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.