From 2011 until 2017, the Caprice nameplate returned to North America as a full-size, rear wheel drive police vehicle, a captive import from Australia, built by General Motors's subsidiary Holden.

Power front disc brakes and fiberglass-belted tires on 15-inch (380 mm) wheels were made standard equipment along with a 250 hp (186 kW) 350 cubic-inch Turbo Fire V8.

The new styling was highlighted by a Cadillac-like "egg-crate" grille with a "Caprice" emblem in the center and brushed metal trim surrounding the taillights on the rear deck.

General Motors was the first of the big three to have all engines run on regular fuel and these changes were made to help meet the increasingly stringent emission regulations that were to come into place in years to come.

In its May 1971 issue, Motor Trend magazine published a comparison road test that included a Caprice Coupe and a Cadillac Sedan de Ville.

The 1972 Caprice received a facelift with a revised grille that was lower in height than the '71 model flanked by a new bumper with increased protection one year ahead of the Federal mandate.

New thick "B" pillars and fixed rear quarter opera windows were new on two-door coupes, which essentially eliminated pillar-less hardtop design much like the GM intermediates did the previous year.

The Caprice convertible would be discontinued after the 1975 model year along with its full-size B-body counterparts including the Oldsmobile Delta 88, Buick Centurion, and Pontiac Grand Ville.

As fuel economy became a bigger priority among Americans following the Arab Oil Embargo of late 1973 and early 1974, Chevy made the smaller 145 hp (108 kW) 350 cu in (5.7 L) small block V8 with two-barrel carburetor standard on all Caprice models except wagons for 1975.

Only minor changes were made for 1976, including an eggcrate grille similar to that of the 1976 Cadillac Calais/DeVille/Fleetwood flanked by new rectangular headlights, along with revised exterior and interior trimmings.

Launched in late September 1976,[18][19] the 1977 Caprice Classic was drastically downsized, which reduced its weight and exterior dimensions, while increasing headroom, rear-seat legroom and trunk space compared to 1976 models.

With the new lighter weight and smaller engines, Chevrolet promised increase fuel economy without great loss of performance compared to 1976 models.

Car and Driver commented on the F41 suspension option which included stiffer springs, larger sway bars, wheels, and tires to say, "It will make you think your Chevy came from the Black Forest instead of Detroit."

The 1987 models received minor styling revisions: composite aerodynamic headlamps replaced the formerly sealed beam bulbs, and a standup hood ornament returned.

In the 1986 Michigan State Police tests, the Chevrolet Caprice was competitive with the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury.

[29] Unlike the LO5 used with the GMT400 light-duty truck and van line including the R/V series, the police spec LO5 used the roller camshaft sourced from its TPI equipped F bodies and Corvette along with high flow fuel injectors.

[30] In Michigan State Police tests, the only competition was from the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, as the production of the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury had ended during 1989.

The 1994 Caprice's interior had a redesign which featured a Camaro steering wheel, digital speedometer and odometer, and a new instrument panel, which included a front passengers-side airbag.

[citation needed] For the 1995 model year, the rear side window between the back door and C pillar, featured a so-called Hofmeister kink and both the sedan and wagon had their now foldable exterior mirrors repositioned.

In 2006, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Charger Pursuit, serving as an indirect successor to the Caprice's muscle sedan image in the police market after a decade hiatus.

The car's production was stopped in December 1996 due to sales pressure from the mid-size Chevrolet Lumina, financial troubles at General Motors, and consumer demand shifting from full-sized family sedans to the increasingly popular sport utility vehicles.

[40][41] The Arlington, Texas vehicle assembly plant (used for the Caprice, Impala SS, Buick Roadmaster, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, and Cadillac Fleetwood) was converted to produce GM's more profitable full size SUVs (the Tahoe and Suburban).

The Chevrolet Impala nameplate was reintroduced to the American passenger car market in 2000 as the marque's premium offering, albeit in a front wheel drive configuration.

The Middle Eastern Caprice came out for 2000 in four versions, base LS, standard mid-range LTZ, a sporty SS and the range topper Royale (introduced in 2002).

[47] The Caprice police car had a generally positive reception, placing perfect scores in an assessment by The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, with the only criticism being directed at its over-cautious electronic stability control.

On July 11, 2009, Bob Lutz declared the Australian-built, Holden Commodore-based Pontiac G8 "too good to waste" and indicated it would return in the form of a Chevrolet Caprice.

[53] Several days later, Lutz retracted his comment, citing market conditions,[54] while GM CEO Frederick Henderson confirmed that police applications were being studied.

[55] What also made the North America Caprice different from the preceding Caprice variants sold in Australasia and the Middle East was the lower end of the front bumper (based on the Holden Commodore Omega Series II front end), a honeycomb grille similar to the 2001–2011 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and an interior from the Commodore Omega.

[citation needed] For 2014, the Caprice PPV received a new seven-inch, Chevrolet MyLink touchscreen infotainment system as standard equipment, which now included Bluetooth for hands-free calling and wireless stereo audio streaming via A2DP, Pandora Internet Radio capabilities, and an integrated rearview backup camera display among other new features.

[56][57][58] The dashboard was restyled with a new steering wheel that integrated cruise (speed), audio system, and Bluetooth voice controls, a new instrument cluster with a larger monochromatic LCD driver information center (DIC) screen, and revised controls (the new dashboard in the Caprice PPV was similar to the civilian Chevrolet SS sedan that was released for the 2014 model year).