2023 Ford Ranger Raptor: Smaller than the F-150 but No Less Fun

The demise of the Fiesta and Focus in the U.S. marked the end of Ford's long-held but never realized ambition to create a "world car" that could succeed in all global markets. Maybe Ford should have concentrated on a "world truck" instead, a niche that the Ranger seems to have achieved. The Ranger is sold in no fewer than 180 countries. The outgoing version was the most popular pickup in Europe, which is where we had our first experience with the hotly anticipated new Ranger Raptor.

The Euro version has much in common with the upcoming U.S. Ranger Raptor, which we expect to see next year, with the same styling and gravity-defying suspension featuring internal-bypass dampers made by Fox Racing. Beyond the fact that Rangers sold in Europe are produced in Thailand while our version will be built in the good ol' USA, the major difference is that the U.S. Raptor is set to get a brawnier engine.

That's because Europe is entering its own Malaise Era. There, the Ranger Raptor is getting a detuned version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 from the Bronco Raptor, the pickup's engine strangled by the need to meet stringent new emissions standards. In Australia, where the Ranger Raptor was launched first, its V-6 makes 392 horsepower and 430 pound-feet, but in Europe, it will produce 288 horsepower and 362 pound-feet. We will have to wait for U.S. specs, but it seems certain our Raptor will have at least as much power as the Australian version—and possibly the full 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of the Bronco Raptor. A 10-speed automatic gearbox with a two-speed transfer case, plus locking front and rear differentials, will be standard in all markets.

The new Ranger's fresh metalwork sits on the same T6 platform as the outgoing truck, and the Raptor uses a reinforced version of that ladder chassis. From the front, it really does look like a baby F-150, with LED headlights pushed to the edge of the bodywork and a similarly shouty all-caps FORD grille motif. Like the F-150, it also has plastic wheel-arch extensions and a broader track. Although huge by European standards, the Ranger Raptor's 211.0-inch overall length and 79.8-inch width make it 21.6 inches shorter than the F-150 version and 7.0 inches narrower. A crew cab is the standard configuration in Europe and has a 61.6-inch cargo bed.

The addition of some microfiber panels and colored accents elevate the Raptor's cabin over the regular Ranger's, but the plastics remain hard and utilitarian. The 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.0-inch portrait-orientated central touchscreen both looked good. Ford's SYNC 4A infotainment system works cleanly and intuitively, although we welcomed the continued presence of physical controls for heating and ventilation.

The Raptor's center console features a stubby shifter with a button on the side that engages manual mode—manual shifting is via the steering-wheel paddles. A rotary dial selects the drive modes and controls the transfer case, which has 2H, 4H, 4L, and 4A settings—the last automatically sending power to the front axle when required.