The New South Wales Police has introduced the BMW X5 to its Highway Patrol fleet.
“Traffic and Highway Patrol Command in partnership with our Fleet Services Command have conducted a comprehensive testing and selection process that concluded with the BMW X5 being selected as the latest addition to the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command fleet of vehicles,” a NSW Police spokesperson told CarExpert.
“One X5 will now be deployed in Southern Region to finalise the field trial over the next six weeks, before a number of others enter operational service across the state as part of our normal vehicle replacement program for vehicles.
“The BMW X5 xDrive40i M Sport, which is an all-wheel drive, four-door wagon, is powered by a 3.0L turbo six cylinder engine.
“It was selected because it combines the capabilities and performance of a sedan with the stability, ground clearance and vantage posture of an SUV, allowing officers to attend jobs throughout the state no matter the weather and driving conditions, especially during the snow season.
“Consistent with our wider operational fleet, the X5 will be used in both marked and unmarked configurations.”
A photo posted to the New South Wales Police Vehicles Facebook page shows a BMW X5 in action in the Alpine area.
The one-off X5 had previously been spied in a Bankstown holding yard before taking its new post in the snowy region.
V8-powered Chrysler 300 SRT sedans feature prominently on the Highway Patrol fleet, but with this model discontinued for Australia (and exiting production in Canada), they’ll need to be replaced.
NSW Police’s selection of a petrol-powered X5 is in contrast with its colleagues to the south. Victoria Police uses diesel-powered BMW 530d models on its Highway Patrol fleet.
The X5 xDrive40i uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine producing 250kW of power and 450Nm of torque.
For 2024, it’s getting a bump in power and torque to 280kW and 520Nm, however the spied NSW example is a pre-update vehicle.
Alongside the German SUV, previous-generation Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series models have also been spied on patrol in the snowy region. These have been used as Public Riot Squad vehicles in the past, but have also been spied in Highway Patrol livery.
NSW Police also appears to have updated some of its fleet of utes with the introduction of the Isuzu D-Max.
We have reached out to NSW Police for comment, and to confirm whether these are replacing previous-generation Ford Ranger models on its fleet.
Currently NSW Police has a range of BMW 5 Series, Hyundai Santa Fe, Chrysler 300 SRT, and Kia Sorento models within its fleet.
