Ford debuts race-ready Ranger Raptor

Raptor rapture!
Ford has ripped the covers off its highly-anticipated Ranger Raptor in Bangkok overnight. The Aussie-developed, Thai-built 4x4 dual-cab combines race-ready off-road suspension with bigger brakes, a new-generation 157kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine and 10-speed automatic transmission.

Ford says its ‘factory-built performance truck’ is designed for the true off-road enthusiast, and strengthens the company’s position in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are so excited and proud to unleash this vehicle to the public. Driving it really makes you feel like a hero,” said Ford Performance chief engineer, Jamal Hameedi.

“Just like the F-150 Raptor before it, the Ranger Raptor builds upon the core capability of the range of vehicles it comes from, and carries the unmistakable Ford Performance DNA guise which people instantly recognise.”

The Ranger Raptor utilises a coil-sprung Watts Link rear-end with coil-over Fox Racing Shox dampers set further outboard than those in the Everest SUV, which donates its rear suspension architecture.

The arrangement negates the need for an anti-roll bar while simultaneously improving wheel articulation, reducing weight, cutting cost and improving off-road performance. Ford says it also improves lateral control by allowing a wider track and tyre combination.

motoring.com.au was embedded in the Ranger Raptor development program late last year and participated in a ride-along event that allowed us an early taste of the vehicle’s formidable performance.

The high-level involvement also allowed us an insight into the background and after-hours development of the prototype model that Ford's Australian engineers used to gain production approval for a vehicle it says was on its wish-list since as early as 2010.

Drawing inspiration from the F-150 Raptor and developed in conjunction with Ford’s US-based Raptor team, the Ranger Raptor’s early development took place in Australia.

Asia-Pacific product development engineers built the prototype (X0) initially by placing a Ranger body on an Everest chassis back in 2013. The second prototype (X1) and the one approved by former global product development chief Raj Nair, was formally green-lit for production in 2016.

The Ranger Raptor will become a unique offering in the Australian market when sales commence in the second half of 2018. The long-travel Fox suspension and coil-over Watts Link rear suspension – and the Terrain Management System's new Baja mode – give it an obvious advantage over ‘decal pack’ offerings from competitors like the Holden Colorado Z71 and Toyota HiLux TRD, Ford says.

For now, the Ranger Raptor’s mechanicals are entirely its own. However, Ford has indicated that the biturbo-diesel ‘Panther’ engine it adapted from the 2016 Ford Transit will end up in other Ranger variants, while the 10-speed automatic transmission will appear in the Mustang later in 2018.

Recognisably rugged
To date our only vision of the Ranger Raptor has been one of black and white camouflage and heavy cladding. Removing the disguise reveals a distinctive and recognisably rugged Ranger that bears unique aesthetic touches both inside and out.

From the front, the Ranger Raptor’s grille recalls the F-150 Raptor, its big and blocky F-O-R-D lettering positioned above a chassis-mounted hybrid steel and plastic bumper.

The bumper includes LED fog lights and air curtains aimed at improving the high-riding model’s aerodynamic properties. The guards are of composite construction, designed to resist the dents and dings associated with off-road use.

Further along we find die-cast aluminium running boards Ford says were tested to the equivalent of 10 years’ real-world use. The boards are coated with a two-stage powder and grit process it says will resist scratching and staining.

The robust theme continues at the rear with a combination tow and rear bar with standard recovery hooks (rated to 3800kg) and flush-mount sensor bezels. The Ranger Raptor’s braked tow rating drops to 2500kg (-1000kg), though tray dimensions remain unaltered at 1560 x 1743mm. Ford said the payload rating is ‘lower than the derivative model’, but wouldn’t be drawn on a kilogram figure.

Against the tape measure the Ranger Raptor is 1873mm tall (+52mm), 2180mm wide (+320mm) and 5398mm long (-28mm). The front and rear track now stretch to 1710mm (+150mm) while ground clearance grows to 283mm (+51mm).

Ford says the Ranger Raptor’s off-road geometry is superior to anything seen before in this class, and boasts approach, break-over and departure angles of 32.5, 24.0 and 24.0 degrees respectively (from 29.0, 25.0 and 21.0 degrees on regular dual-cab variants).

Beginning with a hero colour dubbed Conquer Grey, the Ranger Raptor is offered in five hues, also including Frozen White, Lightning Blue, Race Red and Shadow Black.

Inside, the Ranger Raptor offers a familiar cockpit dressed with durable materials and race-inspired large-bolster seats. Clad in technical suede, the pews are said to offer additional occupant grip while being easy to clean, and were tested rigorously on and off-road to simulate extended customer usage.

Lightning Blue stitching, leather-accents and even a ‘Raptor’ logo on the instrument panel denote the Ranger Raptor’s cabin as a cut above the donor package, ditto the aggressive red cluster fascia, distinctive heated perforated leather steering wheel – with rally-inspired red 12 o’clock marker – and new magnesium paddle shifters.

The Ranger Raptor includes driver-assist technologies found elsewhere in the Ranger line-up, including anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, hill-descent and hill-start control, trailer sway control, roll-over mitigation and load-adaptive control recalibrated for the bespoke model.

A reversing camera is standard, as part of Ford’s 8.0-inch touch-screen-enabled SYNC 3 infotainment array with voice control, sat-nav and Bluetooth connectivity. The Ranger Raptor also includes an Intelligent Access key with remote start, and for added convenience employs Ford’s EZ Lift Tailgate promising a 66 per cent reduction in lifting effort.

