2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit AWD better able to catch bad guys in the snow

With the Ford Crown Victoria out of the picture, automakers are in a fight for police car domination, and Dodge just upped the ante by adding an optional all-wheel drive system on the Charger Pursuit for 2014.

Previously, the Charger Pursuit was only available with rear-wheel drive, but adding the AWD system gives it an advantage over the rear-drive-only Chevrolet Caprice PPV and makes the car more marketable in Northern police fleets against the Ford Taurus-based Police Interceptor Sedan which also offers AWD. Dodge's system differs from Ford's mainly by being rear-wheel biased, but Chrysler also says that it features an active transfer case and a front axle disconnect system. These allow the Charger Pursuit to have great traction in slick road conditions and deliver optimal fuel economy in regular driving.

The new Charger AWD police car will only be available on the cars equipped with the V8 engine, and while Chrysler didn't announce fuel economy estimates, the regular Charger AWD gets 15 mpg city and 23 mpg highway. For top fuel economy, the Pentastar V6 is still available under the RWD Charger Pursuit's hood.

Chrysler's announcement of the Charger Pursuit AWD came on the same day that Ford announced the addition of the more powerful and more fuel-efficient 3.7-liter V6 to the Police Interceptor Sedan.

News Source: Chrysler