It was only four years ago when Ford gifted the world with a high-performance version of its venerable Ranger pickup truck. The Ford Ranger Raptor was the first of its kind – and the Blue Oval has just given it a heavy overhaul.
In an online live streaming event, Ford unleashes the next-generation Ranger Raptor. Of note, the monster truck that you see here is bound for Europe; the model for the other parts of the world and the ASEAN (including the Philippines) could vary in terms of features, engine options, among others.
There were many rumors that surround the Ranger Raptor leading up to this reveal, but one that holds true, at least for Europe, is that it’s powered by a larger 3.0-liter V6 EcoBoost gasoline engine. It’s good for 288hp and 491Nm, which means it’s down by a bit compared to the 2.0-liter EcoBlue diesel four-banger of the outgoing model.
As mentioned, other markets will get their own powertrain options, which is the case for Australia and South Africa. Both countries will get the same twin-turbo V6 but with beefier tune at 392hp and 582Nm of torque.
Apparently, Ford chose to detune the gasoline V6 for the European market to meet the strict emissions standards imposed within the Old Continent. As for the ASEAN market, we have yet to receive specific information from Ford.
Regardless of the market, power is channeled to all four wheels via a ten-speed automatic transmission, which can be manually controlled via Magnesium paddle shifters. The gasoline V6 unit will receive an anti-lag technology adapted from the GT supercar and Focus ST hot hatchback. This system keeps the pair of turbos spinning for up to three seconds in case you want to push the truck hard shortly after taking your foot off the accelerator pedal.
There are locking differentials at the front and rear along with seven selectable driving modes: Normal, Sport, Slippery, Rock Crawl, Sand, Mud/Ruts, and Baja.
The Ranger Raptor significantly gets more suspension travel compared to the standard Ranger along with a 25 percent increase in damping force to better iron out shocks. This is due to the FOX 2.5-inch shock absorbers that now have half of the friction compared to the outgoing model. Combined with the sturdier suspension, beefier aluminum upper and lower control arms, and upgraded Watt’s link system at the back, the all-new Ranger Raptor boasts better go-anywhere capabilities.
In addition to these upgrades, Ford has toughened up the mounts for the shock pads, front shock tower, and rear shock bracket. Reinforcements to the C-pillar, cargo area, and spare tire have been made as well.
Design-wise, the Ranger Raptor naturally takes from the updated Ford Ranger that made its debut last year. The all-new model still gets the Ford wordmark on the grille, though it’s significantly bigger and uses a different typeface than before.
Standard equipment includes 17-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires and the back features a sporty exhaust with adjustable flaps to modify the soundtrack on the fly. LED matrix headlights are also standard, as are the functional air intakes and aluminum side steps.
Inside the Ranger Raptor, Ford says that the design inspiration came from jet fighters. As opposed to the red accents in the outgoing version, the next-gen model comes with Code Orange accents to spruce up the cabin. The driver has a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster accompanied by a 12-inch vertical touchscreen with SYNC 4 and wireless support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
The EcoBoost-powered, second-generation Ranger Raptor will reach European showrooms by the third quarter of this year. Word is mum as to when the other markets will get their own versions as well as the reveal date. We’re waging it won’t be long, so you should be on your toes for new announcements in the next few months or so if you’re in the market for a monster Blue Oval truck.