Dodge May Be Bringing the Charger Back as a Police Pursuit Car
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Dodge May Be Bringing the Charger Back as a Police Pursuit Car

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Dodge appears to be preparing a new police version of the current Charger, and honestly, this is one return that makes a lot of sense.

A Charger fitted for police duty was recently shown at the Police Fleet Expo in Daytona Beach, Florida. While Dodge has not officially confirmed all the details yet, the car looked much closer to a real police vehicle than a simple display concept.

The timing is interesting because police departments have fewer traditional performance cars to choose from than they used to.

A Charger Built for Police Work

The Charger shown at the event was fitted with several pieces of police equipment, including emergency lights, radio equipment, a laptop setup and a divider between the front and rear seats.

There is also a separate divider around the cargo area, giving officers a dedicated place to store equipment.

Under the hood, the big question is which version of Dodge’s Hurricane inline-six engine will be used.

The current Charger can be offered with versions producing around 420 horsepower or 550 horsepower. Either would give the police version considerably more power than the previous Charger Pursuit, which used a V8 producing 370 horsepower.

The new police Charger is also expected to use all-wheel drive, while police-specific changes could include stronger suspension parts and extra cooling for the engine and transmission.

Why Dodge Could Have an Opportunity Here

For years, police departments in the U.S. had several traditional car options.

That has changed.

Ford no longer produces its Taurus-based police sedan, Chevrolet’s Caprice PPV is gone, and the previous-generation Charger Pursuit ended when production of that Charger generation stopped.

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That has pushed many departments toward SUVs, trucks and other larger vehicles.

Those vehicles are useful, but a fast car still has advantages for certain police duties, especially highway patrol and high-speed response.

This could give Dodge an opening.

The current Charger is already a large car, has plenty of power and can be equipped with all-wheel drive. Turning it into a police vehicle therefore doesn’t seem like a huge stretch.

But This May Not Be the Final Police Charger

There is one important detail here: Dodge has not fully confirmed that the displayed vehicle is the final production Charger Pursuit.

The car shown at the event still had some features that don’t look ideal for everyday police use, including regular cloth seats and carpeting.

That suggests Dodge may have been using the vehicle mainly to show police departments what could be done with the Charger rather than presenting a completely finished production model.

Reports suggest a police version could become available for ordering around summer 2027, but Dodge has not officially confirmed that date.

Our Take

I think bringing the Charger back into police service is a smart move for Dodge.

Police departments haven’t suddenly stopped needing fast cars. The market simply moved heavily toward SUVs and trucks because those vehicles are more practical for many jobs.

The Charger could offer something different: a proper performance-oriented police car with plenty of room and modern technology.

And there is another interesting part of this story.

Ford has already shown that a Mustang can be adapted for police work, but a factory-built Mustang pursuit car isn’t currently part of Ford’s plans. That could leave Dodge with a pretty clear opportunity if it can get the new Charger properly tested and approved.

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For now, though, I wouldn’t call this a confirmed 2027 police Charger just yet.

It’s better to look at what appeared at Daytona as Dodge showing police departments what the new Charger could become.

If Dodge gets it right, we could soon start seeing a familiar name returning to police duty.

What do you think? Would you rather see police departments using Chargers, Mustangs, or the SUVs and trucks that dominate police fleets today?

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