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Strong on-road presence

The Queensland Police Service has added Toyota's new Aurion Sportivo SX6 and Prodigy V6 large cars to its fleet of operational and support vehicles. Queensland Police chose the Aurion after undertaking extensive tests at its Mount Cotton driver training centre.

Toyota provided an Aurion for testing prior to the car's launch, allowing Queensland Police to not only evaluate the car's braking, cornering and handling performance, but also test its compatibility for internal fittings, lights and sirens.

Inspector Maurice Poiner, Queensland Police's Officer in Charge of Transport, said the Aurion provided the service with an alternative to the V6 cars they traditionally select from. "We were very interested in looking at the Aurion when we first heard about it," Inspector Poiner said. "In testing it was very well received by the members of the driver training unit. It met all our needs. Therefore, we are more than willing to put it in the field."

Inspector Poiner said the Aurion's front-wheel drive design with Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control and anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist made it well suited to the rigours of police work. "The front-wheel drive Aurion meets the demands of police work and has a number of advantages in high density public areas."

Queensland Police will use the Sportivo SX6 in both marked and unmarked roles, while the Prodigy will be used by police management for non-active duties.

Toyota Queensland's Government Fleet Sales Manager Les Calvert said the Aurion police cars have a strong on-road presence and that Queensland Police's selection was a great endorsement of the new model. The addition of Aurion expands Queensland Police's existing Toyota fleet that includes HiLux, HiAce, Coaster and LandCruiser 70, 100 and Prado.

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