Holden and the Victoria Police have joined forces to develop Australia's newest divisional van, allowing up to five police to safely attend duties in one vehicle for the first time.

Using Holden's four-door Crewman V6 ute as a platform, a 10-person Holden project team worked closely with the Victoria Police and the Australian Centre for Policing Research (ACPR) for 18 months to develop a safer, more reliable divisional van to national police specifications.

The Victoria Police selected the Crewman as the base for its new divisional van following its release in 2003. Able to carry up to five people in the cabin and two in the custom-designed rear section, the Crewman meets the rigorous demands of police duties with optimum driver and passenger safety.

Region 3 (North West) Assistant Commissioner Gary Jamieson congratulated Holden for its work in producing a vehicle that suited police needs and was packed with safety features.

"The design of the Victoria Police Holden Divisional Van provides cutting edge engineering and design that will help save lives," he said.

The Crewman is powered by Holden's new generation Alloytec V6 and combines sedan-style comfort and performance with heavy duty carrying capacity.

The Crewman is the first utility vehicle to be given a Silver Functional Classification by the Victoria Police, clearing it to perform operations at speeds of up to 150 km/h. Only the Holden Commodore SS and SV6 of the Holden range of police vehicles are given a higher functional classification, allowing them to travel at greater speeds.

Holden Director Sales, Megan Stooke, said Holden was proud of its long-standing partnership with the Police, particularly in Victoria.

"We've been working with the Police for five decades, but the Crewman-based divisional van project takes the relationship to a new level," she said.

"It once again demonstrates the capability of our design and engineering team to work with local suppliers to develop innovative products for specific market needs."

Holden currently supplies 80 per cent of Police passenger vehicles, including the Commodore SS and SV6 for pursuit and general duties. The two organisations work in close consultation to continually increase the safety and utility of police vehicles.

Holden hopes to supply more than 800 Crewman Prisoner Transport vehicles annually to police departments nationally. The Victoria Police has already confirmed orders and Holden is now working with other states and organisations to produce test vehicles.

Background Information
The maintenance of a low centre of gravity was a crucial factor in the design of the Crewman's rear cargo pod. Seats are moulded low into the tub liner and the overall height of the rear section was kept to 1800mm to ensure access to buildings and sites with low clearance.

To prepare the Crewman for police duties, Holden specified a limited slip differential, ABS, 15-inch steel wheels with 215/65 R 15 C Bridgestone tyres, sump guard, dual horns and driver, passenger and side airbags. A heavy-duty battery and alternator and auxiliary wiring support the additional lights and equipment. Crewman creature comforts such as air conditioning, front and rear power windows, rear parking sensors and cruise control are included.

Interior lighting can be manually controlled via console switches. This means all interior lights can be turned off, even when opening the doors or glovebox, important for surveillance work, and map reading lights can also be operated independently.

The speedometer has a 'trap speed' function that allows the driver to display the vehicle's travelling speed on the instrument display. The function is used by police to check the speed of other road users and can be referred to when approaching speeding drivers.

Crewman Divisional Van Features

• Custom designed rear pod with moulded seats
• Dome and map reading lights, including interior 'lights out' function
• Police certified instrument cluster, including 'trap speed' function
• Black instrument panel
• Driver, passenger and side impact airbags
• Anti-lock brakes
• Limited slip differential
• Four-speed automatic transmission with modified gate selector
• Heavy duty 600 CCA battery
• 120 AMP alternator
• Dual horns
• Sump guard
• Rear parking sensors
• 7.0 JJ x 15-inch steel wheels
• 215/65 15 C Bridgestone tyres
• Air conditioning
• Cruise control
• Power windows front and rear