Ford’s Getting Ready To Invade Europe With New Ranger Raptor

Ford’s new Ranger Raptor is getting to ready for its European launch, with the first customer deliveries to start in mid-2019.

The Raptor version of Europe’s best-selling pickup truck comes with a reinforced chassis, a race-bred suspension with wider tracks and increased ride height as well as a twin-turbo 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder engine paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission, the same one you’ll find in the F-150 Raptor.

Packing 210hp (213PS) and 368lb-ft (500Nm) of torque, the new Ford Ranger Raptor is designed for “high-speed off-road driving and go-anywhere capability”.

Compared to a standard Ranger XLT, the Ranger Raptor comes with a 150mm wider track and 51mm more ground clearance, featuring Fox shock absorbers with longer travel, special control arms and a bespoke coilover rear suspension that features an integrated Watt’s linkage.

The brakes are bigger too while the all-terrain BF Goodrich tires now measure 33 inches in diameter (285/70 R17). The reinforced chassis also comes with optimized off-road geometry, offering a 32.5-degree approach angle and ramp-over and departure angles of 24 degrees. Ground clearance in total is 283mm while wading depth is 850mm.

The driver can choose between six Terrain Management System modes, including Normal, Sport, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Sand, Rock and Baja, the latter priming the chassis for the aforementioned high-speed off-road driving.

What’s interesting in the case of the Ford Ranger Raptor is that it doesn’t promise to be better just during off-road driving but also on-road as well, benefiting from the new suspension setup to provide more refinement than its non-Raptor siblings.

“The standout experience of the Ranger Raptor, hands down, is how far you can push it off-road and still ride like a millionaire on-road,” said Damien Ross, chief program engineer, Ranger Raptor, Ford Motor Company. “Everything about the Ranger Raptor builds on the already outstanding sophisticated feel and functional capability of the Ranger, and then goes further. From a driving dynamic fun standpoint, it is really an exceptionally special vehicle.”

Ford claims that the Ranger Raptor offers a combined fuel economy of 31.7 mpg UK (8.9lt/100km) and emits 233g/km of CO2. 0-62mph (100km/h) comes in 10.5 seconds while top speed is set at 106mph (170km/h). The Ranger Raptor tips the scales at 2,510kg (5,533lbs) and can tow up to 2,5 tonnes (5,511lbs).

Stay tuned for a detailed gallery of the new Ranger Raptor in Essaouira, Morocco, where Ford has currently invited members of the Press for a first test drive.