I worried a little about no rear wheel drive, but budget conscious cities and counties should enjoy considerable fuel savings.   
From Ford's perspective, the crown vic platform is 30+ years old.  It's dead.   They are gambling on superior technology and lower cost of ownership.      
I don't think we realize the amount of government regulation that is in play here.   Federal funds to states and municipalities will dictate that vehicles purchased must get X mpg and such.   Ford is just a step ahead of the game.