Yahoo Autos Ford's Baby Raptor Isn't Short on Off-Road Fun
When Ford announced that the first-generation Ranger Raptor wouldn’t be coming to the United States, off-road fans were understandably peeved. The Blue Oval has officially acknowledged the error of its ways, developing the second-generation model with the U.S. market front of mind. R&T visited the Ford Performance Racing School in Tooele Valley, Utah, for a first taste of the new baby Raptor, and to experience Ford’s upcoming Ranger Raptor Assault School program.
What You Need to Know About the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor
The 2024 Ranger Raptor is new to the U.S. market, but this second-generation truck made its debut all the way back in November 2021. Like all 2024 Ranger models, it is based on Ford’s T6.2 platform. This is the same platform that has underpinned the Ford Bronco, but has undergone some changes for pickup duty, including wheelbase and track width adjustments. The Raptor pushes things even further, coming in at nearly three inches wider than the standard trucks. In fact, only the roof, glass, and doors are retained from the less capable machines, helping to give the Ranger a familiar desert-running appearance.
2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Engine and Power Output
The swollen bodywork isn’t just for show, as it hides some seriously potent off-road hardware. The Raptor picks up unique frame rails and upgraded suspension mounts at all four corners to cope with off-road abuse. Under the hood sits a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6, which the Ranger shares with the Bronco Raptor. Output for the U.S. market is listed at 405 hp and 430 lb-ft, down from 418 hp and 440 lb-ft in Bronco spec. That drop is owed to a different exhaust layout in the pickup. Mated to the engine is Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission, which feeds power into an on-demand two-speed transfer case. Ford has set the powertrain up with revs in mind, with only a 10 percent drop in peak power at the top of the range.
Its revvy character is a somewhat rare experience in a truck, though it comes with a loss of some of that punchy low-end pickup customers may be used to. That said, the truck had no trouble idling over obstacles in low range on Ford’s rock crawling trail outside of the Ranger Assault School. Chasing redline in the more open sections also proved entertaining and more rewarding than in other trucks. Paddles mounted behind the wheel control the shifts, and respond with a satisfying amount of feedback.
2024 Ford Ranger Raptor Suspension and Tires
As with any Raptor product, the real magic is in the suspension package. Under the front fenders sits a double A-arm suspension with forged aluminum upper and lower control arms, bolstered by Fox 2.5-inch live valve shocks. Out back, Ford has ditched the leaf springs of the standard truck in favor of a trailing arm setup tied together with a Watts link, utilizing the same Fox shocks with piggyback reservoirs. A set of 17-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch BFGoodrich all-terrain KO3 tires put that suspension to the ground, with beadlock-capable wheels on offer for the die-hards.
The package provides the truck with a minimum running ground clearance of 10.7 inches, as well as approach, departure, and breakover angles of 33 degrees, 26.4 degrees, and 24.2 degrees, respectively. Despite its heavy off-road focus, the Ranger Raptor doesn’t have an overly stiff ride on the pavement. However, my head did make contact with the door frame on more than one occasion when bounding over rocks. It’s not an entirely uncomfortable machine in a crawling scenario, but that extra stiffness for high-speed desert running is noticeable. Ford doesn’t want fans to compare this new Raptor offering to its F-150-sized sibling, but those comparisons are going to be hard to ignore. Not only does the truck look more like the F-150 than its predecessor, it also follows the truck’s Baja-bashing formula.
That said, the Ranger Raptor does have a decidedly different character from behind the wheel. Part of that comes down to the fact that this thing is so much smaller than its pseudo-trophy truck sibling. The Ranger is the only Raptor product that slots in at under 80 inches wide, and that makes a huge difference out on the trails. You can actually place this thing where you want, no longer resigned to taking whatever line is afforded by your dimensions. The Ranger Raptor is also around 600 pounds lighter than a “small tire” F-150 Raptor, which translates to much more eager direction changes at speed.
