New Zealand Police have selected the Skoda Superb as the new frontline car.

The move to a new vehicle was prompted by Holden owner General Motors announcing it was pulling Holden out of the Australasian market.

Police said they received submissions for 27 vehicles from seven suppliers for the testing for a new primary response car.

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Two Skoda Superb models stood out as ideal cars, and police said the first batch were expected to hit the roads in April 2021.

Patrol vehicles in the existing fleet would be replaced when they reached the end of their useful life, at a rate of around 400 per year.

Police have more than 2000 primary response vehicles in action.

Police will be using station wagons as they offer greater flexibility for deployment and were the preferred body type.

Police commissioner Andrew Coster said the new vehicles would help reduce the police fleet's carbon footprint.

"When compared to our current fleet, CO2 emissions per kilometre could be reduced by up to 38.6 percent per vehicle, depending on what is being replaced," he said.

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What will happen to the Holdens?

Police cars are considered for replacement at an average age of six to seven years - or once they reach 120,000km, whichever comes first.

Holden will still be able to service police vehicles for 10 years, but if a Holden agent isn't available, they'll keep the cars serviced while they are still in the fleet.

Reporting by RNZ

Republished by Arrangement