Ford’s busy year of new-Ranger updates hit top gear overnight, with the formal unveiling of the much touted and teased new Ranger Raptor.
Replacing the highly successful, gravel-geared original Ranger Raptor, the new model looks set to right the adventurous nameplate’s wrongs (a mostly short list). While no specific release date has been announced, the model is expected to hit showrooms before the end of 2022.
As had been widely rumoured, the model is set to come with the 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol EcoBoost V6 lifted from the US-market Explorer ST, with power and torque rated at 292kW and 583Nm, respectively.
This means the model packs almost double the 157kW of the outgoing model’s 2.0-litre bi-turbo, arguably the model’s greatest gripe. It comes paired with the brand’s familiar 10-speed automatic transmission.
Ford has yet to publish performance times, but expect the model to be able to hit 100km/h quicker than the 7.8 seconds it takes a Volkswagen Amarok V6 to complete the feat.
The blue oval boasts that the Raptor’s new engine isn’t merely a copy and paste of what’s been seen in the Explorer.
The Raptor gets its own bespoke variant of the power plant, boasting anti-lag tech that allows the turbochargers to continue spinning for three seconds after you’ve let go of the throttle pedal. This allows for even more instant response while tackling terrain at pace.
Curiously, Ford is set to continue offering a 2.0-litre version of the Ranger Raptor in selected markets. New Zealand and Australia, however, will only get the new gutsier 3.0-litre option.
On top of the aforementioned anti-lag tech, the Raptor also gets a bevy of other performance-orientated additions.
The Raptor’s suspension has been given a significant lick of new paint. There’s numerous carry-over elements, but most of these parts (like the Watts-linkage rear end) have been refined.
Fox shocks make an appearance once again, sporting a 2.5-inch diameter and internal bypass construction. They come with a new Live Valve feature, giving them effectively the same functionality as adaptive dampers, but with more of an off-roading tilt.
This happens via a valve that can adjust the flow of oil into and out of the dampers’ reservoir. It does this while the suspension logs things like throttle percentage, load, and steering input, to give the driver even more confidence in the rough stuff.
Complementing these changes is the addition of Ford’s ‘Trail Control’ system. This is an in-house, semi-autonomous off-road traction control system that takes throttle control out of the off-roading equation. This means inexperienced drivers (or those more focused on soaking up the sights) will be able to go off-roading without having to think about pedal etiquette.
All up, the Ranger Raptor packs seven different drive modes; Normal, Sport, Slippery, Rock Crawl, Sand, Mud-Ruts, and the much enjoyed high-speed Baja mode from the outgoing model.
All of this comes wrapped in a more rugged exterior. Based on the canvas of the updated, more American-looking Ranger (set to land in mid-2022), the Raptor adds its now familiar tropes. Wider guards (housing 33-inch all-terrain rubber), a bold grille with prominent Ford text, and a whopping skid plate all feature.
Inside, occupants get red highlights, a 12.4-inch digital cluster, a 12-inch portrait touchscreen, and an interface that supports over-the-air updates, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Interestingly some of the off-road features, including access to the Raptor’s locking diffs, is now housed in the touchscreen’s menus.
On top of arrival times being unconfirmed, pricing is also up in the air for the model. Given the apparent improvements in spec and power, it’s expected that the model’s retail pricing will breeze past the current Raptor’s sticker.
