Speeding drivers in Queensland, Australia, will need to keep their eyes out for Kia Stingers now because the police force there will acquire a fleet of the South Korean performance saloons to replace the existing fleet of Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons. The first 50 of them will begin patrolling the roads this week, and there will eventually be around 200 of them in the fleet.

Take a look at these unconventional police cars:

The highway patrol Stingers gain a light bar on the roof and police graphics. While there are no photos of the interior, the saloons are likely full of law enforcement equipment. Under the bonnet, they pack the 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 that pumps out 365 bhp and 376 lb-ft. In stock trim, the Kia can reach 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of 167 mph .

'The Stinger performed very well in all areas and we had nothing but top reports from all the field officers,' Assistant Commissioner (Road Policing Command) Mike Keating told News.com.au. 'The result is a road policing first for us, the first foreign car to perform these duties.'

Since Holden and Ford no longer have factories in Australia, the highway patrol's tried and true Commodores and Falcons are no longer available. This means that police forces there need to decide on new vehicles for highway patrol duty. Kia sees this vacuum and is trying to use the opportunity to establish itself as a cop car supplier, according to News.com.au.

While 365 bhp should be plenty for chasing down bad guys, consumers may soon be able to get an even more powerful Stinger. Rumours indicate that a model with over 400 bhp and a revised suspension could join the range eventually.

Source: News.com.au

Gallery: Kia Stinger Police Car Australia