It has been a while since Ford has announced the comeback of the Ranger and the Bronco models to the United States, but there is a suspicious Ranger test mule spotted testing in the Australian Outback. The vehicle has wider fenders, taller ground clearance, and beefy tires, all of which indicates that Blue Oval is working on the Raptor version of this truck.
Interestingly enough, the Raptor Ranger had a steering wheel on the left side, and this is something you cannot find on cars Down Under. If this is indeed the Raptor version than customers in the USA will need to be patient to get the hold of this one. The regular Ranger arrives as the 2019 model year which means that the Raptor variant will come out later – just the fact that Ford didn’t release the second-generation F-150 Raptor until two years after the redesigned 2015 F-150 was introduced speaks for itself. However, launching the Ranger Raptor alongside regular Ranger could also be a smart move, and something people wouldn’t expect, so that is a possibility as well.
Exterior
The 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor is going to have similar design cues and features to the ones found on the F-150 Raptor. At the front, this vehicle will be equipped with the powerful looking bumper, tow hook and massive skid plate that are taken from its big brother. The bumper design allows an impressive approach angle, so if you plan to take this vehicle off-road, you shouldn’t worry. Skid plate protects all of the necessary mechanical components whereas the grille comes with enormous F-O-R-D letters which have become iconic for the Raptor name. Meanwhile, the hood will come with necessary vents to extract the heat produced by the engine.
On the sides, steel running boards which allow easy entry into the cabin and protect the rocker panels will be featured on the Ranger Raptor that will come with a widened track. Furthermore, wider fenders with large flares are expected, and Ford simply must use BFGoodrich’s All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires which are also sported on the F-150 Raptor. The wheels will have 17 inches in diameter, and just like the F-150 Raptor, the Ranger Raptor should come with conventional alloy wheels as standard and Beadlock-capable wheels as an option. At the rear end, the tailgate should come with a Raptor badge of some kind and trailer hitch-mounted tow hooks that are visible in the spy shots will be kept on the production model.
2019 Ford Ranger Raptor Interior
Unfortunately, there are no spy shots which show the interior of the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor so we can only guess by comparing the F-150 to the Raptor. The latter comes with authentic seats which have thicker bolsters and leather accent panels. The steering wheel is also modified, and it features red on-center market at 12 O’clock, red contrast stitching and thicker grips at 10 and 2 o’clock. Huge pedal shifters are located behind the steering wheel, and these are some of the changes we also expect to see on the Ranger Raptor model.
Engine
Once again, we have to take a look at the F-150 Raptor before we move on to the Ranger Raptor. The Raptor version of F-150 has a second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 which produces 450 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque which is 75 hp and 40 lb-ft of torque more than the standard 3.5-liter EcoBoost. The base version of this turbo gasoline unit will be ideal for the smaller Ranger Raptor as it generates 375 ponies and 470 lb-ft of torque. It will deliver enough power for this truck to tow, sprint or go off-road and there is no need for Blue Oval to work on the entirely new engine.
In this scenario, the F-150 Raptor’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 would power the range-topping model whereas the 2.7-liter EcoBoost would be reserved for the base trim. Ford would have to add a turbodiesel to the mix and the 3.2-liter five-cylinder sounds perfect. The transmission could be the company’s new 10-speed automatic which is already used in the F-150 Raptor, but there is also a possibility that the carmaker offers a six-speed automatic as well. The 4WD configuration is inevitable, but rumor has it that the Ranger Raptor’s suspension system will be different and that remains to be seen.
2019 Ford Ranger Raptor Price
It is too early to talk about pricing at this point but since one of Ford’s rivals will be the 2018 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 that costs $40,995, we expect the price of the Ford Ranger Raptor to be in this range. It certainly won’t exceed the $45,000 mark.
