WILDER than the wildest Ranger
The ultimate Ford Bronco is like a Ranger with everything, then a bit more again
To surpass the master pays the debt: anybody who likes to blend literary aphorisms with automotive product planning knows that.
Ford’s dizzyingly aspirational US-market Bronco reboot wouldn’t exist without the latest version of the Australian-developed Ford Ranger T6 ute: same platform, same basic tech.
We’re already on record as loving the ultimate version of the Ranger, the Raptor: the howling petrol V6, the yumping adaptive suspension technology, the mad Baja mode. But is the Bronco Raptor an even wilder version of the wildest Ranger? After a too-brief drive in Detroit, we’d say yes.
For a start, just look at it: it’s an SUV of course, not a ute, but absurdly wide with those extended guards and it rides on billowy 37-inch off-road tyres (sorry, “tires”) as standard. The extra girth is something Ford couldn’t achieve with Ranger Raptor, even though the previous version was indeed wider than the workhorse/lifestyle versions: the new Ranger has already spread sideways and anything wider simply won’t fit down the production line in Thailand.
The Bronco Raptor is not for the shy, especially when it’s fully liveried up like our test vehicle. Same for the inside: the interior is completely different to Ranger, even more chunky and colourful, with a bunch of visual “easter egg” details that are clearly inspired by the Bronco’s arch rival, the Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator. By the way, Jeep has in turn responded to Bronco Raptor with desert-rated Mojave models of the above. Tit for tat and terror in the sand all round.
The Bronco Raptor powertrain is similar to Ranger: a twin-turbo petrol 3.0-litre V6 (312kW/597Nm), 10-speed automatic and full-time 4WD with various drive modes, which are labelled as GOAT in the Bronco’s case. That’s Goes Over Any Terrain, people. Ha ha.
No, we didn’t get to sample Bronco Raptor in its natural off-road habitat any further than a few skids on some gravel that the local authorities were foolish enough to leave lying around. But on the road, it just demands bad behaviour. The V6 soundtrack is more hyperactive wail than throaty roar, which raises the adrenaline levels even further.
The chassis is perfectly grippy on road, but those squishy monster tyres and trick Fox suspension components induce squirming in corners that brings on a circus of steering and throttle movements. Or you could just slow down . . . but who wants to do that?
Sadly, there’s still no sign of a factory right-hand-drive version of the Bronco, and with Ranger’s popularity in New Zealand you could argue it would be an indulgence/ extravagance anyway. Then again, that’s the idea.
There’s no doubt it would be a premium product. In the US, the Bronco Raptor is slightly more expensive than the F-150 Raptor, which is of course larger and more powerful — if not quite as extreme-sportsfocused.