The new Ford Ranger Raptor was revealed two weeks ago in Bangkok. It is a pick-up with sporting pretensions and will have a 2 liter twin turbo diesel engine developing 500 Nm with a 10 speed auto transmission.
Even though the brute horsepower is not in high figures, the torque is the number you look for in an off-roader and with 10 ratios it is easy to keep the engine turning in the optimum power range.
Fox shocks are reputed to be used for the Ranger Raptor, as it did on the bigger American F-150 Raptor. We haven’t yet driven the Ranger with Position Sensitive Damping shocks, but we know they work wonders on the bigger Raptor. Internal bypass tech ought to help the truck stay comfortable on the road, too. One thing for sure already, though, is that the Ranger Raptor will have significantly superior ground clearance (11.1 inches) and marginally better approach and departure angles. The Ford also has a Watt’s link, which should help keep the rear suspension feeling planted over high-speed terrain.
Four-wheel drive naturally, and there will be a Terrain Management electronics package similar to the larger, full-size F-150 Raptor. Ford says we can expect 210 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque (500 Nm) from the diesel Ranger Raptor.
The Raptor will have more ground clearance than other pick-ups in the class and with pick-ups from VW (Amarok), Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, GM, the rivalry will be intense.
How much will it cost to get one in your garage? Ford is not saying right now, but expect something north of 1.2 million.
