The latest Dodge->ke28 Charger Pursuit just spanked its two arch-rivals in another high-speed test session by the Michigan State Police, whose data and recommendations are highly regarded in the law enforcement community. And can you blame them for choosing the only model running a Hemi V-8 to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic?

You read that right. The latest Charger is not only on the police order books as a rear-drive V-6 and V-8, but now also with the V-8 to all four wheels.

This is big news because it effectively makes the Charger Pursuit as one of the fastest cars on American highways -- year round. With a powertrain and seamless AWD system offered for the V-8, the Charger is hotter than ever below its menacing panels.

No big changes outside since the 2012 refresh brought and updated nose and the full LED racetrack of brake lights in back. Even so, the numerous combinations of police-ready trims are enough to make even a grown man tinkle himself a little when viewed in the rearview mirror.

Such a mean grille surely lets any driver know that a big ticket is coming. Why? The Charger is most popular among money-generating State Highway Patrols versus the boring Tahoe and Taurus Interceptor PPV's run by suburban mall cops.

The big Charger Pursuit in your rearview means no chance of escape. The old Pursuit Hemi was able to char the freeways at 160 mph-plus top speed, with a 60 mph sprint now projected to be as low as 5.7 seconds for the AWD Hemi.

What red-blooded cop would turn down this as a daily driver?

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit, with details on its newly-available AWD on the potent Hemi V-8.

dodge-charger-pursuit

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: dodge-charger-pursuit
Pros
Cons

2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit
  • Engine/Motor: V6
  • Horsepower: 292 @ 6350
  • Torque: 260 @ 4800
  • Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Seeing any Charger is enough to make you lift off the throttle immediately when speeding. But seeing one in full battle spec is truly terrifying if you know how much you were speeding.

Despite lacking the full-frame grille of the Charger SRT, the Charger Pursuit looks far closer to the SRT than the humble rental-car specification that is so popular. The broad shoulders and almost Blues Brothers styling of the Charger looks like it was designed to wear the Panda paint from day one.

The additional LED lighting for all the red and blue flashers is unforgettable when waiting for your ticket. Brighter strobes than ever before seem like they could cause a seizure, but are effective at clearing traffic and being visible even in dense fog, rain or snow.

2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit - Base Police Prep Package

- Emergency equipment electrical system wire harness: Capable of providing the appropriate power, ground and fusing for a variety LED, lighting, siren, computer, modem, radar or camera systems. The wire harness integrates with both the Vehicle Systems Interference Module (VSIM) 24-way connector and the 12-pin connector that Chrysler Group provides at the console

- Power distribution center (PDC): Contains the fusing and relays for circuits contained in the wire harness. The PDC is supplied from the battery with two 100-amp main fuses. These fuses are separated in order to accommodate departments that wish to control some circuits with a timing device. For installers who want to use timer systems to prevent power drains on the battery, the PDC will accept the device’s output and channel it to the usual elements controlled by timers, including camera, computer, modem and printer systems

- Slide-out trunk tray: Provides a stable, easily accessible platform from which the installer can position and install electrical equipment. The trunk tray provides a 37.5-inch by 19-inch mounting surface for electrical and communications gear. Locking slides provide the movement, allowing a technician easier access to equipment mounted to the tray. An industry-first integral ground buss bar helps eliminate poor grounding, the most common equipment issue. The tray is adjustable and allows for a variety of equipment heights and needs

- Trunk air-circulation fan: Stabilizes trunk temperature in a relatively short period of time, helping all trunk-mounted electronic equipment to function properly by circulating heated or cooled air from the driver’s compartment into the trunk area

- Siren speaker: Provides a 100-watt siren driver that is certified to meet SAE Class A and California Title XIII requirements when matched with an appropriate siren amplifier. Given that the system is mounted behind the grille, the look of the vehicle remains clean, while the siren location does not impact engine cooling

2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit - MOPAR Accessories

- Push bumper

- Siren speaker and bracket

- Grille lights

- Front corner LED lights

- Rear corner LED lights

- Sidelights

- Visor lights

- Overhead light bar — full feature

- Overhead light bar — limited feature

- Rear deck lights — full width

- Rear deck lights

- Police floor console

- Can-com siren system

- All-weather floor mats

- Trunk tray

- Trunk cooling fan

- Spare-tire relocation bracket

- Front wire harness

- Rear wire harness

- Power distribution center

- Seven-way trailer-tow harness with four-pin adapter

- Horizontal or vertical vinyl graphics

Styling Detail

Interior

The interior of the 2014 model brings a handful of the latest tech and comfort goodies from across the rest of the Chrysler lineup. A better steering wheel now has multifunction controls, and the seats are still police-only versions of the normal Charger's seats.

What is different? Police seats generally have no lower side bolster support, because it can cause the officer's gun and tool belt to dig into his back.

The Police versions also offer a plate of steel in the backrest to keep bad guys from poking you with a stick. (Or much worse, for anyone familiar with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.)

