Mazda Wins Official Police Fleet Approval
by Tim Barnes-Clay, the man behind the wheel.
Date: 01 December 2010
MAZDA HAS been selected as an official provider of police vehicles for the first time after earning a place on the new National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) agreement.
The Japanese motor manufacturer has secured a place on the new four-year agreement in the category for the supply of ‘standard vehicles’, which covers vehicles used on covert and special operations.
It means that the UK’s 54 police forces have models such as the Mazda3, Mazda5, Mazda6 and CX-7 available to use when they buy off the agreement. Fire, NHS and coastguard services are also able to access the framework to purchase vehicles, the first time such a framework has been made available to all ‘blue-light’ services.
The new framework was developed in partnership with the National Association of Police Fleet Managers, the Association of Chief Officers and the Police Federation. The agreement helps consolidate the purchase of a range of different types of vehicle, from ‘beat car’ to high level ‘traffic’ specification.
The manufacturer believes that the Mazda3 MPS 2.3-litre (see LincsMag 'behind the wheel' archives or click Here, to see what our motoring correspondent, Tim Barnes-Clay, thought of the car) will prove to be the biggest seller to police forces due to its 260ps and 380Nm of torque, which propels the car to a limited top speed of 155mph. The car completes the zero to 62mph sprint in 6.1 seconds.
Peter Allibon, Mazda’s Fleet and Remarketing Director, added: “Our vehicle range and the driving dynamics and performance of our cars suit a wide cross section of requirements, which make them a good fit for police work.
“The cars will be used for a range of activities including motorway patrols, pursuit and urban driving. The Mazda3 MPS, particularly, will ensure that the police keep on the tail of many criminals.”
The Agency calculates that the new agreement is likely to save the police service over £3 million a year (compared to last year) on the cost of purchasing its motor vehicles. On average, the police service spends £83 million per year on about 5,600 vehicles across a number of makes and models.
