If you are planning to evade the Durban Metro Police any time soon, you’d better hope and pray that the pursuing officers are not driving one of the department’s new Volkswagen Golf GTIs.
The Durban Metro Police Service (DMPS) announced this weekend that it had acquired 50 brand new Golf GTIs, in addition to a fresh fleet of Isuzu D-Max and Ford Ranger bakkies.
It said these high-performance vehicles would significantly boost its response capabilities and help serve the community even more efficiently.
“With this new fleet, we are better equipped to keep our streets safe and respond swiftly when duty calls,” the DMPS said.
The current Golf 8 GTI was launched in South Africa in late 2021, and is powered by the familiar EA888 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine which oozes out 180kW and 370Nm. According to VWSA, it will sprint from 0-100km/h in just 6.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 250km/h.
The delivery of the GTIs sparked a debate on social media about whether the officers driving these high performance hatchbacks would have the necessary driving skills to safely handle them.
In response the DMPS acknowledged that equipping officers with the necessary skills was crucial, not only for their safety but also for maintaining respect on the roads.
“As part of the plans for the new police college, we’re looking to introduce advanced driver training to address exactly this concern. The goal is to have well-trained officers who can navigate complex situations on the roads while ensuring that the public is treated with respect and that vehicles are maintained properly to avoid unnecessary wear and tear,” the DMPS said.
The department said it was working to prevent any potential misuse of these vehicles, and urged the public to report any such incidences. It said any misuse, including using the vehicles for personal errands, was against its policies.
The Golf 8 GTI is currently priced from R816,100, excluding the necessary police equipment.
Interestingly a more powerful Golf ‘8.5’ GTI facelift model with 195kW on tap, was introduced internationally at the beginning of 2024, but at this stage the updated hatchback has yet to be confirmed for South African introduction.
IOL