Ford has come up with the goods and finally delivered unto us a doublecab bakkie with a face like a clenched fist. The Ranger Raptor. It’s still ‘Built Tough’ as the slogan suggests but now with help from Ford’s Performance Division. Critics haven’t been too kind about the power output on the powerplant – a 2.0-litre turbodiesel with 157kW/500Nm, but as Ford themselves admit “The Ford Ranger Raptor is not about the engine.” Indeed, it’s about the engineering. The Ranger’s suspension, now higher and with a wider track has also been blessed with Fox Racing Shox shock absorbers and in each corner BF Goodrich rubber for maximum grip. You get greater approach and departure angles too so this is no mere bodykit. The Raptor is genuinely endowed with greater 4x4-ability than the standard car, including thanks in part to the inclusion of a Watts-Linkage rear suspension and coilover springs at the rear.
But getting back to that new engine, it’s a bi-turbo mill and has been mated to a 10-speed auto transmission for a smoother torque delivery. As a result, the Raptor becomes a lot more engaging to drive for enthusiasts of both tarmac as well as gravel persuasions. In fact, you can add dunes to that list as well since it now comes with a special sand-racing mode. “The Ford Performance team is excited to extend the Raptor name from our flagship off-road performance F-150 to Ranger.” says Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer at Ford Performance. Of course, it gets more than just the name, but also the big-body additions synonymous with it.
Why do I feel like I’ve seen this before?
Local Ford Ranger fanatics have long been emulating the mighty F150 Raptor trucks from the USA, often by way of aftermarket bodykits and addenda. Can you blame them though? The F150 Raptors are formidable machines so its only natural you’d want to instil your modest Ranger with similar hop-ups. The Ranger Raptor however is no local special. Mind you they’ll be produced at the Silverton Production Facility in Pretoria as well as in Thailand to serve other right-hand markets such as Australia. It will come with undershields for protection, massive brake-discs, a variety of drivetrain modes and sophisticated electronics and safety equipment. You’ll also get Ford’s latest SYNC 3 voice-activated infotainment system. What you won’t get is a box of headache tablets to deal with the Amarok and X-Class fans that will point out to you that their cars make more power. But then again it’s not about the engine.
