Abu Dhabi Police unveil UAE-made supercharged patrol car

Eneron Magnus designed to take policing to new operational levels in the capital

Abu Dhabi Police have started road testing the first UAE-made Eneron Magnus supercharged patrol vehicle.

The Magnus is blast-proofed and can accelerate to 100kph in 6.3 seconds, with a top speed of about 150kph.

On Wednesday, a fully operational technology demonstration vehicle cruised along the Corniche, tailed by a police escort and motorcycle outriders – the first public outing for the latest addition to the force's rapid response fleet.

Packed with the latest technology, the Magnus belongs to a new class of robust emergency vehicles.

The car has been built by developers at Eneron, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi based technology firm Kintsugi Holding. It made its debut at the Gitex technology exhibition in Dubai last year.

“We're very proud to have reached this stage in collaboration with our partners Abu Dhabi Police,” said Rashed Al Mohtadi, director of marketing and communications of Kintsugi Holding. “The vehicle can be deployed as a mobile command centre, that has been specified by the police.

“To integrate this kind of technology and equipment within a vehicle of this size, and for it to move at this kind of speed is very difficult to achieve.”

Waleed Alblooshi, director of corporate communications at Kintsugi Holding, in the UAE-made Eneron Magnus Abu Dhabi Police vehicle. All photos: Pawan Singh for The National

The interior of the autonomous armoured vehicle

The vehicle has its own cell

The screen on the dashboard

Two surveillance drones are stored at the back of the vehicle

It has a unique look

The vehicle has been designed to withstand the most challenging of environments, and is powered by a combined electric motor and diesel engine offering a range of about 900km.

Its reinforced suspension system and central tyre inflation system ensures the vehicle can operate under all road conditions, and in more tricky desert terrain.

In the event of coming under fire, the Magnus is offered with the option of level B6 ballistic protection, safeguarding the cabin, windscreen and windows against high velocity ammunition, machinegun fire and hand grenades.

Meanwhile, a self-contained, fully ventilated environment protects those inside from contaminated air or chemical attacks.

It has an escape hatch, 21 cameras offering 360º vision, and is well equipped for stealth missions, with exterior infrared lighting providing illumination only visible through night vision. There is also a secure cell inside the vehicle, which can monitor the biometrics and vital signs of those inside.

Two drones can be launched from the back of the vehicle, mainly for surveillance, or to find the location of suspects from the air.

Voice control

The car has an in-house developed AI-Voice Assistant called SAM. Similar to conversational voice assistants found in many modern electric vehicles, it gives those inside voice control over the deployment of drones and other services that could be operation critical.

As development vehicles continue to be tested, and the Magnus's off-road capabilities evaluated in the Liwa desert, Mr Al Mohtadi expects a civilian vehicle to be unveiled in 2026, and production in Abu Dhabi to get under way in 2028. Although a price has not been confirmed, developers said it was expected to below the Dh1 million ($272,300) mark.

“We expect this to be used in several scenarios, mainly because of the specifications that the police have requested,” said Mr Al Mohtadi. “As it's a hybrid range-extender EV, it's able to operate both in diesel and electric, and comes with different driving modes and various mission-specific functionalities.

“We have received a lot of inquiries from civilians in exhibitions, asking if we are making a civilian version of this vehicle.

“This vehicle is unique. At some point, we would like to take this to a global scale in terms of production. To have a vehicle of this size move so nimbly and smoothly in the street is unheard of.”