Yahoo Autos Ford Ranger Raptor Revealed, and It's (Eventually) Coming to the U.S.!
UPDATE 8/21/18: Ford has released a video and additional photos of the Ranger Raptor tearing it up off-pavement ahead of its going on sale in Europe. See the video below for some shots of the new hi-po truck drifting around a construction site, mixing it up with dirt bikes, and-yes-even getting some sweet air. You can also check out some more recent photos of the truck in the U.S. with left-hand drive, suggesting that its arrival on our shores is fast approaching.
The Ford Ranger Raptor surfaced earlier this year in Bangkok, Thailand, in production form, and while the truck you see here is only for global markets outside the U.S., it’s likely that the United States will have a crack at Ford’s rock-hopping, dune-flogging four-by-four at a later date.
Months before Ford unveiled the U.S.-spec 2019 Ranger in January, we knew Dearborn had directed the Ford Performance division to build a baby Raptor. That’s exactly what the Ranger Raptor looks like, minus the F-150 version’s amber marker lights on the satin-gray grille. Flared fenders, F-O-R-D in chunky uppercase letters, silver-painted underbody shields, and a step-in height that threatens to rip inseams are the most obvious touches. Under the hood is an all-new twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel inline-four, which Ford likely won’t try to certify back home. It’s more potent than the expat Ranger’s 3.2-liter turbo-diesel inline-five, with 211 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. Expect any U.S. model of the little Raptor to be powered by Ford’s 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6, with outputs similar to the 335 horsepower and 380 lb-ft that the engine makes in the 2019 Edge ST. Like the F-150 Raptor, the rowdiest Ranger uses a 10-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive, and six driving modes (including a Baja setting that relaxes the traction control for ripping across the desert).
The F-150 Raptor boasts Fox Racing Shox internal-bypass dampers, and the Ranger Raptor follows suit. Ford has not specified wheel travel, but since the ability to execute sweet jumps is a Raptor hallmark, expect it to be generous. A Watt’s linkage helps control the live rear axle’s lateral motion, while more high-strength steel and integrated tow bars are baked into the Ranger’s frame.
Compared with the Ranger FX4 sold in Australia-which is the most aggressive off-road version of the currently available truck-the Ranger Raptor’s overall height is up by 2.0 inches, while ground clearance is 1.8 inches greater, for a healthy total of 11.1 inches. Whereas the F-150 Raptor feels as wide as a garbage truck, the Ranger Raptor should be easier to keep between the painted lines. Ford stretched this Ranger’s front and rear tracks by 5.9 inches, although overall width increases by just 0.7 inch. A 32-degree approach angle and 24-degree departure angle (increases of 3 degrees each over the FX4) will no doubt test the 33-inch BFGoodrich 285/70R-17 tires and front skid plate. Stopping ability is enhanced by front and rear brake rotors that are 0.4 inch larger in diameter than those of the standard Ranger.
If you mentally switch the right-hand-drive seating position to the other side and sub in a higher-rpm tachometer, it’s easy to imagine what a U.S. Ranger Raptor’s interior would look like. Leather and microsuede upholstery is garnished with white Raptor lettering and blue stitching, and the Raptor-spec steering wheel features a red 12-o’clock hash mark. Five exterior colors (Lightning Blue, Race Red, Shadow Black, Frozen White, and Conquer Grey) will be offered in the aforementioned markets. As for official confirmation of a version for America, we hope that will be bounding around the bend soon.
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