Yahoo Autos Rosco’s Stoked: New Dodge Durango Pursuit!
Perhaps if Rosco P. Coltrane had driven a Ramcharger SUV, them Duke Boys wouldn’t have gotten one over on him so many times with their nigh-magical ‘Federate Dodge. ‘Ol Rosco, if still alive (actor James Best passed away in 2015 at 88), has probably retired, but the hand of the law in Hazzard County might well make some use of the new Dodge Durango Pursuit.
Propelled by the 5.7-liter version of Chrysler’s Hemi V-8 with 360 horsepower, the Durango Pursuit features all-wheel drive via an honest-to-Cooter two-speed transfer case, brakes that Dodge claims will haul it down from 60 mph in 134 feet, and 7200 pounds of towing capability. Its maker also likes to point out that the Durango’s three-zone automatic climate-control system is K-9–friendly, although we didn’t figure them for Doctor Who types. We suppose the reboot really did cross a lot of cultural borders. There’s a 220-amp alternator for running fuzz lights and recharging one’s sonic screwdriver, an 800-cold-cranking-amp battery for long stakeouts, and a heavy-duty oil cooler and water pump for keeping the Hemi cool while chasing moonshining Time Lords.
For departments that are already running the Charger Pursuit and seeking a measure of parts commonality, the Durango Pursuit makes a lot of sense-there’s even a Ram-brand cop pickup running the same Hemi/AWD drivetrain.
With the demise of the Holden-based Caprice PPV, Chevrolet no longer offers both an SUV and a sedan that is pursuit-rated (it sells an Impala for detective/patrol uses, but its performance doesn’t measure up to the “pursuit” label). Ford currently offers both in the forms of its Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility and Taurus-based Interceptor Sedan, but with Dearborn setting its sedan range sailing off into the sunset like Bo and Luke in a police box, it seems likely that this new SUV will make Dodge the only brand still offering such a one-two po-po punch. The only question is, will ol’ Boss pony up?
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