Ford will launch its next-generation Ranger with a V6 petrol-engined flagship Raptor in the fourth quarter of this year.
The halo product pick-up finally gets a fitting engine to match, with the 3.0-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 producing 288hp and 491Nm of torque.
Like the current Raptor – whose 2.0-litre engine will live on as a diesel option in the new model – the truck has been heavily modified to boost its off-road performance with new Fox 2.5-inch Live Valve internal bypass shock absorbers and permanent four-wheel-drive system. There is also a revised set of driving options with seven modes, including the much publicised Baja mode, which alters the characteristics of everything from the suspension dampening through to the exhaust note.
The electronically-controlled exhaust system adjusts the engine noise at the press of a button with Quiet, Normal, Sport and Baja modes – the latter of which behaves like a straight-through exhaust system and is designed for off-road use.
Ford has increased the suspension travel of the new pick-up by 20mm as well as introducing the Live Valve shocks, which now come with a new Fox Bottom-Out Control that increases dampening in the last 25% of the shock’s travel. This not only stiffens the rear suspension under hard acceleration to prevent the front rising, but also improves handling and stability in extreme driving conditions.
The interior gets typical Raptor features with red stitching (named Code Orange) on its part-leather seats, as well as Raptor logos and the 12in central touchscreen that was first revealed when details of the Ranger Wildtrak were announced in November last year. In addition, the Ranger Raptor will have a 12.4in digital dash cluster and a ten-speaker B&O sound system.
The price of the new Ranger Raptor has yet to be revealed but is expected to come at a premium over the present model, while its payload will remain roughly in line with the current 680kg allowance. Nevertheless, neither will likely dampen demand, which has seen the Raptor account for roughly one in 20 of the UK’s 17,850 Ranger sales last year.