“It is so cool and amazing to enable this level of performance and create a vehicle that can provide off-road enthusiasts such an adrenaline rush,” said Hameedi.

“It really is like a motocross bike and an ATV rolled up into a pick-up truck – it’s an incredible, awesome experience!”

All-purpose performance
Ford assures us that the headline output numbers of the Ranger Raptor tell only part of the story. The twin-turbo four develops just 10kW/30Nm more than the 3.2-litre Duratorq five-cylinder turbo-diesel common to the rest of the Ranger range, and the same torque value as Holden’s Colorado (500Nm), but is said to feel stronger and more flexible thanks to the wider ratio span of Ford’s all-new 10-speed automatic transmission, which was co-developed with General Motors and the only gearbox offered on Ranger Raptor.

The transmission is constructed from a combination of high-strength steel, aluminium and composites to reduce weight and improve longevity. With more scope to optimise ratio spacing, Ford engineers say they were better able to customise gear progression to provide accurate and quicker shifts both up and down the range.

The electronically-controlled transmission is said to learn and adapt via a ‘Live in Drive’ feature that negates the need for a Sport mode, instead selecting the right gear as required based on a progression of driver inputs.

Ford shied away from quoting a 0-100km/h acceleration time and was reluctant to quote an economy figure, instead noting the durability and responsiveness of the newly-developed mill.

Engineers present at the Ranger Raptor’s unveiling said they worked hard to ensure the new engine was not only reliable, but that service intervals were in-line with customer expectations, and no shorter than ‘base program’ Ranger variants (12 months/15,000km).

The engine was run red-hot for 200 hours non-stop, with water-cooling allowing the twin turbochargers to withstand over-heating while at the same time protecting air induction components.

The Panther engine employs low (variable geometry) and high-pressure (fixed geometry) turbochargers that work in unison at lower engine speeds and in sequence at higher rpm.

Power is put to the ground via Ford’s six-mode Terrain Management System, accessed via a steering-wheel-mounted switch. Two on-road modes, Normal and Sport, are complimented by four off-road modes -- Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Sand, Rock and Baja.

Baja mode is exclusive to the Ranger Raptor and tuned specifically for high-speed, off-road performance. The mode reduces the intervention of traction and stability control and alters the transmission’s shift patterns for performance driving, holding gears longer and downshifting more aggressively when ‘tearing around a bumpy track’.

“The stand-out feature, hands down, is the ride and handling of the vehicle,” said Ranger Raptor chief program engineer, Damien Ross.

“Everything about the Ranger Raptor builds on the already outstanding driveability and capability of the Ranger and enhances it even more. From a driving dynamic standpoint, it is really a special, special vehicle.”

Bump. Stop!
The Ranger Raptor’s chassis and suspension is unique to this application and, as Ford puts it, designed for traversing tough, off-road terrain at high speeds.

Our video of Bruce Newton on test with Ford’s engineers is proof the new geometry and increased track and wheel travel can deliver, so too the strategically-employed HSLA steel and stiffened rails of the Ranger Raptor’s frame.

Protruding front shock towers and outboard rear coil-over mounts show how serious this set-up is, Ford claiming the Ranger Raptor can handle up to 1G of additional impact; perfect for jumps!

Forged aluminium upper and cast aluminium lower arms are damped by Fox dampers manufactured exclusively for the Ranger Raptor. With a 46.6mm piston, the dampers are designed specifically for off-road endurance racing, and allow greater total wheel travel than would otherwise be required by way of Fox’s proprietary Internal Bypass system.

Categorised as a Positive Sensitive Damping shocker, the Fox shocks provide higher damping forces at full jounce and rebound, and lower damping forces in normal travel. It’s said the set-up delivers a ‘best of both worlds’ experience for owners, Ford promising on-road performance equal to or better than its standard Ranger 4x4 variants.

The Ranger Raptor rides on model-specific 17-inch rims with a reinforced cross-member supporting the matching spare. The wheels are shod with aggressive BF Goodrich All-Terrain rubber measuring 285/70 (for an 838mm total diameter and 285mm total width).

Braking duties fall to a bespoke set-up comprising larger (+9.5mm) dual-piston callipers and 332mm rotors up front, and single-pot 54mm clamps on 332mm rotors out back – goodbye drums! Ford says the brake booster is also uprated for the Ranger Raptor, further increasing stopping power.

Increased under-body protection completes the package, the highlight of which has to be a 2.3mm thick high-strength steel bash plate with twin recovery hooks (rated to 4500kg). The front plate joins existing sump and transfer guards, also protecting the electric steering servo, front-end accessory drive, front cross-member, front differential and radiator.

Australia's dearest dual-cab?
With the current PXII Ranger selling from $27,690 through to $61,790, the Ranger Raptor’s asking price is expected to nudge $80K. But given the development of this special-purpose, low-volume truck – and considering the asking price of similar, non-factory-backed vehicles – it’s a somewhat understandable ask.

Ford has yet to officially advise the price for its 2018 Ranger Raptor, but it could become the dearest dual-cab ute in Australia – surpassing even Volkswagen's V6 Amarok Ultimate ($67,990), Toyota's 70 Series ($71,740) and perhaps even the upcoming Mercedes-Benz X 350d, which is expected to nudge $85K.

The Ford Ranger Raptor will go on sale late in the second half of 2018, shortly before updated 2019 versions of the mainstream Ranger ute and Everest SUV line-up.