New Raptor revealed – and it’s not all about the grunt

It has been dreamed by many for some time, and heavily teased by Ford for the last few months.

Now, the blue oval company has finally revealed the new Ranger Raptor.

If you were expecting a highoutput turbo V6, then let’s get the disappointment out of the way first – the Ranger Raptor is powered by an all-new bi-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 157kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

Not only is this is not a massive increase over the standard Ranger’s 3.2-litre in-line five-cylinder engine that produces 147kW and 470Nm, it is also less than the Volkswagen Amarok V6’s 165kW/550Nm (with a 190kW version expected in New Zealand soon as well).

But Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer for Ford Performance, says that if you think a Raptor is all about power, you’re completely missing the point.

‘‘If you’re focused on the power and talking about the engine, then you don’t get the Raptor,’’ he said at the reveal event in Bangkok.

‘‘The Raptor is all about the most advanced suspension, chassis and design. You spend every single penny you have on the chassis.’’

His desire to create the ultimate off-road performance vehicle came at a time when even Ford was uncertain if it would be successful, having had success with the previous performance incarnation of the F-150 – the strictly road-focused SVT Lightning.

‘‘The Lightning was a straight line, on-road, handling-focused pickup truck, and when we first said we were going to do Raptor – an off-road performance pickup truck – everyone said, ‘Hell no, we’re not going to do that. That’s the worst idea ever!’’’ he laughs.

But it turns out it wasn’t and the F-150 Raptor has become something of a legend, and a bigselling one at that. So it made sense that Ford did a Raptor for the markets that don’t get the F-150.

EXTENSIVE TESTING

Ford says it has tested its new 2.0-litre engine extensively, including running a ‘‘thermo cycle’’ on the engine, heating both turbos to the point of glowing red for 200 hours non-stop.

The bi-turbo set-up has the smaller, high-pressure turbocharger connected in sequence with the larger, lowpressure turbo. At lower engine speeds, the two turbos work in series, while at higher engine speeds, the small turbo is bypassed, with the larger turbo alone providing boost.

Hooked up to the new engine is an equally new 10-speed automatic transmission that is shared with the F-150 Raptor.

The Raptor is larger than a standard Ranger in every dimension, with an increase in length of 39mm and height of 58mm, but the biggest boost is in the Raptor’s width, which at 2180mm is a whopping 331mm wider than the standard Ranger due to the massively increased track, which is now 1710mm.

Of course, ground clearance is also up to 283mm, while the approach angle of 32.5 degrees, ramp over angle of 24 degrees, and departure angle of 24 degrees are also vastly improved over the standard ute.

SUSPENSION ‘CRUSH’

Ford has seriously upgraded and reinforced the Ranger’s chassis for the Raptor, and incorporates new geometry for the larger suspension to allow for greater wheel travel.

And it is that suspension that Hameedi is most proud of in the Ranger Raptor. Up front, there are strengthened protruding shock absorber towers, while down the back the Raptor ditches the Ranger’s leaf spring set-up for a bespoke version of the Everest SUV’s coil-over rear suspension with an integrated Watt’s linkage.

‘‘I have a crush on the the rear suspension,’’ Hameedi said when asked what his favourite part of the Raptor is.

‘‘It’s the first multi-link coilover on a pickup truck that is a Watt’s link and it is a game changer from a ride and handling standpoint. It’s the best-handling pickup truck I have ever driven, by far. And I’ve driven a lot of pickup trucks.’’

Designed exclusively for the Raptor by Fox Racing Shox, the dampers feature a 46.6mm piston front and rear, and coupled with the forged aluminium upper arms and cast aluminium lower arms, allow for an ‘‘unsurpassed damping performance off-road and a plushest of rides on-road’’ thanks to internal bypass technology.

SIX MODES

The Raptor’s 17-inch alloy wheels are shod with 285/70 R17 allterrain tyres that have been specially developed by BF Goodrich for the Ranger Raptor, and there is also extra underbody protection in the form of a new bash plate made from 2.3mm highstrength steel.

But it is not all just serious mechanical ability, because the Raptor also gets a Terrain Management System that features six modes which can be selected via a dedicated switch on the steering wheel.

On-road, there’s the expected Normal and Sport modes, while off-road modes include Grass/ Gravel/Snow, Mud/Sand, Rock and the new Baja mode that reduces traction control intervention and offers faster gear shifts at higher engine speeds, holds gears longer and downshifts more aggressively.

No pricing has been announced for the Raptor yet, but it will obviously top the Ranger Wildtrak’s $64,640 and no doubt be nearer to – or exceed – the Volkswagen Amarok V6’s $75,990 before options.

The Raptor is expected to go on sale in New Zealand in the third quarter of this year.

The much-anticipated Ford Ranger Raptor poses on stage during its Bangkok reveal.