Toyota works with police to adapt Corolla for ‘blue light’ service

Toyota has unveiled its latest blue light recruit, the Corolla, having worked with several forces over the past two years to ensure the patrol car meets the requirements of police fleets.

It recently hosted more than 20 constabularies at its Burnaston plant in Derbyshire, the production centre for all European Corolla models.

A dedicated team at Burnaston’s Special Vehicle Operations Division carries out the conversion work.

Using Toyota’s production facilities and with the benefit of the technicians’ expertise, the project has achieved significant economies of scale that help drive down costs, says Toyota.

Production capacity is expected to expand to 15 vehicle conversions per week.

Richard Kenworthy, MD at Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK), said: “We have worked with all divisions of Toyota in the UK and various constabularies, which has enabled us to build on their feedback and requirements.

“Ensuring that we applied standard Toyota practices for the work means we have been able to deliver a vehicle that meets the police forces’ stringent requirements.

“The adoption of Corolla by the police is testament to the efforts our employees invest in every vehicle that comes off our production line.

“We are proud that our Corolla is now one of the vehicles of choice for the police.”

Key features of the police-specification vehicle include: built-in satellite navigation, parking sensors and a dog guard for the load compartment; oof-mounted lightbar, exterior and interior illumination; and secondary battery equipment and control systems built to withstand impact forces.

Additional features include siren, radio system support and livery options.

To ensure the finished vehicle is fit for the job, the Police Authority Specification Corolla was subjected to extensive testing, including the Metropolitan Police’s own rigorous test programme, which it passed with flying colours.

The vehicle is now available to police forces across the UK. Two versions of the Touring Sports hybrid model are offered: the 1.8-litre Active and the 2.0-litre Icon.