It is no secret that Ford has debuted the new Ranger and Everest models internationally but that doesn’t mean the outgoing model isn’t worth its salt. We got to enjoy the Ford Ranger Raptor in the hilly terrains of Dullstroom while spectating the Mpumalanga 400.
The reason for the excursion to the neverending hills of Mpumalanga was for the season opening race of the South African Rally Raid Championship. The Mpumalanga 400 as it is also known had two factory backed Neil Woolridge Motorsport T1+ Rangers and a host of other privateer Rangers in the T1 category.
View a gallery of the event here.
Of the FIA grade and Dakar ready T1+ Rangers, one finished on the podium while the other suffered irreparable damage after colliding with a tree in a slippery part of the stage. This all transpired after snatching the lead in the damp morning conditions as a result of a downpour overnight.
It is set to be a thrilling season between the Hilux and Ranger, where we can expect the two stalwarts to go blow for blow throughout the season, similarly to that of the monthly sales battle between the brands’ most popular bakkies.
We were afforded the opportunity of doing short sections of the Mpumalanga 400 in the Ford Ranger Raptors provided to us by the Blue Oval. These included fast flowing tracks which transitioned into technical grassy trails which had not been pioneered by many vehicles prior.
While powered by the same tolerable 2.0-litre turbo-diesel motor, the Ford Ranger Raptor is far better equipped to tackle treacherous terrain than just about any other off-the-shelf bakkie out there. The front and rear tracks are each 150 mm wider while the lifestyle bakkie sits 51 mm taller than the next tallest Ranger derivative. Fox Racing dampers sit on all four corners and connect the knobbly rubber to the chassis of the car. They offer 32% more travel at the rear with 18% more up front.
The wider track of the Ford Ranger Raptor also means that the external bodywork is significantly wider to accommodate for the upgrades. Front and rear fenders have been widened while more aggressive bumpers and side steps line the extremities of the bakkie.
The Ranger Raptor performed superlatively on the technical trails with the suspension upgrades soaking up each and every imperfection presented before it, it did however lack a bit of grunt as the 4-cylinder diesel ran out of steam a little bit too soon. The newly released model will offer a 3,0-litre twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 which delivers 292 kW and 491 N.m which should be sufficient in kicking up clouds of dust.
