We’re in Australia at the moment, preparing to spend a day or so behind the wheel of the Ford Ranger Raptor.
A driving impression will follow soon, but for the moment, here are the most important things we’ve learned so far.
- It has 283mm worth of ground clearance and is a full 150mm wider than the standard Ranger. Thanks to that huge grille with “Ford” on it, you won’t be mistaking it for anything else.
- The interior features blue stitching, magnesium paddle shifters and an on-centre marker on the steering wheel.
- The engine is a new 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo diesel engine that delivers a maximum of 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
- With ten gears to play with, Ford is claiming brisk performance and lower fuel consumption. The gearbox features real-time adaptive shift-scheduling algorithms engineered to optimise gear selection.
- Under the skin, the Ranger Raptor’s unique chassis frame is newly-developed and extensively modified for high speeds and endurance off-road. Built to withstand high-impact off-road encounters, Ranger Raptor’s frame consists of various grades of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel.
- There’s a Baja driving mode where the driving assistance is pared back to allow for drifting. Joy.
- The front twin-piston callipers have been increased by 9.5mm in diameter and feature ventilated rotors in an impressive 332 x 32mm size. Also, for the first time on a Ranger, disc brakes at the rear include a brake actuation master cylinder and booster to increase braking performance, as well as ventilated 332 x 24mm rear rotors and a new 54mm calliper.
- The Ranger Raptor’s Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) shock absorbers are exclusively manufactured by FOX, designed to provide higher damping forces at full jounce and rebound to enable better off-road capabilities.
- Ranger Raptor is equipped with BF Goodrich All-Terrain 285/70 R17 KO2.
- The Satellite Navigation System offers a “breadcrumb” feature to leave a trail in uncharted areas.
- The Ranger Raptor will be launched locally in the first half of 2019.
