4cast
HIGH PERFORMANCE DESERT RACER SET FOR 2018 LAUNCH.
12 http://www.4x4australia.com.auWORDS
MA
TT RAUDONIKIS
NEWS AND VIEWS
HARDCORE RANGER RAPTOR
CONFIRMED
F
ORD Australia has
confirmed the worst-
kept secret in the
automotive industry:
that it is working on a
souped-up Raptor variant
of its popular Ranger ute.
Countless spy photos have
been seen of Ranger Raptor
prototypes during testing,
both in Australia and the
USA, where the Ranger will
go on sale as a 2019 model.
The camouflaged test mules
reveal pumped front ’guards
covering a wider wheel track
than that found under the
current PXII Ranger.
Ford AU’s press release
describes the vehicle as being
“designed and engineeredto deliver an adrenaline-
pumping experience, Ford
Ranger Raptor sports a head-
turning exterior look that
exudes toughness, as well
as a level of capability and
off-road performance never
before seen in the mid-size
pickup truck segment.”
The Raptor nameplate
carries over from the Ford
F150 Raptor in the USA. That
Baja racer-inspired vehicle is
powered by a stonking 335kW,
twin-turbocharged EcoBoost
V6 petrol engine backed
by a 10-speed automatic
transmission. Suspension is
provided by three-inch Fox
Racing by-pass shocks with
matched coil springs on awider track than the standard
F-truck.
No details are available
on what the Ranger Raptor
might bring here but we
doubt we’ll see the petrol
engine in Australia, instead
relying on a ‘tuned’ version
of Ford’s diesel engine. The
spy photos reveal the wider
track and big tyres on the
prototypes so we’re hoping
that Ford continues its
partnership with Fox for the
suspension components.
“Combining the Raptor’s
advanced off-road capabilities
with the versatility of the
Ranger is a significant
accomplishment for Ford’s
world-class engineering anddesign teams,” said Jamal
Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford
Performance.
This suggests that the
Raptor might fall under the
Ford Performance banner
here as well.
The Ford Ranger will be
relaunched in the USA next
year as a 2019 model and spy
photos suggest that this will
be an updated model to the
PXII currently on sale here.
We’re tipping Australia will
also get the updated style and
features of the US-model
vehicles including the
Everest, which will be badged
as a Bronco in the US. No
word on timing but some time
in 2018 for sure.built
tough
HERE’S hoping our Raptor
gets the Fox suspension
to go with the big
wheels and stance.