After teasing the MIAS crowd back in April, Ford was quick to bring in the gnarly version of their popular pickup truck – the Ford Ranger Raptor. By now you’re probably familiar with what this beast can offer but it’s more than its suspension setup this time around.
Like before, the Ranger Raptor builds on the existing Ranger platform. This means it’s also bigger and has a wider track than before. Outside, it will greet you with its very intimidating grille with Ford spelled out, just in case you forgot how. The wheel flares are bigger and more protruding while the wheels itself are a bit smaller but have chunkier 285/70 tires. There’s a bigger skid plate, tow hooks front and back, die-cast aluminum step board, and my personal favorite, the tailgate assist making it easy to open and close that rear end.
If the exterior is very rugged, the cabin takes a bit of a turn and leans toward sportiness. The seats are bolstered well including the bench seat at the rear to keep occupants in place. Like the exterior, the cabin of the Ranger Raptor follows that of the normal Ranger so it’s not surprising to see the 12-inch portrait touchscreen here. What’s unique to the Raptor are the hefty paddle shifters, bigger 12-inch digital gauge cluster, Raptor branding, and splashes of orange on the panels and seats.
When the Ranger Raptor made its debut in our neighboring countries, it was fitted with a V6 gasoline engine which put fear in the hearts of the Filipino fans. Luckily for them, Ford Philippines decided to go with the Bi-Turbo Diesel engine for the Ranger Raptor here in the Philippine market. It makes 210PS and 500 Nm of torque, paired to a 10-speed automatic. What also sets it apart from the Wildtrak are the 2.5-inch FOX shocks and the seven Selectable Driving Modes namely Normal, Sport, Slippery, Rock Crawl, Mud/Ruts, Sand, and Baja. They affect the pickup in many ways including the engine response, transmission calibration, traction control, and more.
This generation also introduces advanced safety features for the Ranger Raptor making it more well rounded. It received a 360 camera system which is highly useful in city and off-road settings, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Trail Control for low speed crawling, adjustable Hill Descent Control, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Information System, Cross Traffic Alert, Tire Pressure Monitoring, and even the much revered Active Park Assist. It will certainly feel at home in and out of the city, on and off the road.
The new Ford Ranger Raptor is priced at P2,339,000 and comes with a 5-year warranty. It’s available in Arctic White, Conquer Grey, Absolute Black, Blue Lightning, and Code Orange.
You can catch the Ford Ranger Raptor in ARCA South until May 21, 2023 where you can test it in a specifically made off-road course along with the Ranger Wildtrak 4×4 and Everest Titanium+ 4×4. There will also be on-road driving tests for the 4×2 variants of the Ranger, Everest, and the next-gen Territory. Up for grabs is a total of 2-million pesos in cash discounts and freebies in the Ford Island Conquest along with a tutorial on the Ford Ownership experience and the bragging right to say that you’ve already driven the newest Raptor in the country.