Premier

The Premier is a 4-door sedan featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V. In GTA San Andreas, it is the civilian version of the Taxi and the Police Car, it also appears to be a "cousin" of the bulkier Elegant.

GTA San Andreas


The Premier strongly resembles a 1991-1994 Chevrolet Caprice, but it might be the 1991 or 1992 because they fit in with the game's setting; the taillights, which are rectangular in shape as opposed to the Caprice's rounder taillights, might have some influence from 1992-1994 Ford Crown Victoria's. Its very boxy greenhouse looks closer to the Australian Holden VK Commodore but this may be to conserve graphics, this may in fact be the likely cause since a beta Police Car had a more detailed resemblance to a Caprice.

The Premier is the base car for San Andreas' Taxi and the San Fierro Police Department and Los Santos Police Department's Police Cars.

GTA IV and GTA V
In GTA IV, the Declasse-manufactured Premier is designed as a compact, four-door sedan that is based on a Chevrolet Cobalt sedan with some details that resembles a 2005-2011 T250 Chevrolet Aveo Sedan (obviously for its four-door design but also for its taillight design). The front of the car appears similar to Chevrolet Cobalt sedan and the Pinnacle. The taillights appear similar to the 2005-2011 Chevrolet Aveo tailights, and are reminiscent of the taillights of the 2006-2009 Ford Fusion. The Premier is powered by a 4.0L V6 engine with 5 gears and RWD. The car also comes with a Hybrid option.

The Premier appears in brief in the first GTA V trailer, with its design retained in the GTA IV rendition.

GTA San Andreas
In GTA San Andreas, its acceleration, speed, and handling are all quite impressive, while the sturdiness and bulk of the chassis render the Premier capable of withstanding heavy damage, making this front-engine, rear-drive beast simply one of the best passenger vehicles in the game. The strong engine, responsive handling, and sturdy frame also make the Premier an ideal car for performing the PIT maneuver and for ramming other vehicles, hence its use as a police car. You also use the Police Car version, to learn how to do the PIT maneuver in Driving School. The Premier is likely to be powered by a large V8. Premier's Drag Multiplier is 1.8, which is more aerodynamic than any other top end supercar, except for the Infernus where the Drag Multiplier is 1. It is officially the third most aerodynamic car in the game.

Police and taxi variants
One interesting note is that performance aspects for the Premier come in in three variations in GTA San Andreas: mediocre, impressive, and fantastic. The version of the Premier with the worst performance is the Taxi, with modest acceleration and speed, and a heavy, lumbering frame. Next is the civilian version, with its outstanding performance and lighter chassis. Last is the Police version, which is the civilian Premier with a slightly more powerful engine and increased durability, and truly one of the best vehicles in the game.

Other variations include the fact that the Taxi is the only front-wheel drive version of the Premier, partly explaining its comparatively poor performance. Furthermore, the San Fierro police car enjoys improved suspension over that of the police car in Los Santos (most likely due to San Fierro's hilly streets).

GTA IV
The Premier in GTA IV has a 4.0L V6 coupled to a 5 speed gearbox in a rear-wheel drive layout. The engine itself is responsive, propelling the vehicle off the line quickly, and giving it an outstanding top speed of 179 mph for an everyday sedan, but its gear ratio kills acceleration, since the gears are apparently very far apart. Handling is rather good for a car in the mid-sized 4 door class, keeping the Premier stable in most turns, though some oversteer can be felt. The suspension is rather soft however, giving way to body roll. Braking is adequate, though not as good as other sedans. Crash deformation is below average, with the Premier stalling after only a few collisions.

Modifications (GTA San Andreas)

 * Color
 * Hood
 * Exhausts
 * Nitro (all)
 * Roof
 * Spoilers
 * Wheels
 * Car Stereo
 * Hydraulics

Locations
GTA San Andreas
 * Spawns commonly at Market and Commerce.
 * Spawns commonly at the southern areas of San Fierro.
 * Rarely seen at Jefferson.

GTA IV Grand Theft Auto V
 * Whilst driving a Banshee around Alderney, it may be spawned.
 * TBA

Trivia

 * The Premier plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
 * CSR 103.9 in GTA San Andreas.
 * Electro-Choc or Radio Broker in GTA IV.
 * The Premier features the "Door Ajar" Chime, which can be heard with the driver's door open in quiet areas.
 * The Premier in GTA IV features dual exhaust tips, however, there is a glitch, that the left pipe spews out fumes, while the right one doesn't.
 * The modding community often refers to civilian versions of the police car and taxi in GTA 3 and Vice City, as the "Premier", since the name of the model they are based on in those games is unknown.
 * It is seen in the first GTA V trailer, hinting it may return in the game.
 * "Premier" means "first" in French.
 * It's the only car in the GTA III era that has a police and taxi variant.
 * There is a special colour set on the Premier rarely seen. It's with the colour of Gracie Ancelotti's Feltzer with a shade of red.