K eep an eye out on the highways and byways of NZ , as the local constabulary are now moving away from the Holden Commodore we ’ ve long associated with them and are moving into new , and rather European , territory . The NZ Police are now the proud owners of European Škoda patrol cars after the department ’ s longstanding relationship with the Holden Commodore ended with the brand ’ s demise last year . Police had to go to the market for a new fleet supplier after Holden was shut down by General Motors last year . The Škoda was selected from a group of seven manufacturer ’ s cars in November 2020 following a rigorous evaluation process . “ For frontline staff , their vehicles are their primary place of work . The Škoda Superb provides a safer , more comfortable environment for them while being value for money and reducing our carbon emissions across the fleet ,” says Commissioner of Police , Andrew Coster . There are more than 2000 primary response vehicles currently in the Police fleet , all of which will be replaced when they reach the end of their useful life . The first 101 Škodas will be rolled out before the end of June with a further 386 scheduled to hit the road by the end of the year . Police will use two versions of the Superb as patrol vehicles , depending on operational requirements - the 162kW two-wheel drive and the 206kW four-wheel drive . Both will be station wagons , which provide greater flexibility for deployment and were preferred by staff . “ Compared to our current fleet , the 162kW will decrease CO2 emissions from 180.7 grams per kilometre to 162 , while the 206kW model will reduce emissions to about 176 grams per kilometre , says Coster . “ We ’ re committed to reducing our carbon emissions even further and , as part of our tenyear plan to achieve an emissions-free fleet , we ’ ve begun discussions with Skoda around what opportunities there may be in the future . “ While not currently a viable option for our fleet , hybrid technology continues to develop and open up further opportunities .” The full rollout of the new cars is expected to take four years .