CAR Magazine’s attendance on the Asia-Pacific regional drive of the next-generation Ford Ranger wasn’t the only remarkable experience of our inner-circle media experience with Ford Motor Company South Africa – we also got the opportunity to be one of the first media outlets in the world to see the new Ford Ranger Raptor in the metal.
Parked alongside a 3,0-litre V6 turbodiesel Ranger Wildtrak in a vacant bay at Ford’s Thailand Manufacturing plant, resplendent in Sedona Orange paintwork and sporting a set of prototype decals featuring more abstract angular elements than the current car’s mountain-based motifs, this production assessment unit looked packed with menacing potential.
While we weren’t permitted to drive this pre-launch unit, we were among the first media outlets to get up close and personal with the upcoming halo model of the Ranger family and learn more about it from someone with in-depth knowledge of what the formidable-looking newcomer is all about.
Showing us around the new Ford Ranger Raptor was Ford Ranger chief programme engineer, John Willems. A Member of Ford Australia since 1992, Willems served as Asia-Pacific region powertrain chief between 2006 and 2014. He was then chief programme engineer for the 2018 model year Ranger and was responsible for leading the development and introduction of the next-generation Ranger.
A more holistic look
What’s most apparent when taking in the next-gen Raptor in the metal is just how well resolved it looks. As Willems explained, the previous Raptor was conceived some way along the first-generation Ranger’s lifecycle and consequently had more of a bolt-on, aftermarket appearance. With the current Raptor’s genesis more closely aligned with that of the second-generation Ranger – not to mention the Ranger’s more purposeful and angular styling providing the perfect canvas for a beefed-up Raptor spinoff – the upshot is a performance pickup that looks more holistically related to its Ranger stablemate and even more purpose-orientated. For example, Willems pointed out that in the interests of axle articulation, ground clearance and model-specific suspension setup, the Ranger’s rear-bumper box step hasn’t made its way across to this iteration of Raptor.
A more connected cabin
In addition to an impressively bolstered seat of front pews inspired by the seats in Lockeed-Martin’s F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the Raptor plays host to a cabin that mixes digitized and physical control interfaces in the guises of the 12-inch SYNCH 4A portrait touchscreen infotainment system and TFT-panel instrument binnacle. As Willems explained, the idea behind this combination is to retain controls with which owners wish to physically interact – those lending themselves to muscle memory, such as elements of the audio and HVAC and the e-shifter for the 10-speed automatic transmission – with richer functionality that can be embedded in the infotainment system. It helps keep both Raptor and Ranger cabins clean in terms of design while still accommodating a wealth of new features in a setup that bridges the gap between traditional cabin interfaces and the more digitized ones we see in luxury cars and EVs.
Electrification still some way off
While the cabin interface is a nod to EV-inspired motoring, the idea of an electric Raptor is still some way off, explained Willems. Like many auto manufacturers, Ford has been feeling the pressure to adopt new drivetrain tech solutions – electric among them – and the new Ranger’s underpinnings have been designed to free up space in the engine bay and architecture to potentially accommodate such technologies. Willems added that Ford has undertaken more development and powertrain testing with new Ranger than any other vehicle in the manufacturer’s stable to date, allowing them to meet emissions legislation in all of the 180 global markets in which they’ll be sold.
Configuration is key
Willems describes new Ford Ranger Raptor as the most configurable Ranger of them all. From an additional diff-lock, to the inclusion of an all-out-attack Baja mode for the selectable drivetrain management system (it essentially ushers in even more aggressive gearshift mapping, a more responsive throttle and engine characteristic parameters that work to keep the turbos primed for maximum boost in as short a time as possible) and an adjustable exhaust flap that can moderate tailpipe noise from socially acceptable to free-breathing snarl; the Raptor is eminently configurable.
The twin-turbo V6 has the soundtrack to match its credentials
Although driving this pre-launch Raptor unfortunately wasn’t on the cards, Willems kindly treated us to the next best thing – a chance to fire up the 3,0-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol EcoBoost engine. Developing 292 kW and 583 N.m of torque, the EcoBoost unit will be a far cry from the current car’s decidedly more modest 157 kW/500 N.m 2,0-litre twin-turbo diesel ‘four. Willems explained that while the new Ford Ranger Raptor doesn’t carry a massive weight penalty over that of the outgoing model, Ford’s chassis engineers still had to work around the EcoBoost’s extra mass; factoring in more suspension travel and larger valves have contributed towards better fore-to-aft weight distribution to compensate for the extra frontal load of the new V6 engine.
The opportunity to meet the new Raptor in the metal wasn’t the only highlight of our recent attendance on Ford’s Asia-Pacific region drive of the new Ford Ranger, so keep an eye out for further articles with insights from subject matter experts closely involved in the development of new Ranger.
