The Dodge Journey-based Fiat Freemont made its debut throughout Europe last summer. Sales have been rather slow in most countries but despite its American roots, Italians seem to have adopted it as their own. The Freemont boasts seating for seven and an all-wheel drive transmission, attributes found together in no other Italian car, be it by design or merely by the badge on the grille.
The Freemont is used primarily for hauling families and their gear but it might soon take on another vocation: Italian newspaper La Repubblica photographed an example in full police regalia.
The vehicle was reportedly ordered by the police for testing purposes. Before the end of the year, it will be put into service in a unspecified area of Italy and log a total of 200 hours of duty before the police decides whether or not it can be used as a patrol car.
A new type of siren is also being tested on the Freemont’s roof. It uses hundreds of LED lights and has a panel built into the middle of it which can flip up and display a message to motorists in the event of an emergency.
In Italy the Freemont is only available with Fiat’s 2.0 Multijet four-cylinder turbodiesel but buyers can choose between a 140 and a 170 horsepower version. The police mule is an all wheel-drive version of the latter.
The Freemont carries a base price of 25,920€ (approximately $36,731). It plays an important part in Fiat’s lineup because it replaced the Ulysse minivan, the Croma station wagon and the questionably-styled Multipla all at once.
References
1.’La Fiat Freemont…’ view
