is coming, and Ford keeps giving the same answer – it's not happening.

That leaves Dodge as the only manufacturer on earth still building a purpose-made police sedan.

CEO Matt McAlear put it about as plainly as a car executive ever will.

"It's absolutely part of the plan," McAlear said, pointing to talks already underway with the California Highway Patrol and Michigan State Police on setting the pursuit standard.

"It's always taken a Charger to catch a Charger, and it's not something we're walking away from."

The Hurricane Six Puts Up Numbers the Hemi Never Touched

The old Charger Pursuit ran a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 good for 370 horsepower.

The new PPV drops the V8 entirely for a twin-turbo 3.0-liter Hurricane inline-six.

Standard output is 420 horsepower and 468 lb-ft of torque.

Departments that want more can spec the high-output version at 550 horsepower and 531 lb-ft.

Both engines pair with an 8-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive, with a selectable rear-wheel-drive mode for officers who need it.

Dodge added extra engine and transmission coolers so the drivetrain can handle back-to-back pursuits without cooking itself.

Inside, the big center console is gone to make room for radios and computer mounts.

The pistol-grip shifter and push-button start stayed put.

A reinforced partition splits the front seats from the back, and Dodge boxed off a separate storage section for gear so it stays clear of anyone riding in cuffs.

A roof-mounted light bar with integrated front and rear lighting finishes the package.

What Two Hundred Horsepower More Means for Departments and Speed Traps

A 550-horsepower Hurricane six beats the old Hemi by 180 horsepower, and it does it without a single cylinder deactivation gimmick or a drop of premium-only babying.

That is not a small bump for anyone who has watched a suspect's Charger, Challenger, or tuned import outrun a Crown Vic on a two-lane highway.

Dodge is not chasing a muscle-car halo here – it is chasing reliability at triple-digit speeds for eight-hour shifts, which is exactly what a fleet buyer actually pays for.

Mopar Nation Just Got Its Interceptor Back

Dodge did not just replace a discontinued model, it walked into an empty room and turned the lights back on.

Orders are reportedly opening in summer 2027, and every department that ever bragged about running Chargers now gets a faster one with a warranty instead of a decade-old holdover from the fleet lot.

For Mopar fans who spent the last three years mourning the Hemi cop car, the message from Daytona is simple – the Charger badge on a black-and-white is not going anywhere, and now it can outrun the last generation without breaking a sweat.

Sources:

  • Aaron Turpen, "Dodge Charger PPV Breaks Cover At Police Fleet Expo 2026," MoparInsiders, August 2026.
  • CarBuzz Staff, "Dodge Is Giving Law Enforcement The Police Car Ford Refuses To Build," CarBuzz, August 2026.
  • Autoblog Staff, "Dodge Is Bringing the Charger Back as a Police Car, This Time Without a V8," Autoblog, August 2026.
  • Detroit News Staff, "Dodge Charger Police Pursuit Vehicle Displayed at Law Enforcement Expo," The Detroit News, August 13, 2026.
  • IBTimes UK Staff, "Dodge Charger Police Vehicle Prototype Breaks Cover Ahead of Reported Summer 2027 Order Launch," IBTimes UK, August 2026.

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