RAPTOR UNLEASHED

FORD’S PERFORMANCE RANGER

Ford has revealed its eagerly awaited Ranger Raptor, purposefully designed, built, and tested to set a benchmark as the only factory-built performance truck across Asia Pacific, at a recent event in Thailand.

Designed by Ford Performance, the ultimate Ranger features distinctive design cues inside and out, such as a F-150 Raptor style grille with iconic block Ford lettering within the design, and a frame mounted front-bumper system with LED fog lamps and functional air-curtain ducts.

Standing at 1,873 mm tall, 2,180 mm wide, and 5,398 mm long, the Raptor has a wider front and rear track, 283 mm of ground clearance, and improved approach, departure and ramp-over angles. Inside, the seats of the Raptor are specially designed for off-road high-speed performance support. Detailed cockpit differences include blue stitching and leather accents.the instrument cluster has aggressive styling, encompassing a host of Driver Assist features.

At the rear it uses a coil-over rear suspension with Watt’s link setup and Fox Racing Shox dampers, while the front has been strengthened with protruding shock absorber towers.all-terrain BF Goodrich 285/70 R17 tyres have been specially developed for the Raptor.

The braking system has been upgraded and it comes with a Terrain Management System (TMS) offering six modes, including Baja mode, for various driving conditions.

Interestingly,poweriscourtesyofanew2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine delivering 157 kw and 500 Nm of torque, combined with a 10-speed transmission. The Ranger Raptor is expected in South Africa next year and is also destined to be assembled in Ford’s Silverton facility.