Ford Unleashes new purposefully designed benchmark Ranger Raptor

ASHREF ISMAIL

THE first-ever Ranger Raptor, Ford’s new off-road, performance pickup truck, blasted out from behind its camouflage during a reveal event in Thailand.

The ultimate Ranger is purposefully designed, built and tested to set a benchmark as the only factory-built performance truck across Asia Pacific. Designed by the Ford Performance team for the true enthusiast off-roader, Ford Ranger Raptor strengthens Ford’s commitment to deliver ‘Built Ford Tough’ pickup trucks to customers in Asia Pacific.

The Ranger Raptor features distinctive design cues inside and out that are functionally driven.

At the front, a stunning new grille takes styling cues from the world’s first factory-built, high performance off-road truck, the
F-150 Raptor. The iconic block Ford lettering proudly positioned within the grille design is unmistakable when emerging from a dust cloud.

A frame-mounted front-bumper system is designed to offer desert durability performance and a distinctive presence. The front bumper also includes new LED fog lamps with functional air-curtain ducts, which help to reduce air resistance of the body.

Vehicle stance is noticeably bigger from every angle, standing at an impressive 1 873mm tall,
2 180mm wide and 5 398mm long, with wider front and rear tracks at 1 710mm.

Ground clearance is increased to 283mm, while the approach angle of 32,5°, ramp over angle of 24° and departure angle of 24° as a package are superior to anything seen before.

Given the unforgiving terrain Ranger Raptor has been developed for, it needed an aggressive set of tyres to keep it stable on and off-road. All-terrain BF Goodrich 285/70 R17 tyres have been specially developed for the Ranger Raptor.

Holding a strong presence, each tyre measures 838mm in diameter and 285mm in width.

The design offers a tough sidewall to take on all environments with confidence, a super grippy tread to extend owners’ adventure time on and off-road and an aggressive off-road tread pattern which provides grip in wet, mud, sand and snow conditions.

The Ranger Raptor comes with a Terrain Management System (TMS) offering six modes for various driving experiences, which can be selected via a dedicated five-button switch located on the steering wheel.

Each mode has been calibrated to offer the best possible combination of technologies working in unison to tackle the chosen terrain or driving style with aplomb.

The Ranger Raptor powertrain features cutting edge technology to offer more power and torque, better fuel economy, less weight and off-road specific calibrations for engine, transmission, driveline, steering, brakes and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.

In a revolutionary move to deliver incredible performance and responsiveness, a 10-Speed  transmission is combined with a new 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo diesel engine in the Ranger Raptor to deliver a maximum of 213PS (157kW) of power and 500Nm of torque.

The Ford-designed and Ford-built 10-speed automatic transmission is shared with the F-150 Raptor, and has been created with high-strength steel, aluminium alloys and composites to optimise durability and weight.

Having ten gears means a wider ratio span resulting in better acceleration and responsiveness.

With more room to optimise gear spacing, engineers could customise gear progression far more efficiently than before, providing more accurate – and quicker – upshift and downshift capability.

The Ranger Raptor comes with a host of advanced Driver Assist Technologies (DATs) at the push of a button, which are not just cutting edge but genuinely practical for everyday use.

High levels of active and passive safety have been designed-in from the outset, including the improved Ford Stability Control incorporating Roll Mitigation Function.

Ford’s comprehensive Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system is also there to help in difficult cornering and braking situations. The impressive technology suite includes Trailer Sway Control (TSC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Load Adaptive Control (LAC).

The rear view camera displayed on the eight-inch colour LCD screen, matched with the rear parking sensors, gives drivers the utmost confidence when parking anywhere.

For convenient access, an EZ Lift Tailgate uses a new rod assembly to give the owner a 66 per cent reduction in initial lift force. Intelligent Access, also known as passive entry, allows owners to unlock, lock and start the vehicle without having to reach for their keys.

Using a radio frequency signal, the key fob allows the owner to start the vehicle with a press of a button, and is able to activate central locking for the doors and the tailgate. In the case of a depleted battery, a mechanical key blade is incorporated into the fob design.

Additional technical information supplied by Ford (SA).