The strength to go big or go home

Road test - Ford Ranger Raptor Ford’s race-ready pick-up truck is a pumped-up piece of silliness, but it’s appeal is hard to resist, finds Matt Allan

Click on the “performance” section of Ford UK’s website and you’re given five vehicles to choose from. There’s the hot hatch Fiesta and Focus STs, the musclecarMustangandthefullon supercar GT. Plus a pick-up truck.

Butit’snotamistakebysome developer, there really is a version of the brand’s Ranger pickup that’s been tinkered with by the Ford Performance team.

Surrounded by lots of words like badass, awe-inspiring and extreme, this is a Ranger developed to be something completely different. Its chassis, suspension and steering are tuned for racing and the standard 2.2 or 3.2 diesels have been ditched in favour of a high-performance 2.0-litre unit.

It’s not an understated thing. From the deep sidewall and chunky off-road tread of the tyres to the enormous grippy alloy sidesteps, huge decals and towering Raptor grille, everything about it is big and mean and there’s no mistaking it for a standard Ranger for even a second.

The33-inchwheel/tyrecombo is bolstered by a 5cm suspension lift and a track that’s 15cm wider than a standard Ranger and a front skid plate and wheel archextensionsaddtoitsimposing appearance.

The closest thing looks-wise I’ve driven to it is the Arctic Trucks version of the Isuzu DMax, which featured a 35-inch wheel/tyre combo and a whole bodylifttocreateitsbeefyimage while the Ranger manages to be justasintimidatingwithoutany of that and promises a different approach to off-roading.

The chassis has been reinforced with high-strength steel to withstand heavy impacts and high-speed abuse and the unique Fox suspension developed specifically to offer control and sufficient damping. The purpose-designed shocks are thicker and longer than in the standard Ranger, with significantly greater travel to cope withallsortsofterrainanddrivingandtherearecoiloversanda Watt’s linkage in the rear rather than traditional leaf-springs.

It all makes for a hugely capable machine that will shrug offprettymuchanythingtheUK or anywhere else in the world can throw at it. What’s almost as impressive is the way this muscle-boundfreakbehaveson the road. That trick suspension brings massive improvements in refinement and control. The ride is firmer than a standard Ranger or the AT35 but not uncomfortable and body control is far superior. The crash and shimmynormalfoundinapickup is also significantly reduced, makingthisasurprisinglycalm cruiser.

With210bhp,theRaptorstill isn’t massively powerful but the twin-turbo 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine pumps out 369lb/ft of torque and the drive modes and 10-speed transmission have been tuned to be sportier than a standard truck. We’re still talking 0-62mph in 10 seconds but the different “terrain management” options range fromrockcrawlinginlow-range four-wheel-drive to lively reardrive sport mode for “spirited” on-road driving and Baja mode forhigh-speedoff-roadshenanigans. While there have been massive changes in the mechanical side of things, other areas of the Ranger are much the same as lesser trucks. There are some nice Raptor-specific interior touches,suchasbrandedsuedetrimmedseats,aracingsteering wheel with a centre line marker and big magnesium shift paddles. But the rest of the cabin features the same scratchy plastics and dull trim as other Rangers. You do at least get the plenty of convenience, assistance and safety equipment for your near-£50,000. That price is important because, thanks to the suspension changes, the Raptor’s payload is reduced meaning it can’t be classed as a commercial vehicle and buyers will have to stump up the full whack VAT. That makes the Raptor a very expensive plaything,especiallygivenhowhard