Interior Detail

2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit - Quick-Order Package Options

- Base Prep Police Package: includes front and rear wire harness, power distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

- Patrol Package 1: includes police floor console, front-corner LED lamps, rear-corner LED lamps, front and rear wire harness, power-distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

- Patrol Package 2: includes police floor console, push bumper, front and rear wire harness, power-distribution center, siren speaker and bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

- Patrol Package 3: includes push bumper, police floor console, front corner LED lamps, rear corner LED lamps, front and rear wire harness, power distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk accessory cooling fan

- Slick Top Police Package 1: includes police floor console, front and rear wire harness, power-distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

- Slick Top Police Package 2: includes front-corner LED lamps, rear-corner LED lamps, front and rear wire harness, power distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

Drivetrain, Suspension and Brakes

The big news is the first AWD option on a police Charger. The AWD is available only on the larger 5.7-liter engine choice, while the base V-6 carries forward as a rear-drive model only.

This move to offering AWD is to counter the excellent all-weather traction of the Ford Taurus Interceptor and Explorer Interceptor.

Chevrolet is also offering 4x4 traction on the police Tahoe for the first time in 2014. The difference for the Charger will be much more confidence on the highways when raining or snowing. Scenarios and weather like this almost always causes pandemonium on highways, with police needed on scene almost without a break.

With the latest AWD traction, the Smokies will also be able to power through the medians even if they are covered in snow.

Performance for the Charger comes in two flavors of axle ratio's for both the V-6 and the V-8. Sprint pace to 60 mph ranges from a projected 7.5 seconds for the V-6 model with the 2.65-to-1 final drive ratio, down to just a projected 5.8 seconds for the AWD Hemi with a 3.07 final drive ratio.

For those with less knowledge about drive ratio's, the choice is a popular option on pickup trucks. A taller one helps high-speed economy, while a shorter on improves sprint performance.

The quicker ratio is about a half-second improvement to 60 mph, so definitely worthwhile to get the 3.07 configuration.

2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit - Performance Details:

Engine

3.6-liter 24-valve V-6 With Chain-Driven DOHC

5.7-liter 16-valve V-8 With Cylinder On Demand

5.7-liter 16-valve V-8 With Cylinder On Demand

Transmission

8-Speed Auto

8-Speed Auto

8-Speed Auto

Powertrain Layout

Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive

Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive

Front-engine, All-wheel-drive

Power

292 @ 6,350

370 @ 5,250

370 @ 5,250

Torque

260 @ 4,800

395 @ 4,200

395 @ 4,200

0-60 mph (seconds)

7.8, est

6.3, est

5.7, est

Top Speed

141, est

161, est

161, est

EPA Fuel Economy MPG (City/Highway/Combined)

18/27/NA

16/25/NA

15/23/NA


Safety

The Charger Pursuit is now available with rear backup sensors, which will be helpful in keeping the department's repair costs low. Besides that, most of the latest active safety options from the civilian Charger are not available on the Pursuit.

2014 Dodge Charger Pursuit - Safety Features:

- Advanced multistage front air bags

- Electronic stability control (ESC) with brake assist

- Enhanced accident response

- Exterior mirrors with supplemental signals

- Four-wheel traction control

- Hill-start Assist (HSA)

- Illuminated entry, glove box lamp and LED lighting

- ParkSense front and rear park assist system

- Power front windows with one-touch up/down and power locks

- Rain Brake Support

- Ready Alert Braking

- Remote proximity keyless entry

- Remote start system

- Security alarm

- Supplemental front seat side air bag

- Supplemental side curtain front/rear air bags

- Tire-pressure monitoring (TPM) display

Pricing and Availability

The Charger Pursuit is highly affordable. Without the civilian car's better radio and extra features, the Charger Pursuit in 2013 started from just $22,000.

Adding the V8 Hemi and AWD will take the price up considerably, but still nowhere near the $40,000-plus that is the base price of the SRT Charger.

Competition

Ford Taurus Police Interceptor

The Taurus Interceptor comes as a standard front-drive sedan with a 3.7-liter V-6 or the hot EcoBoost AWD version that has Taurus SHO-like performance.

Both are doing great in the sales charts, with far more police stations finding their front or AWD traction, relatively tough mechanicals and decent fuel economy are worthwhile things to have.

Chevrolet Caprice PPV

The Caprice earns some cool points because it is a LEO car, meaning only law enforcement agencies can buy one. Not many are able to until Chevy starts making it in the United States versus Australia, but it does feature the stomping 6.0-liter, V-8 in its top specification. Power only goes to the rear wheels, though, making it quite a handful in the snow.

Conclusion

So for the ultimate in Blue Brothers re-enactments: you will need to get some dark and dirty blue suits, dark sunglasses, and about 250 of these Charger Pursuit's right behind your old boat on a mad dash to Chicago from Joliet Prison in Illinois.

But this time, the Dodge->ke28 cruisers will not be piling up on Lower Wacker drive in a massive collision. Instead, the 2014 perp will be nailed before he even hits the city limits.